How Did Hawaii Become Part Of The United States?

Hawaii is well known as a tourist site and has become the hot spot for those who love beaches and activities surrounding it. Despite its location being far apart from the mainland of the United States, Hawaii is currently under the jurisdiction of the US.

It seems that Hawaii is the 50th state of the US after the admission of Alaska as its 49th state. Both these states have become part of the US ever since.

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In terms of its geography, Hawaii is situated in the Pacific Ocean around 3,200 km from the mainland of the US. It is one of the US states that are outside of North America, one of the states that is also an island, and also one of the states that is located in the tropical region.

With its geographic location being so far away from the US, how does such an Island become a part of the nation? Who actually ruled this island before the takeover of the US?

The Indigenous People of Hawaii

Based on the course of history, this island was inhabited until the Polynesians arrived in the 5th century from Marquesas Island. The explorers came on a twin boat with a large sail tied to ropes and a base platform.

The natives of Hawaiians or more known as Kanaka Maoli lived on the island for decades long before the arrival of the first American trader setting foot on the island in the 1820s. Before them, it was Captain British James Cook that arrived in 1778.

In the early 18th century, American traders came to Hawaii to exploit the sandalwood on the island which was very valuable to the Chinese back then. In 1830, the sugar industry was introduced to Hawaii, and in the mid-19th century, it quickly became established.

Change in Power

Many Americans and outsiders came to plant sugarcanes on the islands to bear its fruit while the missionary has the vision to modernize the people of Hawaii. It has definitely changed the way of politics, economy, religion, and traditional culture in Hawaii which has become a part of the natives for thousands of years.

Some believed that it was a chance to bring the Hawaiians to the future. While others felt that the existence of outsiders means the end of their traditional lives in Hawaii.

Hawaii always had a king and queen. In 1840, King Kamehameha III has been dethroned from his power and a constitutional monarchy was established. It was said that the King himself made way for such actions and has become a part of modernizing Hawaii.

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Construction of Pearl Harbor

Most of you must have heard of the attack on Pearl Harbor by the Japanese during the World War. Well, Pearl Harbor is situated in Hawaii. Finally, the arrival of Americans in Hawaii become so much that their influence grew very strong on the island.

It was then that the Americans decided to establish a military base in Pearl Harbor. In 1891, King Kalakaua's cousin, Liliuokalani ascend to the throne as queen after the death of her brother and attempt to gain power totally.

Liliuokalani refused to acknowledge the constitution that has been set by his brother in 1887. In 1893, a safety committee was established and was held by Sanford B. Dole as an initiative to rule over the queen in power at the time and supported by the US.

On 1 February, Minister John Steven recognized the new government of Dole under his own jurisdiction and declared Hawaii as a state under the US. Dole handed over the agreement in the power of Hawaii to the US Senate but most Democrats were against it.

It was after the reveal that most native Hawaiians refused to be a part of the US states. In 1989 when the American-Spanish war occurred, it was then that the US congress officially approved the emergence of Hawaii into the US as part of a strategic location of Pearl Harbor.

In 1900, Hawaii has officially become a state of the US, and later in 1959 become the 50th state of the United States of America.

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Who Actually Benefits and Who Lost?

Is the admission of Hawaii as part of the US state something that benefits them?

It depends on which aspects one looks at it. Before the Americans gain control of the island, Hawaii had a respectable education system as well as a remarkable medical system that was given to its people.

There were no medical charges and everything was free from the start before the US came over and the Hawaiians themselves were forced to pay for it. Poverty was on the rise among the Hawaiian natives that did not get the respect they deserved in general.

The way of the whites starts to take over and when the Americans gain control of the island, the culture of their ancestors slowly gets dissolved bit by bit. Students were not allowed to speak in their native language and they were not encouraged to attend school after finishing their secondary level.

The life of an American has become a part of Hawaiian and has resulted in many Hawaiians having a lower quality of life with some claiming that the education system was not as good as before.

So it is not surprising to see that many historians believed that Hawaiian is not part of the US as a state but instead it is conquered.

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