Title: Why did some Americans think the United States should take control of Hawaii? - eNotes.com
Headings: Why did some Americans think the United States should take control of Hawaii?
Annexation of Hawaii
Why did some Americans think the United States should take control of Hawaii?
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Content: Educators go through a rigorous application process, and every answer they submit is reviewed by our in-house editorial team. bullgatortail
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The late 19th ccentury was still a time of expansion for the United States, and Hawaii was seen as a possible candidate. Many American and European businessmen were already living there, and sugar cane plantations were proving to be prosperous. When a world-wide shortage of sugar developed in 1899, many nations looked to Hawaii for its sugarcane. Riots in the 1870s following a change in the royal ruling families had been put down by U.S. troops, so an American presence was already evident. The island's Constitution of 1887 restricted the powers of the king/queen, giving white landowners more dominance. When Queen Lili'uokalani was overthrown in 1893, the white-led Provisional Government took over, establishing the Republic of Hawaii. The islands were later annexed and became a U.S. territory in 1898. No doubt the islands' strategic location between Asia and the U.S. Pacific Coast was an important reason for America's interest. Approved by eNotes Editorial Team
Isabell Schimmel
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There were at least three major reasons for wanting to take control of the Hawaiian Islands in the late 1800s.