From pulpits to plantations: The moral imperialism of Wisconsin’s role in the annexation of Hawaii
On July 7, 1898, President William McKinley signed the Newlands Resolution, formally annexing the Hawaiian Islands into the United States. Widely criticized by Native Hawaiians and later condemned by the U.S. government itself in a 1993 congressional apology, the decision marked the end of an independent kingdom and the start of America’s imperial footprint in the Pacific. While often remembered as a clash between Pacific powers and Washington’s ambition, the road to annexation was not paved by East Coast statesmen alone. A midwestern state thousands of miles from the Pacific played a surprisingly formative role. Wisconsin exerted its influence...
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