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