“In 1854, the total population of 80,000 comprised 70,000 Kanakas and 10,000 foreigners, the latter of whom were chiefly Americans and subjects of Great Britain.”
The first endeavor for the annexation of the Hawaiian Islands to the United States was made in 1854, the second year of President
Pierce’s administration. The time was singularly opportune.”
“The Islands had, during the reign of Liholiho, second of the Kamehameha line of kings, been virtually under protection of the British crown. King Liholiho … died, and was succeeded by Kamehameha III.”
“During his reign, a British admiral took possession of Honolulu, the capital, and forced claim to the kingdom in the name of Great Britain. (1843) … The independence of Hawaii was recognized by the United States and Great Britain, and Kamehameha was maintained as King.”
“President Pierce appointed David L. Gregg of Illinois as American Commissioner in Hawaii, and when he was installed in office, the war between Russia and the allied powers of Europe, led by England and France, was declared.”
“Gregg had become very popular with the Hawaiian court and the native chiefs and nobles. The annexation of the Islands was soon projected.”
“The commerce was chiefly American and British. Of the total shipping more than 500 vessels were American whalers, and about 200, merchant ships. Honolulu, on the island of Oahu; Lahaina, on Maui; Hilo, on Hawaii, and two harbors on Atauai, were the principal ports, the first three particularly for whalers, mostly on the Arctic cruise.”
“The total product of sugar was less than 1,000,000 pounds; of coffee only about 50,000 pounds per annum, grown on Atauai, 100 miles westward of Oahu, which was the main sugar and coffee producing island of the group.”
“Maui produced small crops of wheat and potatoes; Hawaii, merely a few cattle, a little wool and tropical fruits; on Oahu there was barely anything produced. Fish and poi constituted the chief food of the natives.”
“The crown was not by inheritance; the Kings appointed their successors as they chose. Alexander … had been named by King Kamehameha as his successor.”
“The British Consul – General was General Miller, an old British warrior and M. Perrin, the French Consul-General. The Privy Consul was an important body appointed by the King, with the Cabinet ministers, to whom was submitted all questions of a native and foreign nature.”
“The negotiations for annexation to the United States began in the summer of 1854, at Honolulu. The project was vehemently opposed by the English residents who were formidable in numbers and influence, and by nearly all the American merchants and others interested in whaling.”
“As matters stood, the U. S. Consul had control of the American shipping business. He fixed the price of whale oil, settled the disputes of masters and sailors, attended to the discharge and shipping of sailors, etc.”
“Lawyers were not employed in such cases, and costs of courts were escaped. It was simpler, cheaper, more expeditious and satisfactory to merchants and shipmasters, than to be troubled with procedure of the courts of law.”
“Annexation, it was argued, would bring lawyers and costly court proceedings, interfere with the whaling traffic and drive it from the kingdom. Therefore annexation was antagonized.”
“During the fall of 1854, there were in the harbor of Honolulu, awaiting the issue of the negotiations, the American war vessels, Portsmouth, Captain Dornin; the St. Mary, Commander Bailey; and a store ship, Commander Boyle.”
“The US steam ships, Mississippi and Susquehaima, Captains Lee and Buchanan, direct from Commodore Perry’s Japan expedition, also put in there homeward bound. The British frigate Triucomalee, Captain Houston, and the French warship, Eurydice, and another, were likewise in the harbor.”
“Commissioner Gregg vigorously prosecuted his efforts for annexation. He called to his aid several of the native chiefs, John Young, Minister Wyllie, Chief Justice Lee, Mr. Judd, formerly a missionary and Minister of Finance of the Kingdom – the most potential resident of the Islands – and several of the nobles and representatives.”
“The old King was disposed to annexation, but declined to consent to it unless his own appointed successor, Prince Alexander, assented.”
“During 1850, Alexander and his elder brother, Prince Lot, had visited the Atlantic States under the guardianship of Minister Judd, on their way to Europe. They were both of dark complexion.”
“At Pittsburg the two were ejected from a hotel dining room table, on account of their color … Proud and high-spirited, they were enraged at the humiliating affront and bore it in recollection.”
“In 1854, Charles Sumner of Massachusetts was U. S. Senator. He was against the annexation scheme and had written to a prominent missionary in the Islands to warn the King and natives that on annexation they would be considered as negroes, and that the ruling people of the United States held that negroes should be made slaves.”
“The letter bitterly impressed Alexander and Lot and had powerful effect upon many of the native chiefs. But the generous individual annuities offered in the terms of the treaty presented by Commissioner Gregg, had, on the other hand, great weight.”
“During life the King was to receive $50,000 a year; the Queen, $18,000; Prince Alexander, $10,000, and to succeed to the $50,000 on the death of the King; Prince Lot, his father, the Princess Victoria, and John Young and Chief Pakee, each $8,000 a year; other chiefs and prominent government officers, sums varying from $10,000 to $3,000.”
“Late in the fall the brig Zenobia arrived from Petropaulovski with intelligence of the British repulse at that place, and from California came report of the allied reverses in the Crimea, which much depressed the English and French in Honolulu, and disastrously affected their antagonism to annexation.”
“At length, late in November, Alexander expressed his willingness to agree to the treaty of annexation. The King was first to affix his signature, Alexander was to sign in succession, and the Cabinet was then to complete the convention, to await only the ratification of the President and Senate of the United States.”
“The King appointed Tuesday, December 12th, for the signing of the treaty, to be done at the palace. Meantime a commission of the surgeons of the British frigate, and others in Honolulu, had held an official examination of Consul-General Miller and declared him to be of infirm body and unsound mind, owing to advanced age and incurable disability.”
“It proved another favorable incident to annexation, and the matter was finally considered as definitely determined. Only the ceremony of signing the treaty remained.”
“Dr. Rooke, an English surgeon resident in Honolulu, and father of Miss Emma Rooke, the fiancée of Prince Alexander, protested against the annexation in vain. Miss Emma had reluctantly yielded her assent to the treaty, and she was included in the list of annuitants.” (All here is from O’Meara.)
The Annexation Treaty was never finalized, “The signatures were yet wanting; His Majesty more determined and impatient than ever, when he was taken suddenly ill, and died in three weeks (December 15, 1854.)” (Judd)
As Mr Severance truly said, “His partiality to Americans has always been strong, and it will be universally conceded that by his death they have lost a faithful and honorable friend.”
His adopted son and heir, Alexander Liholiho, was immediately proclaimed king, under the title of Kamehameha IV. Soon afterwards he expressed his wish that the negotiations that had been begun with Mr Gregg should be broken off, which was done. (Alexander)
“The hope of annexation had departed on the death of the old King, as it was Alexander’s chief ambition to be an absolute monarch. Soon afterwards he made Emma Rooke his Queen.”
“The dead project of American annexation has never been resuscitated from the United States Government point of vantage.” (O’Meara.)
