Historedia
Asia PacificEvent

United States annexation of the Hawaiian Islands

When
1898
Where
United States Congress; ʻIolani Palace; Washington, D.C.
Episodes
3

The United States annexed the Hawaiian Islands in July 1898 through the Newlands Resolution, a joint congressional measure that superseded an earlier treaty. This legislative action formalized the incorporation of the Republic of Hawaii into the US, following failed diplomatic efforts and domestic opposition. The transfer of sovereignty was marked by a ceremony in Honolulu, establishing the islands as a US territory.

Episodes

  1. 1898 · Washington, D.C.Dole's Lobbying in Washington

    Sanford B. Dole traveled to Washington, D.C., in early 1898 to personally urge the annexation of Hawaii by the United States.

  2. July 1898 · United States CongressPassage of the Newlands Resolution

    The US Congress passed the Newlands Resolution in July 1898 to annex the Republic of Hawaii, bypassing the need for a treaty.

  3. August 12, 1898 · ʻIolani PalaceCeremony at Iolani Palace

    A formal ceremony in Honolulu marked the transfer of Hawaiian state sovereignty to the United States in August 1898.

Background and detail

Background. Prior to 1898, the Republic of Hawaii sought annexation, but a treaty signed by President McKinley in 1897 failed due to lack of Senate support. Domestic opposition grew, with Hawaiian groups collecting over 21,000 signatures against annexation. The political debate intensified in the US, influencing the 1900 election, while the Republic maintained neutrality during the Spanish-American War.

Transfer of Sovereignty. The official transfer of Hawaiian state sovereignty to the United States occurred on August 12, 1898. A ceremony was held on the steps of ʻIolani Palace in Honolulu to signify this change. The Flag of Hawaii was lowered, and the Stars and Stripes were hoisted in its place, marking the end of the Republic's existence as an independent entity.

People involved

Sources

  1. Newlands Resolution Wikipedia, revision of 2026-07-21
  2. Territory of Hawaii Wikipedia, revision of 2026-09-20
  3. Republic of Hawaii Wikipedia, revision of 2026-09-06
  4. Sanford B. Dole Wikipedia, revision of 2026-10-03

Machine-drafted from the cited Wikipedia passages and checked by a reviewing model, not by a human editor. Every passage cites the revision it was written from; dates and places follow those passages.