Quote:
Originally Posted by astromeria
I don't remember how N Dakota became a state, but my recollection of Hawaii is that American (and maybe European) sugar and/or pineapple plantation owners forced the king of Hawaii to agree to some "democratic" reforms such as only wealthy land owners could vote. When a later Queen tried to curtail their power--which was a violatation of some aspect of that "constitution," the wealthy plantation owners overthrew her gov't and lobbied the US for annexation.
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The Bayonet Constitution was signed by Kalakaua to avoid what he regarded as the inevitable. When Lili'uokalani, who'd be regarded today as a fundamentalist, came to power and began pushing her plans to return power to the Hawaiian monarchy with a new constitution, that was the end of it.
Ironically the U.S. federal govt agreed that the takeover was a travesty of misguided American imperialism and was going to fix it any day-- right up until Hawaii was needed as a coaling station for the Spanish-American war fleet on its way to Manila Bay.
The Hawaiian sovereignty movement remains strong & popular, but the alleged "leaders" are so argumentative, emotional, and splintered by squabbles that it makes one despair of progress. Even something as simple as distributing the revenues from ceded lands is too controversial to avoid gridlock.
Gavan Daws'
"Shoal of Time" and
"Land and Power in Hawaii" are probably still floating around Mainland libraries.