The American Century, as the twentieth century has become known, actually began in 1898 when the United States acquired its first overseas possessions. The spoils of the Spanish-American War included the Philippines, Guam, and Puerto Rico. In 1998, the 100th anniversary of that four-month conflict has prompted many to re-examine AmericaÆs foray into colonialism, often with less than flattering conclusions.
What has gone unnoticed by most, however, is that 1998 also marks the 100th anniversary of the United StatesÆ ôpeacefulö annexation of the Hawaiian islands. Most Americans are blissfully ignorant of how Hawaii came to be a part of the United States, and even if made aware, would likely view the American actions in the 1890s as a footnote on the road to Hawaiian statehood. No different, for example, than the annexation of California and the rest of the West after the Mexican-American War.
But for the majority of native Hawaiians, the annexation was a travesty of justice, the tragic end to a ruinous relationship between the islands and the West. That the United States, a nation ostensibly committed to democracy and self-determination, committed this palpably unlawful act makes it particularly galling. Native Hawaiians view the annexation as illegal and corrupt for three main reasons: One, the Hawaiian government that pushed for the treaty was illegitimate; two, the people of Hawaii never agreed to the transfer of sovereignty; and three, the United States violated its own constitution in annexing the islands without a two-thirds vote in the Senate. This paper will address those issues, beginning with an examination of the history of American involvement in Hawaii.
American contact with the Hawaiian islands dates to the eighteenth century. English captain James Cook became the first Westerner to visit the islands in 1778, and by 1788 American fur traders and merchantmen were calling upon the islands. Hawaii...