Summary: The Annexation Of Hawaii

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The Annexation of Hawaii AT the onset of the 20th Century the United States focused on two issues, expansion and isolation. The United States' geographic feature of position, the Western Hemisphere, caused America to be isolated from the eastern countries, excluding them from worldly politics. Similarly, trading was limited between foreign nations. Since the American's wanted to expand trade with Asia the need arose to meddle in European issues. Furthermore, the United States felt it was time to expand its control over the entire western hemisphere in its determination to fulfill its view regarding manifest destiny, expanding from ocean to ocean. Therefore, America, with the support of the Monroe Doctrine moved to annex Hawaii to the nation. …show more content…
The United States' need of Hawaii was due to its large supply of sugar. At first, the United States' reasons for expansions was to avoid the high tariffs McKinley passed on imports. Therefore, the United States felt the need to annex Hawaii, thereby avoiding the tax. Further, the rise of missionaries called for expansions to the west to spread Christian ideology. The first attempt at annexation was nullified by President Cleveland when he learned that Hawaiians with the support of their Queen, Liliuokalani refused to accept it. However, the planters, feeling the pressure of the tariffs overthrew the queen and turned to the American Government for protection. Cleveland, an outspoken and anti-imperialist considered American's act in Hawaii shameful, and he therefore proceeded to remove the quest for annexation while restoring the queen to power. Subsequently, in 1898, President McKinley reinstated the annexation when the need for placement for Spanish Philippines arose after the Spanish-American War. Thus, Hawaii remained a territory until 1959, when it was granted citizenship, taking the position of the 50th star on the American …show more content…
Primarily, the United States seeked to construct business with the Asian country, China. Therefore, Secretary of State, John Hay, established an open door policy that would ensure trade access to all and maintain Chinese Sovereignty. By installing the open door as an international policy, the United States secured access to Chinese markets and avoided maintaining a far-flung colonial empire in Asia. Although the United States was against the concept of foreign empires, the Spanish-American War enticed its temptation towards the idea.
The Monroe Doctrine contributed to the completion of the map of the United States via the incorporation of Hawaii. With the idea of further westward expansion, the United States' stubbornness towards isolation with foreign nations dissolved as well, as the realization of the importance of foreign trade set in. Alas, the United States is now a complete country with domestic affairs with all