Hawaii & American Imperialism

Hawaii

American Imperialism

By Douglas Ramage

Open Ended

What is one thing that you know about Hawaii?

Draw

Draw a circle around Hawaii

​WHY DID THE UNITED STATES WANT HAWAII?

Poll

Do you think America wanted Hawaii...

• for an easier trade to Asia

• for access to natural resources in Hawaii

• for a naval base and national defense

• to prevent other nations from taking it for themselves

​Hawaii is in a strategic location

​Hawaii is in a strategic location

TRADE

easier to trade in Asia

refueling station for US ships

natural resources​

​Hawaii is in a strategic location

DEFENSE

naval base to protect westcoast

launch attacks in Asia/Pacific

extend US power into Asia ​

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​Hawaii is in a strategic location

Natural Resources

sugar cane

fruits​

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​Hawaii is in a strategic location

Other Nations

Japan & England had made efforts to try and take control of Hawaii​

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Multiple Choice

How would gainging access to Hawaii impact the US economy?

• access to Hawaii would make it easier for the US to expand business and trade in Asia

• Hawaii would be able to sell its manufactured goods to Americans for lower prices

• The US would have to invest millions of dollars into Hawaii to pay the native people for their land

• American businesses would move their factories to Hawaii to be closer to China

Multiple Select

What two other nations wanted to gain control of Hawaii?

• Japan

• Russia

• Great Britain

• France

​Americans came to Hawaii in the early 1800s as missionaries hoping to convert the native Hawaiians to Christianity

​Americans businessmen and investors come to Hawaii and buy up land, create plantations, employ natives but eventually hire immigrant workers from Japan & Asia

​Hawaii's native population was devastated by outsiders

James Cook arrives in Hawaii

​

1 in 17

had died

​

48%

71%

​84%​

1820

1840

1800

1780

1778

​Exposure to disease from Americans and others wrecked havoc on Hawaii's native population

​Fewer than 35,000 native Hawaiians were on the islands by 1890

​American plantation owners exported sugar cane to the US. In 1888 the owners pressured Hawaiian King Kalakaua to limit his power and increase the power of the landowners

1891 - US passes the McKinley Tarriff which results in a huge drop in sugar prices. King Kalakaua dies and his sister Queen Liliuokalani took the throne wanting to return Hawaii to the native people

January 1893 - Plantation owners overthrow the Hawaiian government and Queen Liliuokalani abdicates her thrown. A new government is formed with Sanford Dole as the president of Hawaii. Dole asks the US to annex Hawaii.

Multiple Select

Why did American plantation owners want to overthrown Queen Liliuokalani?

Pick 2

• She was a threat to their control of the island

• She supported bringing power back to the Hawaiian people

• She wanted to bring Chinese business to the island

• She supported annexation to the United States

President Grover Cleveland does NOT support the annexation of Hawaii. Believes that it was done illegally and that control of Hawaii should be returned to the Queen.

Dole remains president of the Republic of Hawaii

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Americans debate the annexation of Hawaii​

1896: William McKinley elected President

​McKinley supports the annexation of Hawaii​, fierce debate in the US Senate​ over the annexation

Multiple Choice

Which US President did NOT support the annexation of Hawaii?

• Sanford Dole

• Theodore Roosevelt

• Grover Cleveland

• William McKinley

Multiple Choice

The political cartoon we just looked at implies that...

• not all Americans supported the annexation of Hawaii

• Hawaiians were eager to be annexed by the United States

• President McKinley was opposed to the annexation of Hawaii

• Hawaii was already a part of the United States

April 1898: Spanish-American War

​US naval base at Pearl Harbor, Hawaii poves valuable

Convinces the Senate that the US needed Hawaii as a territory

July 7, 1898, Hawaii is officially annexed by the United States becoming ​a territory of the US

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​Philippine Islands