"Stolen Kingdom": The Annexation of Hawaii
- Rosie Jayde Uyola
- Jan 26
- 4 min read
Target: I can explain how the United States annexed Hawaii by comparing the legal language of the U.S. government to the protest of Queen Liliuokalani.
Key Vocabulary
Annexation: To add a territory to one's own country (e.g., the U.S. added Hawaii as a territory, then a state).
Queen Liliuokalani: The last monarch (ruler) of Hawaii. She was forced to give up her throne by American businessmen and the U.S. Marines.
Sanford B. Dole: An American plantation owner who led the overthrow of the Queen and became the first president of the "Republic of Hawaii."
Sovereignty: The power of a country to rule itself without interference from outsiders.
Part 1: Do Now (5 minutes)
Directions: Read the prompt below and write a 5-8 sentence response.
Prompt: Imagine you invite a friend to your house. While they are there, they decide that you aren't cleaning your room well enough. They invite three of their friends over, take a vote, and decide that they are now in charge of your room. They change the locks and tell you to leave. Is this fair because they voted? How would you describe this action? |
Sentence Starter: It is not fair that they voted because it is my house and they... I would describe this action as...
Part 2: Analyzing the Sources
Directions: Analyze the two documents below and then answer the questions that follow.
Source 1: Official Protest of Queen Liliuokalani (1898)
Context: After American businessmen overthrew her government, Queen Liliuokalani traveled to Washington D.C. to beg the U.S. government not to officially annex (take) her country. She sent this letter to the House of Representatives.
Original Text | Simplified Text |
"I, Liliuokalani of Hawaii... do hereby protest against the ratification of a certain treaty, which, so I am informed, has been signed at Washington... purporting to cede those Islands to the territory and dominion of the United States. I declare such a treaty to be an act of wrong toward the native and part-native people of Hawaii, an invasion of their rights and the destruction of their property... [and] that my people, constituting a large majority of the population of the Hawaiian Islands, have never given any consent... to the treaty of Annexation." | "I, Liliuokalani of Hawaii... officially protest against the treaty signed in Washington that says my islands are being given to the United States. I declare that this treaty is an act of wrong against the native people of Hawaii. It invades their rights and destroys their property. I declare that my people, who make up the majority of the population, have never given their permission (consent) to be annexed by the United States." |
Source 2: The Newlands Resolution (Joint Resolution of Congress, 1898)
Context: Despite the Queen's protest, the U.S. Congress passed this law to officially make Hawaii part of the United States. They needed Hawaii for a naval base (Pearl Harbor) during the Spanish-American War.
Original Text | Simplified Text |
"Whereas the Government of the Republic of Hawaii having, in due form, signified its consent, in the manner provided by its constitution, to cede [give up] absolutely and without reserve to the United States of America all rights of sovereignty of whatsoever kind... Resolved by the Senate and House of Representatives... That said cession is accepted, ratified, and confirmed, and that the said Hawaiian Islands and their dependencies be, and they are hereby, annexed as a part of the territory of the United States." | "Since the 'Republic of Hawaii' (the government run by American planters) has given its permission to give up all its power and rights to the United States... Be it decided by the Senate and House of Representatives... that this gift is accepted. The Hawaiian Islands are hereby annexed (added) as a territory of the United States." |
Analysis Questions
Directions: Answer the writing questions and the two Multiple Choice questions.
1. In Source 1, what is Queen Liliuokalani's main argument against annexation? (Focus on the word "consent").
Sentence Starter: The Queen argues that annexation is wrong because the native people never...
2. Look at Source 2. Who does the U.S. Congress say gave "consent" for Hawaii to be annexed? Why does this contradict what the Queen said in Source 1?
Sentence Starter: Congress says the "Republic of Hawaii" gave consent, but this contradicts the Queen because the "Republic" was run by... while the Queen represented the...
Regents-Style Multiple Choice
3. The annexation of Hawaii, as described in these documents, was primarily motivated by the United States' desire to:
(1) Protect the native culture of the Hawaiian people
(2) Secure a strategic naval base at Pearl Harbor and protect sugar interests
(3) Stop the spread of communism in the Pacific
(4) Enforce the Monroe Doctrine against Great Britain
4. The conflict between Queen Liliuokalani (Source 1) and the U.S. Congress (Source 2) highlights the tension between:
(1) Industrialization and environmental protection
(2) States' rights and federal power
(3) Democratic ideals of self-government and the desire for economic expansion
(4) The abolitionist movement and slaveholders
Part 3: Exit Ticket (5 minutes)
Directions: Answer the following prompt in a complete paragraph (5-8 sentences).
Prompt: Using evidence from both sources, explain the controversy over the annexation of Hawaii. How did the U.S. justify taking the islands (Source 2), and why did Queen Liliuokalani call it an "act of wrong" (Source 1)? |
Sentence Starter: The United States justified annexing Hawaii by claiming, in the Newlands Resolution (Source 2), that the government had given... However, Queen Liliuokalani (Source 1) called this an "act of wrong" because the native people... This shows that while the U.S. gained a naval base, they ignored the democratic principle of...
