The Last Queen of Hawaii

​The Last Queen of Hawaii

Background

Native Hawaiians are part of the Polynesian people who live throughout the South Pacific region. The first Hawaiians arrived more than one thousand years ago, travelling extremely long distances in canoes from either Tahiti or the Marquesas Islands. Traditionally, Hawaiians were governed by patchwork of localized governments. King Kamehameha I later united the smaller Hawaiian Islands under a single government, creating the Hawaiian monarchy.

The first Europeans on record arrived in 1778. As white Christian businessmen and missionaries established permanent residences on the islands, contact between Hawaiians and foreigners became more frequent. Colonizers introducted deadly diseases like smallpox, measles, and tuberculosis, resulting in devestatingly high death tolls among the Hawaiian people. As increasing numbers of Europeans and Americans reached Hawaii, their governments became interested in profiting on Hawaii’s natural resources.

In the mid-1800’s, some Americans who had settled in Hawaii developed successful sugar plantations. In 1887, Lili’uokalani's brother King Kalākaua had been on the throne. A group of non-native U.S. businessmen with sugar interests forced the king to sign a new constitution under the threat of violence. It stripped him of his power and many native Hawaiians of their rights. It came to be known as the "Bayonet Constitution" because Kalākaua signed it under duress.
However, in 1890 the McKinley Act raised the import tariff on foreign sugar in America.
As a result, the price of Hawaiian sugar went up in the US and the planters’ profits sank. The sugar growers, mostly white Americans, knew that if Hawaii were to be annexed by the United States, the tariff problem would disappear.

Multiple Choice

What was the "Bayonet Constitution"?

• A treaty that expanded the powers of the Hawaiian monarchy.
• A document that granted independence to Hawaii.
• A constitution that was widely accepted by the Hawaiian people.
• A forced constitution that limited the Hawaiian monarchy's power and increased foreign control.

Multiple Choice

What did the McKinley Act of 1890 do to sugar prices?

• The McKinley Act of 1890 decreased sugar prices on imported sugar.

• The McKinley Act of 1890 eliminated sugar tariffs on imported sugar.

• The McKinley Act of 1890 had no effect on sugar prices.
• The McKinley Act of 1890 increased sugar prices on imported sugar.

In 1891, Hawaii’s king died, and the throne passed to his sister, the new Queen Liliuokalani. She believed the root of Hawaii’s problems was foreign interference and planned a new constitution that favored native Hawaiians.
In January 1893, the sugar plantation owners staged an coup to overthrow Liliuokalani and appealed to the United States for protection.
The American minister to the islands, John L. Stevens, said the Queen was threatening American “lives and property”.
US Marines stormed the islands (without presidential approval) and raised the stars and stripes over Liliuokalani’s Iolani Palace.

Multiple Choice

What did Queen Liliuokalani believe?

• Queen Liliuokalani believed the root of Hawaii's problems was foreign interference.

• Queen Liliuokalani believed Hawaii needed to become a U.S. state.

• Queen Liliuokalani opposed the idea of Hawaiian independence.
• Queen Liliuokalani believed in the annexation of Hawaii by foreign powers.

Multiple Choice

What was the sugar plantation owner’s motivation in overthrowing Queen Liliuokalani?

• To promote tourism in the islands.
• To gain political power in Hawaii.
• To establish a monarchy in Hawaii.
• To protect their economic interests and maintain control over the sugar industry.

Queen Liliuokalani was forced to abdicate her throne and placed under house arrest. Meanwhile, politicians in Washington, D.C. debated what to do next.
President Grover Cleveland was an anti-imperialist and thought Americans had acted shamefully in Hawaii.
He withdrew the annexation treaty from Congress and ordered an investigation into potential wrongdoings.
Cleveland aimed to restore Liliuokalani to her throne, but many Americans favored annexing the islands.

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Multiple Choice

What is the best synonym for “abdicate” in this paragraph?

• Give up

• Accept

• Keep

• Admire

Multiple Choice

What was President Cleveland’s motivation in restoring Liliuokalani to her throne?

• He opposed imperialism and believed the US acted shamefully in Hawaii.

• He promoted American business interests in Hawaii.

• He wanted to strengthen ties with European powers.

• He wanted to expand U.S. territory in the Pacific.

The matter, however, was prolonged after President Cleveland left office. When the Spanish-American War broke out in 1898, the military significance of Hawaii as a way station to the Spanish Philippines outweighed all other considerations.
New President William McKinley signed a joint resolution annexing Hawaii on July 7, 1898. The formal ceremony marking the annexation was held at Iolani Palace.
Almost no Native Hawaiians attended. Queen Liliuokalani later issued the following protest letter to Congress:

Multiple Choice

Why would Hawaii have a military significance for the United States?

• Hawaii has no strategic military value for the U.S.
• Hawaii is primarily known for its tourism and agriculture.
• Hawaii is located far from any potential conflict zones.
• Hawaii is strategically located for military operations in the Pacific, serving as a vital base for the U.S. military.

Read the following letter and answer the questions.

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Open Ended

What is the tone of Queen Liliuokalani's letter?

Americans were divided on the issue of Hawaii. Some wanted an overseas empire, like that of England or France. Others argued that empires were unjust. Despite Liliuokalani’s eloquence and persistence, U.S. financial and military interests were more powerful. In 1898, the United States annexed Hawaii. The United States took control of the Philippines, Guam, and Puerto Rico all in that same year. Over time, Hawaiians became Americans. The United States made Hawaii a state in 1959. Many Indigenous Hawaiians today still protest the United States’ colonization of their islands. Liliuokalani spent the rest of her life advocating for Hawaiian sovereignty, even suing the United States. When she died in 1917 at the age of 79, she was buried as Hawaiian royalty.

Multiple Choice

In what year did Hawaii become a state?

• 1898

• 1959

• 1919

• 1939