Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
Statehood
During World War II, Hawai'i was placed under martial law, but no serious attempt to
intern the Japanese population was made. Many Japanese-Americans went on to gain
the respect of the American people through their outstanding fighting record during the
war. Hawai'i's own 100th Battalion became the famous 442nd Regimental Combat Team,
which would be
the
most decorated battalion in all of World War II. When these GIs re-
turned home,
no one
was going to tell them that they were not loyal Americans. Many of
these Americans of Japanese Ancestry (AJAs) took advantage of the GI Bill and received
higher educations. They also rallied grassroots support for statehood. When the vote fi-
nally occurred, approximately 132,900 voted in favor of statehood with only 7,800 votes
against. Congress passed the Hawai'i State Bill on March 12, 1959, and on August 21,
1959, President Eisenhower announced that Hawai'i was officially the 50th state.
THE “LAWFUL HAWAIIAN GOVERNMENT”
At Ho'okipa Lookout and Maliko Gulch you will notice signs proclaiming that the
land is under the jurisdiction of the “Lawful Hawaiian Government.” While the is-
sue of Hawaiian sovereignty is lengthy and complex, here are the basics about the
ongoing movement.
The kingdom of Hawai'i was formed in 1810 when King Kamehameha united all
the islands under a single rule, and it lasted until 1893 when the monarchy was illeg-
ally overthrown in a bloodless coup by a group of Western businesspeople. While
the kingdom existed under a monarchial system of rule 1810-1840, a notable change
took place in 1840 when King Kamehameha III changed the system of governance
to a constitutional monarchy similar to those found in modern-day Spain, Thailand,
or Sweden. A congress was established, there were recognized officials, and a con-
stitution was drafted which outlined the laws of the nation. Due to the efforts taken
to create a legitimate form of government, the kingdom of Hawai'i was officially
recognized by England and France in 1843, and the United States followed suit in
1846. Hawai'i had embassies in dozens of countries; there was a Hawaiian embassy
in Washington D.C., as well as consulates in New York and San Francisco.
In 1893, however, western business interests overthrew Queen Lili'uokalani and
formed the Republic of Hawai'i, which was governed by Sanford Dole. A motion
was put forth to be annexed by the United States, but it failed when President Grover
Cleveland ruled through an investigation of the takeover that it was not performed
