Hawaii was a monarchy, but for a long time the people had been
discontented, and Queen Liliuokalani was the last royal ruler of
Hawaii. She wanted to be an absolute monarch, and do what she liked.
But when she tried to change the constitution to her liking there
was a revolution.
It was a peaceful revolution, and not a shot was fired on either
side. It was brought about chiefly by the white people who lived
in the islands. A company of marines was landed from the United
States cruiser Boston which happened to be in the harbour at the
time. The Queen was deposed, and a provisional government set up.
Stamford Dole, an American, was chosen head of this new government.
Dole then sent to Washington to ask the United States to annex Hawaii.
Meanwhile the stars and stripes were hoisted over the Government
buildings at Honolulu, the capital of Hawaii.
All this happened just at the end of Harrison's Presidency. He and
his advisers were quite willing to annex Hawaii. But before the
matter could be settled his term of office ended, and Cleveland
took his place. The new President did not feel at all pleased with
what had been done, and he sent a commissioner to Honolulu to find
out exactly what had happened, and if the people really wanted to
be annexed to the United States.
This commissioner came to the conclusion that the Hawaiians did
not want to be annexed and that "a great wrong had been done to a
feeble but independent State.
Pages:
679
680
681
682
683
684
685
686
687
688
689
690
691
692
693
694
695
696
697
698
699
700
701
702
703