The names of more than two thousand people who more than a century ago signed petitions opposing the U.S. annexation of Hawaii will be displayed this month in the heart of Washington, D.C.
The names will be displayed on the center panel of the National Mall next Monday and Tuesday.
Honolulu-based Ka Lei Maile Alii Hawaiian Civic Club is sponsoring the exhibit.
Nearly 40,000 people signed Kue petitions opposing annexation in 1897. The U.S. went ahead and annexed the islands in 1898, five years after businessmen backed by U.S.-Marines overthrew the Hawaiian monarchy.
The civic club is also sponsoring a historical reenactment of a meeting of Hawaiian patriots that will be performed at the National Museum of the American Indian on Sunday and at a Washington hotel on Tuesday.
(I do want to correct a common misrepresentation here that I wish folks on this side of the argument would stop making. It is simply not accurate to say, “Nearly 40,000 people signed the Ku’e petitions opposing annexation in 1897.” There were two petitions, one referred to as the Ku’e petitions opposing annexation, which was signed by about 21,000 people, and another separate petition calling for the restoration of the monarchy which was signed about about 17,000 people. Almost certainly there was significant overlap between these two petitions, although the second one has never been recovered from the archives so there is no way to verify the exact extent of this. So while it is accurate to say there were close to 40,000 signatures between the two petitions, it is very likely not the case that 40,000 people signed the two petitions, let alone the Ku’e petition like this article says. The facts are impressive enough, that the numbers don’t need to be repeatedly misrepresented in this way.)
The misrepresentation is not only that there were allegedly 40,000 signatures, but also that the two petitions were on the same topic. One petition was opposing annexation. The other petition was demanding that Lili’uokalani be placed back on the throne. Those are totally different petitions, and there’s no way anyone should add up the combined total number of signatures, even if there had been no people signing both petitions.
Yo Ken, exactly what the editor said in his addendum. The significance: Hawaiians did not want annexation and did want their queen restored to her seat of governance.
aloha… “businessmen back by the U S -Marines overthrew the Hawaiian monarchy”… yes… a joint resolution is not a treaty of annexation… 40,000 of the 40,000 Nationals wanted one thing “NO TREATY OF ANNEXATION”… mahalo K L M A 4 sharing the aloha… onipaa
Aloha,
Story published by the Associated Press.
The media makes the story available, but will most often put a spin on it.
They put druma into their stories to sell their papers!
They could’ve verified if it was only one person or 40K before sending to print!
That’s great that the 1897 signatures of our kupuna will be displayed for the
Americans to see what part the U.S. played in Hawaii nei!
The U.S. Congress actually did the right thing by not ratifying the illegal
treaty of annexation of Hawaii in 1897. They new what was going on once the
signatures of 1897 were placed before them! U.S. President Mckinley on the
other hand had hewa on his mind for Hawaii, in fact he did so for many years
prior to him signing the internal U.S. law to annex Hawaii in 1898, even after
the U.S. Congress earlier failed to ratify a treaty of annextion of Hawaii.
Mahalo to Senator Hoar for his part against the illegal treaty of annexation
of Hawaii.
There were some honorable Americans both in the U.S. and back here in Hawaii,
but the evil ones prevailed, for now anyway, as what is hidden shall come to
light!
It is of no wonder anymore, why the U.S. is now facing the same dimise as the
Roman empire.
It’s just a matter of time!
A hui hou
WE should re sign the anti annexation petitions to reaffirm our position so people like Ken Conklin can get off their rockers and there will be no disputing the facts of the matter. According to the fake state laws, “Hawaiians never relinquished our sovereignty”, “the overthrow was illegally carried out by the u.s.”. In other words, it doesn’t matter what people like Conky boy say, the ball has been rolling and never stopped.