Hawaiian+Annexation+-+Agatha

 Hawaiian Annexation Agatha Wuh US-E

"We need Hawaii just as much and a good deal more than we did California. It is manifest destiny." —President William McKinley (1898)

Prior to the annexation, there were many American sugar cane planters, whalers, and missionaries in Hawaii. While King Kalakaua reigned, the sugar cane industry grew in wealth and influence over the Hawaiian government. The plantation owners pressured the monarch to give them power over the native people living in Hawaii. In this way, the Americans gained considerable power by the 1870's. With growing numbers of American investors in the sugar industry, the wealthy sugar growers almost controlled the Hawaiian economy. A group of American traders, businessmen, and planters even formed a secret league to overthrow the Hawaiian government. The league forced the king to sign many treaties that he did not want to sign. In 1877, the king gave the U.S. government Pearl Harbor as a naval base in exchange of receiving certain trading privileges. This was a huge benefit to the U.S. because Hawaii was at an advantageous spot for military dominance in the Pacific region.

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When King Kalakaua died, his sister Liliuokalani took the throne to restore power to the Hawaiian government. However, Hawaii's rich natural resources were too valuable for the Americans to lose, and on 1893, Sanford Dole led a group of wealthy sugar growers in an overthrow of the Hawaiian government. There weren't any casualties, but Liliuokalani, not wanting the people to be harmed in any way, reluctantly gave up her throne. She resented the Americans for taking away her own country and people, she cared more for the people that she gave into the Americans. Dole became the president of the new Hawaiian government and pleaded U.S. for annexation of Hawaii. But President Grover Cleveland rejected and even condemned the new government. He ordered that Liliuokalani be given back the throne, but Dole refused. After the administration of President Cleveland ended, President William McKinley, a clear advocate of Manifest Destiny, annexed Hawaii on July 7, 1898. It wasn't until 1900 that Hawaii became a U.S. territory and 1959 that it became the 50th state.



Even before the annexation, the native Hawaiians were dying off quickly due to diseases brought on by the Americans. As the sugar industry grew, the planters needed more laborers, so they brought in Chinese and Japanese workers. Soon there were more foreigners in Hawaii than the native people. Only about 7 percent of Hawaii's population today is of native Hawaiian descent. When Hawaii became a U.S. territory in 1900, the Hawaiian people became U.S. citizens, but because they were only citizens of U.S. territory and not yet of a state, they couldn't vote for presidential elections until Hawaii became an official state. The Hawaiian expansion had many positive effects on U.S. First of all, U.S. benefited greatly from rich resources such as sugar and pineapples. Because of such abundance in resources, the U.S. economy grew as well. Today, the Dole Pineapple company is one of the biggest pineapple distributors around the world. Also, the Asian population in Hawaii diversified U.S. as more and more Asians immigrated to Hawaii and also to the mainland. The annexation of Hawaii broadened the scope of American land and gave U.S. control of the Pacific area. Pearl Harbor was of great military use especially in World War I and World War II.

I am extremely careful wen I say that the annexation of Hawaii was positive overall. I'm careful because I don't totally agree with my answer. Unlike other conflicts, there was no bloodshed in the process of taking Hawaii because Queen Liluokalani foresaw the consequences if she resisted. U.S. greatly benefited and still benefits greatly from natural resources and tourism in Hawaii. Although the U.S. inflicted great injustice to the native Hawaiians and although not many native Hawaiians live today, their culture is still very much alive. Their music, sport, and clothing are well remembered by many people. The positive outcomes for U.S. outweighed the costs of native Hawaiians. In other words, the annexation of Hawaii was a bit more humane than any other conquests elsewhere.

Citations Boyer, Paul. __American Nation.__ San Francisco: Holt, Rinehart, and Winston, 2003. Boylan, Dan, and Lyndon Wester. "Hawaii." World Book Advanced. World Book, 2009. Web. 25 Aug. 2009. "Dole Pineapple Company." __American History__. 2009. ABC-CLIO. 26 Aug. 2009 . "Hawaii annexation." __American History__. 2009. ABC-CLIO. 25 Aug. 2009 .

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