Question

united states takes hawaii
by the time the united states got serious about looking beyond its own borders to conquer new lands, much of the world had already been claimed. only a few distant territories in africa and asia and remote islands in the pacific remained free from imperial grasp. hawaii was one such prize. led by a hereditary monarch, the inhabitants of the kingdom lived as an independent state. american expansionists looked on with greed at the strategically located islands and waited patiently to plan their move.
since the 1840s, keeping european powers out of hawaii became a principal foreign policy goal of the united states. americans acquired a true foothold in hawaii as a result of the sugar trade. the united states government provided generous terms to hawaiian sugar growers, and after the civil war, profits began to swell.
in 1872, a severe recession struck hawaii. worried that the economic crisis might force the hawaiians to go to the french or british for help, the united states signed a treaty with hawaii exempting hawaii from sugar tariffs. when the treaty came up for renewal, the senate insisted that hawaii grant the united states exclusive rights to a naval base in pearl harbor. the treaty led to a boom in the hawaiian sugar industry and wealth for the planters.
in the 1880s, american influence in hawaii increased steadily. in 1887, prominent planters pressured the hawaiian king into accepting a constitution that limited the king’s authority. in 1891, queen liliuokalani took over the throne after the king’s death. she tried to impose a new constitution reasserting her authority as ruler of hawaii. in response, a group of planters tried to overthrow her. supported by the us marines in hawaii, they forced the queen to step down. they then asked for the united states to annex hawaii.
president grover cleveland believed americans had acted shamefully in hawaii and did not annex the territory. in 1898, under president mckinley, hawaii was annexed to the united states. hawaii remained a territory until granted statehood as the 50th state in 1959.

• why did the u.s. want hawaii? was it more about money, military power, or politics? use details from the reading to explain your answer.

do you think the u.s. was right or wrong to take over hawaii? use facts from the reading to make your case and explain your opinion.

Explanation:

for Question 1:
The U.S. wanted Hawaii for a combination of money, military power, and politics. Economically, the sugar trade was key—generous terms post-Civil War boosted profits, and a 1870s treaty exempting Hawaii from sugar tariffs (in exchange for Pearl Harbor rights) boomed the sugar industry. Militarily, Pearl Harbor’s strategic location was critical; the Senate demanded exclusive naval base rights during treaty renewal. Politically, keeping European powers out of Hawaii was a principal foreign policy goal since the 1840s, and American expansionists targeted the independent kingdom for territorial gain.

for Question 2:
The U.S. was wrong to take over Hawaii. American planters pressured the Hawaiian king to limit his authority in 1887, then overthrew Queen Liliuokalani in 1893 with U.S. marine support—an act President Cleveland called "shameful." Hawaii was an independent state with a hereditary monarchy, so the forced overthrow and later annexation (1898) violated its sovereignty.

Answer:

for Question 1:
The U.S. wanted Hawaii for a mix of economic, military, and political reasons. Economically, the sugar trade (with tariff exemptions) drove profits; militarily, Pearl Harbor’s strategic naval base was sought; politically, excluding European powers and expanding territory were priorities.