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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]
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.[3] After the annexation of Hawaii, the Hawaiian language was banned and children who spoke it were beaten.[4] Hawaiian is now considered a severely endangered language.[5]
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.
- ↑ 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.