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| Hawaii Hawaiʻi | |
|---|---|
 Flag | |
| Capital and largest city | Honolulu |
| Official languages | English, Hawaiian |
| History | |
• Unification of Hawaii | April 1810 |
• Monarchy overthrown | January 17, 1893 |
• U.S. annexation | July 4, 1898 |
• Statehood | August 21, 1959 |
| Area | |
• Total | 10,931 km² |
| Population | |
• 2020 census | 1,455,271 |
Hawaii (Hawaiʻi) is a US state in the Pacific Ocean. Previously a sovereign indigenous monarchy, it was conquered by the US empire in 1893 in order to satisfy the economic and military interests of the US ruling class.
The scars of colonialism and anti-indigenous oppression remain to this day. In 2021, Empire Files reported that indigenous Hawaiians are fighting against the US Navy for polluting the island's water.[1]
History
Hawaiian Kingdom
King Kamehameha the First united the Hawaiian Islands in April 1810 and ruled until his death in 1819. In 1840, Kamehameha the Third voluntarily established a constitutional monarchy. The constitutional monarchy consisted of the king as head of state, two legislative houses, and a judiciary.
Hawaii's independence was recognized by the United States in 1842 and by Britain and France in 1843.
In 1874, King Lunalilo died without naming an heir and the Hawaiian legislature elected Kalākaua as constitutional monarch.
In 1887, a pro-U.S. militia called the Honolulu Rifles threatened King Kalākaua and forced him to sign a new constitution without approval of the legislature. The Bayonet Constitution removed power from the king and made it so only the legislature could change or repeal laws.
King Kalākaua died in 1891 while visiting the United States and Queen Liliʻuokalani succeeded him.[2] Liluʻuokalani tried to pass a constitution preventing settlers from voting but was overthrown in 1893. The U.S. military surrounded the palace and forced her to hand control of the islands to the Committee of Safety.[3]
U.S. occupation
The United States established a puppet state after the 1893 coup led by Sanford Dole. In 1896, the Hawaiian language was banned. Hawaii was officially annexed by the United States in July 1898. In 1959, Hawaii was made a U.S. state.[3]
Hawaiian genocide
From the beginning of European contact in 1778 to shortly after its annexation in 1898, the native Hawaiian population decreased by 90% due to colonization and disease.[4] After the U.S.-backed coup of Hawaii, the Hawaiian language was banned and children who spoke it were beaten.[5] Hawaiian is now considered a severely endangered language.[6]
Military
Pearl Harbor was handed over to the United States in 1887 and became a navy base. A quarter of Hawaiian land is now occupied by the U.S. military and there are 50,000 troops spread across the islands. 60 million rounds of ammunition are used on the islands every year by the U.S. military. Hawaiians protested against the military when they used Kahoʻolawe island for bombing runs.[3]
References
- ↑ Native Hawaiians Fight US Navy for Polluting Island’s Water (2021-12-30). Empire Files.
- ↑ "Political History". The Hawaiian Kingdom. Archived from the original on 2021-10-29.
- ↑ 3.0 3.1 3.2 Danny Shaw (2017-07-17). "The struggle for self-determination in Hawaiʻi" Liberation School. Archived from the original on 2021-12-08. Retrieved 2022-06-20.
- ↑ Stephanie Launiu (2021-09-07). "11 Things You May Not Know About Hawai'i and Native Hawaiians" Wander Wisdom. Archived from the original on 2021-10-13. Retrieved 2022-01-16.
- ↑ United States Native Hawaiians Study Commission (1983). Native Hawaiians Study Commission : report on the culture, needs, and concerns of native Hawaiians.. Washington, D.C.: United States Department of the Interior.
- ↑ "Hawaiian". Endangered Languages Project. Archived from the original on 2021-12-28. Retrieved 2022-01-16.