Annexation Of The Hawaiian Islands example essay topic

Colonialism arose with the expansion of Western societies, as they sought to dominate other peoples while acquiring wealth and otherwise unavailable raw materials, land, and financial opportunity. Colonizing nations will exercise military, political, and economic control over newly acquired territories, while exploiting cultural traditions to the rest of the world with a steady decline in the native population. After the annexation of the Hawaiian Islands, the United States dominated its government, economy, and culture of the indigenous Hawaiian people, a system that was thousands of miles abroad and had no history in the land they sought to take away. Ancient Hawaiian religion tells us that the Hawaiian race was created from the convergence of Earth and Sky and through this belief, Hawaiian spirit and mana were bound to the land for all generations. Hawaiians also believed that their lives and prosperity were owed to their gods, guarantors of the land.

Over 40,000 gods were idolized and worshipped each with its own purpose, from protecting the fishermen to the hunters. Some gods were associated with politics and ali'i were believed to be destined to ruler ship from the gods themselves. In this way, all aspects of Hawaiian life were controlled and maintained, most importantly by its own people. An empowering ideal of the time, present even before the introduction of foreigners, was that of Ea. Ea was held highly by the Hawaiian people, as it was considered to be a blessing and birthright from the gods. It is translated as sovereignty, an idea that means having political control over a land or people united as its own nation.

This further provides evidence that the ancient Hawaiian world was first built on and regulated, for thousands of years by the native peoples who inhabited it. In 1778, British Captain James Cook navigated vast oceans and came upon the islands amid the Pacific. The islanders warmly welcomed him, yet his presence would one day lead to the destruction of the ancient native Hawaiian civilization. After its exposure to the outside world, Hawaii was targeted by foreign powers because of their small size yet valuable location, which helped oceanic trade to flourish.

By 1814 the U.S. foreseen the advantage the islands had militarily and sent over some of their own warships in the interest of American sailors and missionaries who had made Hawaii home. Between 1839 to 1843, Hawaii was threatened to war with France and Great Britain who tried forcibly to dominate the island's economy and harbors. It was the United States who kept the islands safe through their armed forces stationed there, initiating the first step towards colonization and posing as the "protector". Thereafter, permanent rotations of warships guarded the Hawaiian waters, harbors and people through the rest of the eighteen hundreds and well into the next millennia leading to the many corps bases present today. Also important towards colonization were the American missionaries.

First sent to Hawaii to convert the natives to Christianity, the task was quickly done, as the islands are only so little and the native population began to drastically decline with the coming of Westerners and their foreign diseases. With that, the missionaries continued to settle in the islands keeping on through many generations, all the while acquiring more Hawaiian land and wealth. They took up other fields of work, mostly in politics, for the Hawaiian ali'i had proven incapable of handling the pressures of governing a new race in a world that was so fast-changing and indulged their tastes for new luxuries previously unknown to them. This created huge debts that collected interest over time and became way to expensive to repay. Some of Hawaii's natural and most valuable resources, sandalwood and koa trees were traded in as payment until its mere depletion. Eventually, land was dually accepted and what had once been crown and common lands became foreigner's land.

Ali'i nui were also forced to sign a treaty, giving American ships and goods tax-free passage into docks and its people unyielding protection while residing or visiting the islands. The last thirty years of the eighteenth century changed the islands internally forever. Under the guidance of their missionary advisors, who help rebuild the nation after severe debt, American legal forms and procedures were adopted and the government was brought under the three branch system. The common people opposed such intrusion. They felt that if these holes were truly concerned with the well-being of a self-sufficient Hawaii, they would not try to govern and own all the land had to offer while altering their belief system that was so effective for so long. This last step of political dominance was all that was needed and annexation was first pushed on Kamehameha IV who quickly refuted.

Kalakaua's rule saw more interference with the forcible signing of the Bayonet Constitution in 1887, that stripped the throne and native people of any power or wealth. Then, in 1893, the peoples' worst nightmare came true. Queen Lili " uokalani was taken prisoner by the same men who threatened her brother some years earlier when she attempted to restore the political power of the throne that was relinquished with Bayonet. The conspiracy to overthrow was planned by the Committee of Safety, head by L orrin Thurston and supported by the U.S. marine troops stationed there.

The central U.S. government acknowledged Thurston and this new Hawaiian governing, establishing it as a Republic. Kanaka mali worked furiously over the next five or so years to petition their disagreement with these new terms and express their desire to take back their 'aina. They boycotted the comfortable American lifestyle, and at one time even banned the English language itself from publications. Yet, their struggle went unheard and In 1898 annexation to the United States fell through. By this time, however, annexation was inevitable.

Hawaiian government was overthrown and dominated by Americans. Their limited natural resources and wealth were controlled and commercialized by Americans. Some parts of the island became inaccessible due to American military occupation, where once the people traveled from the mountains to the sea so freely. Lastly, the Hawaiian race became a minority in its own homeland, and is still suffering today as the bloodline is slowly wearing-out. Certain beliefs and practices were dubbed to match those of "heathens" and the native culture was slowly being forgotten, as well as unaccepted. In time, Americans commercialized their Hawaiian settler colony with the trade of tourism, fabricating our traditions even now to continually make a good profit.