▁as ▁such ▁in ▁main stream ▁understanding , ▁there ▁have ▁been ▁ess ays ▁written ▁den ying ▁the ▁leg ality ▁of ▁this ▁status . ▁ ▁The ▁argument ▁is ▁that ▁Hawai i ▁is ▁an ▁independent ▁nation ▁under ▁military ▁occupation . ▁The ▁leg ality ▁of ▁control ▁of ▁Hawai i ▁by ▁the ▁United ▁States ▁has ▁also ▁been ▁raised ▁in ▁the ▁losing ▁side ▁in ▁cases ▁in ▁the ▁U . S . ▁Supreme ▁Court , ▁and ▁in ▁U . S . ▁District ▁Court . ▁ ▁Background ▁ ▁The ▁islands ▁that ▁we ▁know ▁of ▁today ▁as ▁Hawai i ▁were ▁settled ▁by ▁Pol yn esian ▁expl or ers ▁some ▁time ▁around ▁ 1 1 5 0 - 1 2 5 0 ▁AD . ▁The ▁inhabitants ▁are ▁referred ▁to ▁as ▁k ā n aka ▁ma oli . ▁After ▁ 1 7 7 8 , ▁and ▁the ▁arrival ▁of ▁James ▁Cook , ▁populations ▁levels ▁changed ▁dr ast ically ▁and ▁eventually ▁the ▁islands ▁would ▁be ▁un ified ▁in ▁ 1 7 9 5 ▁under ▁the ▁leadership ▁of ▁K ame h ame ha ▁I . ▁Within ▁one ▁hundred ▁years ▁of ▁the ▁found ing ▁of ▁the ▁kingdom , ▁American ▁political ▁and ▁religious ▁influence ▁would ▁er ode ▁the ▁powers ▁of ▁the ▁Pol yn esian ▁monarch s ▁and ▁eventually ▁over throw ▁the ▁kingdom ▁on ▁January ▁ 1 7 , ▁ 1 8 9 3 . ▁▁ 1 8 9 3 ▁U . S . ▁president ial ▁( Bl ount ) ▁investigation ▁A ▁prov is ional ▁government ▁was ▁established ▁which ▁fav ored ▁an nex ation . ▁U . S .