How Hawaii Became a State
Hawaii Officially Becoming a State
Nakesha Gatson
Hawaii Officially Becoming a State
Hawaii, better known as the Aloha state, went through 40 years of trying to become the 50th state in the United States. From 1919 to 1959, there has been five bills introduced for Hawaii to become a state, unfortunately all bills were rejected. About 95% of the residents living in Hawaii voted that it became a state in the United States. Hawaii attained statehood when both houses of Congress passed the Hawaii Admission Act on March 12th, 1959, which President Eisenhower signed into law five days later, officially making Hawaii the 50th state in the United States on August 21st, 1959.
Hawaii has the world’s most active volcano, the crater of Kilauea on Mauna Loa. Sandy beaches, towering volcanoes, and lush valleys lure thousands of tourists each year to this tropical paradise. Hawaii is the most ethnically and racially diverse state of any state in the union, a mix that includes Caucasians, Americans of Japanese descent, and Polynesians, among others. Native Hawaiians have held on to many of their customs and traditions despite the influx of non-natives over the years. Hawaii is the only state that has an official native language.
The first European to land on Hawaii was Capt. James cook, on Jan. 20th, 1778. He was hailed and praised as a God by the natives, but he did over stay his welcome. When the islands were first found they were run by a monarchy and once the news of the islands being discovered and of the rich resources it held spread, all of the “major world powers were interested, sending envoys and missionaries to the monarchy which controlled the islands” (Carver, n.d.). An interesting fact is that Hawaii was the only state in the union to have had a monarchy.
Hawaii grew strong for 40 years and according to the Encyclopedia Britannica, “Movements for statehood, based in part on Hawaii’s obligation to pay U.S. taxes without having corresponding legislative
Nakesha Gatson
Hawaii Officially Becoming a State
Hawaii, better known as the Aloha state, went through 40 years of trying to become the 50th state in the United States. From 1919 to 1959, there has been five bills introduced for Hawaii to become a state, unfortunately all bills were rejected. About 95% of the residents living in Hawaii voted that it became a state in the United States. Hawaii attained statehood when both houses of Congress passed the Hawaii Admission Act on March 12th, 1959, which President Eisenhower signed into law five days later, officially making Hawaii the 50th state in the United States on August 21st, 1959.
Hawaii has the world’s most active volcano, the crater of Kilauea on Mauna Loa. Sandy beaches, towering volcanoes, and lush valleys lure thousands of tourists each year to this tropical paradise. Hawaii is the most ethnically and racially diverse state of any state in the union, a mix that includes Caucasians, Americans of Japanese descent, and Polynesians, among others. Native Hawaiians have held on to many of their customs and traditions despite the influx of non-natives over the years. Hawaii is the only state that has an official native language.
The first European to land on Hawaii was Capt. James cook, on Jan. 20th, 1778. He was hailed and praised as a God by the natives, but he did over stay his welcome. When the islands were first found they were run by a monarchy and once the news of the islands being discovered and of the rich resources it held spread, all of the “major world powers were interested, sending envoys and missionaries to the monarchy which controlled the islands” (Carver, n.d.). An interesting fact is that Hawaii was the only state in the union to have had a monarchy.
Hawaii grew strong for 40 years and according to the Encyclopedia Britannica, “Movements for statehood, based in part on Hawaii’s obligation to pay U.S. taxes without having corresponding legislative
References: Britannica Online. (n.d.). Establishment of U.S. dominance. In Hawaii. Retrieved from http://original.search.eb.com/eb/article-79296 Carver, N. (n.d.). How Hawaii Became A State. Retrieved from http://www.helium.com/items/1189313-events-leading-to-the-statehood-of-hawaii (Hawaii, 2010) Swenson, P. M., Motteler, L. S., & Heckathorn, J. (2010).