In the 1800s Americans established missions and built huge plantations, railways, docks, and hotels in Hawaii. Queen Liliuokalani opposed U.S. influence but surrendered her throne after a revolt by plantation owners, pressure from ambassador John L. Stevens, and the arrival of an American battleship. President Cleveland opposed annexation of the sovereign nation but Hawaii was annexed in 1898 after William McKinley took office.
The Hawaiian Islands were created in a crucible of tectonic fire in the midst of a watery wilderness so vast that until the beginning of the 20th century they were the remotest place on the planet. This A&E Special takes a broad view of the watershed moments in Hawaiian history, from discovery, to first contact with outsiders, to unification of the islands into a sovereign kingdom, to an act of war that led to Hawaii’s annexation by the United States. As Hawaii’s ancient culture reemerges as a powerful sociopolitical force in the 21st century, will America’s 50th state reassert its claim to independence? Distributed by A&E Television Networks. (90 minutes)
NOTE: This film has many segments suitable for classroom showing and discussion.
This Universal newsreel focuses on Hawaii statehood. Hawaii becomes America's 50th state and "gives the lie to Communist charges of American colonialism." Universal Studios. (1 minute)
In the early years of the 20th century, at a time when the U.S. Navy dominated Hawaii, Americans thought of the islands as a Pacific paradise. But in 1931, Thalia Massie, a young Navy wife, made a drastic allegation of rape against five non-white islanders, shattering the semblance of tranquility and fully exposing growing racial tensions. What unfolded in the following days and weeks was a racially charged murder case that would make headlines across the nation, enrage Hawaii's native population, and galvanize the island's law enforcers and the nation's social elite. The Massie Affair, from the PBS American Experience collection, recounts the sensational true crime story that rocked 1930s Hawaii, and inflicted a wound on the psyche of the Hawaiian people that some believe has yet to heal. Distributed by PBS Distribution. (60 minutes)