Question by Sazz: How was the annexation of Hawaii a classic example of American economic imperialism?
But more like, how was the way hawaii was annexed a classic example of american economic imperialim? Why dd the US want hawaii in the first place?
Best answer:
Answer by Donald
Your premise is false
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You know, you ask complicated question, I not too sure that economic imperialism what happen here Hawaii, ok? Now, for sure economics play big part, but really what US wanted from Hawaii at that time, was Pearl Harbor, which arguable the best naural sea port in the world, ok? On south of Oahu, vry sheltered, very large, you can dock hundreds of ships, just deep enough, and ship safe from weather, and enemy attack, except by plane which Japanese confirm, ok? Now, also british and american planters, and plantation owners behind takeover, because they were at risk of losing their holdings, cause Hawaiian monarchy getting little fed up with them controlling everything, ok? now sad part is was really military agression which caused fall of Hawaiian monarchy, and the country of Hawaii to be come territory of US, ok? Cause military march on palace, and demand the monarchy step down, so yes some economic, but mainly military, ok? Not sure if you wanna seperate the two, yeah?
Anyway, people of Hawaii still suffer today cause of that act of agression, and the taking of the Hawaiian homeland without justification, ok? Thanks for ask, Peace and Aloha to you!
In looking at the history of Hawaii, it is very important to differentiate between private economic aggression and official U.S. policy. As Kono Kohako correctly points out, a lot of private planters, not just from the U.S., basically took over the islands. This was sometimes done with cooperation from the locals, who were still warring with each other, and sometimes seeking foreigners as allies in their own wars. A united native Hawaii happened, if at all, very late in the colonial period.
So these were private, not national, economic enterprises. Then you get two things coming together — one is the desire of the United States to have Hawaii under the beneficial wing of the U.S., not the “colonial” administration of another country (perhaps an egocentric view, but countries do have those), and the desire to possess Pearl Harbor, as Kono Kohako described. It is very easy at that point for the U.S. to believe that annexing the Hawaiian Islands as a part of the U.S. is beneficial to the U.S. as well as to Hawaii. I’m not at all sure it had anything at all to do with “economic imperialism.” Pineapple and sugar cane were not that important even then.
Looking back, and without in any way minimizing what was done to native Hawaiians in the process, I am not sure I can say Hawaii would now be better off without having become a U.S. possession, and then a state. It might actually be worse off. Having it remain a Polynesian paradise without outside influence was something that never would have happened, U.S. involvement or not.
Uh, it wasn’t. And at the minimum, it was far from “classic.”
It was a classic example because the US businessmen wanted to run things in a way that was beneficial to them, and conspired to overthrown the lawful government of the Hawaiian Kingdom in order to achieve their own purposes.
American military power was used to threaten and intimidate the ruling monarch, and her people, to submit to US aggression.
The US wanted Hawaii because of its strategic location and natural resources.
More detail:
American businessmen conspired to overthrow the Hawaiian Kingdom’s lawful government, because they disagreed with the way the Hawaiian government was running the Hawaiian kingdom and how it impacted the business and personal interests of theirs (the businessmen).
The strategic location and the natural resources of the Hawaiian Kingdom were desirable to the US, and this was part of why the US suported the businessmen, and never restored the Queen to her rightful place as the ruling monarch of her independent country, seized the crown lands and turned them over for US federal government use, never made reparations, prevented the Hawaiian people from restoring their own government, etc. etc., a gross injustice that continues today.
They used the American military power to threaten the reigning Hawaiian Queen, Lili`uokalani, imprison her, seize control of the kingdom, force her to quell the uprising of the citizens who wanted to fight and free her; and then the businessmen and American advisors/conspirators formed a government friendly to their own interests, and eventually annexed Hawaii.