Hawaii’s Annexation to the US

History is rife with instances of nations wielding power oer independent states as a means to gain socio-political or economic ends. In the case of the US, numerous factors buoyed its resolve to acquire territories during the 1890s. Foremost of these is that resource-rich countries showed declare of fueling an industrial America. On the otherwise hand, there was the influence of marine strategists. They succeeded in expounding the overall view to American political leading that there are vast benefits in acquiring territories and ports of strategic nautical importance.Under the guise of Manifest Destiny, which rationalized dominant nations imperialist expansion in the mid- to late 1800s, the US proceeded to aggressively expand and take control of nations, among them hello. hellos appropriation to the US The annexation of howdy to the United narrates was preceded by a sequence of events that finally led to that crucial turning insinuate in history. Still reeling from the ru ins and desolation of the Civil War, America had rapidly marshalled efforts to move on its interests and embark on an overt colonization of countries that offered it distinct advantages.Before it plunged hostile into an aggressive territorial expansion, it kept a wary eye two on foreign territories that were ideal for its commercial interests, as well as on dominant European powers that were also expanding beyond their borders and establishing colonies. Political and argument leaders put forth the idea that the rapid industrial ripening of the United States required the acquisition of foreign territories to gain easier access to alert raw materials (Tindall and Shi, 2006, p. 59). The desire for new markets to be exploited economically ultimately turned to coveting nations and creating an American empire, at all expense. William H. Seward, the United States Secretary of State from 1861 to1869, believed that the United States first had to remove all foreign interests from the n orthern peaceable coast and gain access to that regions valuable ports (Tindall & Shi, 2006, p. 862) if it intends to successfully conquer Asian markets.A strategic imperialistic ploy select to indirectly take control over the economic life of a nation was to enter into exchange agreements with them. Many years after the signing of a friendship treaty, came the sealing of the 1875 reciprocal trade agreement among hello and the US, under which Hawaiian dulcify would enter the United States exempt and Hawaii promised that none of its territory would be leased or given to a third power (Tindall & Shi, 2006, p. 86 3).This precipitated the next events that would lead to Hawaiis annexation. Decades earlier, economic treaties had been offered to Hawaii by Great Britain and France, but the US had asserted itself to uphold its interests in Hawaii. The latter had actually signed trade and peace treaties with the United States, England and other foreign nations, each recognizing Hawaii s independence (Sforza, 1996, para. 5) and this is wherefore on hindsight, it sees the broken agreement with the US as some potpourri of betrayal.In retrospect, blanket in 1820, American missionaries from Boston in 1820 stayed in Hawaii and soon turned out to be powerful slit planters and politicians who served as advisers to the reigning monarchy (Sforza, 1996, para. 5). Queen Liliuokalani sought to shift power back to the monarchy, but the rapid succession of events eventually led to political inflammation engineered mainly by the American planters hoping to take advantage of the subsidy for sugar grown in the United States (Tindall Shi, 2006, p. 64). The imprisoned Queen Liliuokalani had issued a asseveration that pointed to the role of American diplomat, John L. Stevens in the conspiracy to overthrow the res publica of Hawaii. Amidst the commotion, a committee representative of the group that seized power from Hawaiis reigning Queen Liliuokalani had shown up in the US se at of authorities in Washington with a treaty calling for Hawaiis annexation to the US. President Grover Cleveland opposed the treaty and had attempted to restore the fairy to power while seeking to provide amnesty to the coup instigators (Tindall Shi, 2006, p. 864). In December 1893, he expressed, By an act of war, committed with the participation of a diplomatic representative of the United States and without authority of Congress, the government of a decrepit but friendly and confiding people has been overthrown (Sforza, 1996, para. 13).Party politics and other issues, however, eased Cleveland out of office. As fate and US maneuvering would have it, Hawaii was eventually annexed to the US in 1898 at the urging of President William McKinley (Annexation of Hawaii, n. d. , para. 3). The island state became a territory in 1900. Statehood was deferred until a bipartisan via media linked Hawaiis status to Alaska, and both became states in 1959 (Annexation of Hawaii, n. d. , para. 3).ReferencesSforza, Terry (1996). Hawaiis annexation a story of betrayal. Retrieved September 20, 2008, from http//www.hawaii-nation.org/betrayal.html Tindall, G., & Shi, D. (2006). America a narrative history (7th ed.). New York W.W. Norton & Co.