U.S. Annexes Hawaii (1898)

Fri Aug 12, 1898

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Image: In August 1898, the Hawaiian flag was lowered from Iolani Palace and replaced by the flag of the United States of America. [nea.org]

On January 17th, 1893, Queen Liliʻuokalani was overthrown by a group of predominantly foreign insurgents who sought American annexation of the Hawaiian islands. They successfully requested assistance from the U.S. government, who sent 162 sailors to occupy Oahu.

On this day in 1898, a formal ceremony was held at Iolani Palace to commemorate the annexation. Most of the 40,000 native Hawaiians, including the deposed Liliʻuokalani and the royal family, shuttered themselves in their homes, protesting against the occupation.

Hawaiian scholar Dr. Keanu Sai has written about the illegality of the U.S. occupation and annexation, citing an 1893 Executive Agreement between President Grover Cleveland and Queen Lili’uokalani. On June 1st, 2010, Sai filed a lawsuit against President Obama on this basis, demanding the restoration of the Hawaiian Kingdom government.