"We need Hawaii just as much and a good deal more than we did California. It is Manifest Destiny."
William McKinley, 25th President, 1897-1901- The United States was on a "roll" or "hot streak" as far as international interventions under McKinley. In the short Spanish- American War (Remember the Maine), the U.S. acquired Cuba, Puerto Rico, Guam, and the Philippine Islands. The military also intervened in Nicaragua and in China's Boxer Rebellion. In 1894, the Republic of Hawaii was founded after a rebellion against the Royal government of Queen Liliuokalani. The so-called rebellion was led by U.S. business interests and the military. As a result, Sanford P. Dole (Dole Pineapple), who was Hawaiian born but with strong financial and family ties to the U.S., was named governor of the provisional republic. There were several attempts to restore the Queen to power and she, herself, was tried and convicted for treason, but was eventually freed. Hawaii was annexed as a territory in 1898. McKinley supported the annexation, believing to do nothing would invite more royalist counter-revolutions or a Japanese takeover.
No comments:
Post a Comment