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Primary sourceDocument7 July 1898

Joint Resolution to Provide for Annexing the Hawaiian Islands to the United States

United States Congress · 7 July 1898

The 1898 U.S. congressional resolution that annexed Hawaiʻi, carried out despite Liliʻuokalani's protests.

The annexation act she fought against, passed despite her formal protest to Congress.

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Page of the 1898 Joint Resolution to Provide for Annexing the Hawaiian Islands to the United States, handwritten annotation 'Public Resolution No. 51' at top, with printed text of the resolution's preamble and sections below.
Joint Resolution to Provide for Annexing the Hawaiian Islands to the United States, July 7, 1898. U.S. National Archives.

About this source

What it is

An enrolled act of the United States Congress, signed on July 7, 1898, resolving to annex the Hawaiian Islands. It is held by the U.S. National Archives alongside a letter Liliʻuokalani sent to the U.S. House of Representatives protesting the annexation.

Why it matters

The resolution ended years of struggle following the 1893 overthrow of Queen Liliʻuokalani by a Committee of Safety backed by American businessmen and the U.S. Minister. Earlier, President Cleveland had demanded her reinstatement after an investigation found the overthrow illegal, but the Provisional Government under Sanford Dole refused. This document shows how American political and economic interests ultimately overrode her objections and the findings of earlier U.S. investigations.

Why it matters

Look closer

  • Whose consent does the resolution claim to have, and whose consent is missing?
  • Why might the U.S. Congress have passed this resolution despite earlier findings that the overthrow was illegal?
  • What does Liliʻuokalani's letter of protest, filed the same year, tell us about her response?

This document is part of the curated material that grounds the AI version of Queen Liliʻuokalani on Humy.ai — when students ask about related events, the AI can quote it and cite it.

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