A. Ordinary Hawaiians
Who encouraged the annexation of Hawaii and why?
There is a complicated history behind the United States of America's eventual conquest of Hawaii. One that a little letter simply cannot do credit to. I will only briefly touch on some of the most significant incidents and overarching ideas.
One may start in 1851, when the French were mistreating the Hawaiian government once more and there was genuine danger that they would spiral out of control. Hawaii attempted to give sovereignty to the British as a result, but they showed little interest. They then came close to the USA. They signed a document transferring sovereignty to the United States in the event of war. But there was never a necessity (and it is unlikely that America was any more interested in being responsible for that faraway place than The United Kingdom was).
However, compared to other foreign states, Hawaii garnered more commercial and social attention from America. The problem of annexation became more pressing as trade links deepened over time. In the late 1860s and early 1870s the desire for a treaty of reciprocity for trade became so great that it was considered a matter of reciprocity or annexation.
Kalkaua was chosen as king by the Hawaiian legislature in 1874. This was mostly brought on by the mischief (er, influence) of regional American interests. They worried that Queen Emma, a popular figure and the widow of a past monarch, was too pro-British. He oversaw the signing of the reciprocity pact. It also gave America some access to the perhaps significant Pearl Harbor.
However, King Kalkaua had his own ideas about how to rule and resented the limitations that others tried to impose on him. He distinctly lost the support of the majority of Hawaii's "foreign" population. Since they were of foreign descent—in many cases, they were Hawaii citizens—we have put the word in quotation marks. The Kalkaua government was not just a nuisance, but also mocked for its various scandals. Many of them were due to the king’s attempting to acquire funds to promote his interests, private and public.
In 1887, everything came to a head. American citizens and those of American ancestry in particular staged a blatant uprising, forcing the monarch to sign a new constitution that, incidentally, severely curtailed the right to vote (those who qualified to vote). There were other famous organizers, including Lorrin A. Thurston.
Around this period, the American government started to take a more expansionist stance. James G. Blaine was appointed Secretary of State by the Harrison administration in 1889. He and John L. Stevens, his choice to serve as Hawaii's diplomatic ambassador, had a strong ambition to annex the islands to the United States. In addition, things started to move in Hawaii. The Annexation Club, a covert group, was created. Ostensibly not to precipitate annexation, but only to be ready if the need arose… In 1893, it did really arise.
Queen Liliuokalani, the monarch of Hawaii, aimed to impose a new constitution (essentially undoing the restrictions imposed in 1887). The anti-monarchical forces mobilized as a result, and the queen was overthrown. Even if he wasn't actively involved in the overthrow in this case, Minister Stevens was undoubtedly "dirty." He was in close communication with the leading revolutionaries, quickly recognized the new administration, and ordered American forces to land (as a "precaution"). The troops did little more than remain in their camp on the coast, but it was evident that their presence intimidated the overthrown administration.
Of course, the Provisional Government was eager for quick annexation by the United States (as suggested by its name). Sadly, Grover Cleveland had recently beaten Benjamin Harrison, and the new American administration was not interested in supporting them. In fact, they gave the monarchy some serious thought! But annexation had to wait till Hawaii was taken in with the spoils of the Spanish-American War because it was not to be.
Thank you,
Eddie
