How was Hawaii acquired by the U.S.?

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Nov. 6, 2026 •History

Hawaii was acquired by the United States through a series of controversial political maneuvers and treaties that culminated in its annexation in 1898. It later became a U.S. territory (1900), and then a U.S. state (1959). After the Hawaiian Islands were charted in the late 18th century, American and European merchants, missionaries, and settlers began arriving there in earnest in the 1800s. These settlers and their descendants, particularly those involved in the sugar industry, sought...