EP 165: The Annexation of Hawaii

EP 165: The Annexation of Hawaii

From Hashtag History by Hashtag History

April 21, 2026 · 43 min · Season 17 · Episode 165

About this episode

This episode discusses the annexation of Hawaii and its implications for the Hawaiian people and US interests.

This week on Hashtag History, we will be discussing the annexation of Hawaii…otherwise known as the overthrow of the Hawaiian Kingdom. Because, when Hawaii was annexed to the United States, becoming the fiftieth state to join the union, it was done so via a coup de tat that overthrew the sovereignty of the Hawaiian people, something the vast majority of them were largely against. The US’s motivations were obvious: they had major economic interests in Hawaii from the goods available there (like sugar and pineapple) but also the access to a naval base in the Pacific at Pearl Harbor. Tourism wasn’t much of a thing at the time when this happened in the 1890s, but we know in the long run that the annexation of Hawaii, though not motivated by tourism back in the 1890s, certainly has played a large role in the US’s continued interest in it. Nearly 10 million people visit Hawaii every year, with 7 to 7.5 million of those tourists being from the Mainland. The US’s annexation of Hawaii was so bad that Congress formally apologized for it in 1993 (the 100th anniversary of the overthrow of the Hawaiian monarchy), acknowledging that what they had done was morally unethical and that the…

People in this episode

Host: Hashtag History

Topics covered

  • Hawaiian history
  • annexation
  • US imperialism
  • sovereignty
  • tourism
  • economic interests

Keywords

  • Hawaii
  • annexation
  • overthrow
  • sovereignty
  • US history
  • Pearl Harbor
  • tourism
  • Congress apology

Mentioned in this episode

Places: Hawaii, United States, Pearl Harbor

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