5. The Overthrow of the Hawaiian Kingdom in 1893
Many view Hawaii simply as America’s tropical 50th state, a paradise of surfing and tourism. But the story of how it became part of the United States is a sobering lesson in imperial greed and corporate overreach. By the late 19th century, white American sugar planters had established massive economic power in the independent Hawaiian Kingdom. They relied on favorable trade agreements with the US to maintain their wealth.
When the McKinley Tariff of 1890 wiped out their competitive edge, the planters hatched a plan to secure their profits: they would overthrow the Hawaiian monarchy and push for US annexation. Queen Liliuokalani, a fiercely intelligent and beloved ruler, attempted to establish a new constitution that would restore voting rights to native Hawaiians and strip power from the foreign businessmen. In response, a group of foreign planters forming the “Committee of Safety” launched a coup in January 1893.
They did not act alone. John L. Stevens, the US Minister to Hawaii, ordered heavily armed US Marines ashore from the USS Boston without the authorization of the President. The presence of American military force intimidated the royal guard, forcing Queen Liliuokalani to surrender under protest to avoid bloodshed. Although President Grover Cleveland later condemned the overthrow as an illegal act of war and demanded the Queen’s reinstatement, the wealthy planters refused to yield. They established a provisional republic and waited for a more sympathetic administration. Five years later, President William McKinley officially annexed Hawaii. This aggressive corporate takeover fundamentally damaged native Hawaiian sovereignty, leaving deep cultural scars that persist today.
