Post on 15-Feb-2016
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America Enters the World Stage
The Annexation of Hawaii
Why did Americans have interest in Hawaii?
• Sugar & Pineapples• American businessmen bought
huge chunks of land to form plantations
• Dominated the economy of Hawaii
Strategic Naval Base
Who was King Kalakaua?• Became King in 1875• Nationalistic• Tried to build Hawaiian
economy• Attempted to limit
American power & stop the building of a U.S. naval base at Pearl Harbor
What was the Hawaiian League?
• Secret group of mostly American business leaders living in Hawaii.
• Goal was the annexation of Hawaii to the United States
What was the Bayonet Constitution?
• Kalakaua refuses to allow naval base in Hawaii
• Hawaiian League (at gunpoint) forces Kalakaua to sign a new constitution
• Turns Hawaii into a Constitutional Monarchy
• Reduces King Kalakaua to a figurehead
Provisions of the Bayonet Constitution
• Changed voting requirements.– Allowed foreign residents (Americans)
to vote– Only Hawaiian, American & European
males allowed to vote• Allowed the Hawaiian legislature to override decisions of the King
Who was Queen Liliuokalani?
• Became Queen of Hawaii when her brother died (Kalakaua).
• Tried to do away with the Bayonet Constitution & restore power to the Hawaiian monarchy• Began drafting a new constitutiongiving more power to herself andrestoring voting rights
Overthrow of Liliuokalani
• Because of her drafting of a new constitution, the Hawaiian League plots to overthrow Liliuokalani.
• John L. Stevens (American minister to Hawaii) supports coup. Orders group of U.S.
Marines to surround Liliuokalani’s palace.
• Liliuokalani surrenders Jan. 17, 1893
Aftermath• Provisional government set up called
the Committee of Safety. • John L. Stevens recognized the new
Republic of Hawaii & declared Hawaii under U.S. protection
• President Grover Cleveland opposed the coup and refused to annex Hawaii
Annexation• 5 years later (1898) President
McKinley signs treaty to annex Hawaii• Hawaii becomes a territory of the United States in 1900.• 1959: Became 50th U.S. State