Annexation Of Hawaii Essay

The United State’s annexation of Hawaii in 1898 led to the gradual destruction of the Hawaiian culture and the almost-extinction of native-born Hawaiians. The majority of the Hawaiian natives opposed the annexation of Hawaii and wanted to maintain their sovereignty. Although the Japanese could have taken over the Hawaiian islands if the United States had not, the annexation of Hawaii by the U.S. was unjustified because of the treatment of the monarchy and natives, the infringement of the natives’ self-established culture and government, and the natives’ overwhelming opposition to the U.S’s involvement in Hawaii. From 1795 to 1874, the Kamehameha Dynasty ruled over the kingdom of the Hawaiian islands. Up until the death of Kamehameha III, the U.S. had stayed out of interfering with the islands. In 1874, the U.S. Secretary of State, John C. Calhoun, allowed for the recognition of Hawaii’s independence, letting Hawaii enter treaties with major world powers. Soon after, American influence appeared due to Americans seeking land for plantations. This put pressure onto the King and chiefs with demands to give Americans land to grow crops. Once the Pacific Hawaiian climate was found to be very suitable for growing sugar cane, newly

Kalakaua was highly pressured by the U.S. Navy to give Pearl Harbor up as a territory of the U.S. The Hawaiian people believed this area to be sacred and not up for sale, and Kalakaua feared giving up the territory in case of the U.S. taking hold of too much power in the islands. Kalakaua knew giving the U.S. Pearl Harbor would go against the traditions of his people, so he traveled to Washington, D.C. in 1874 in order to negotiate a new free trade treaty to satisfy his people. The U.S. Congress agreed to engage in the Reciprocity Treaty of 1875 for seven years in exchange for Ford Island in Pearl