Article

Iolani Palace: A Hawaiian Place of History, Power, and Prestige

Pacific Islanders ruled the Hawaiian Islands for nearly a thousand years until, in the 19th century, European and American colonizers began to settle the islands. Settlement changed the islands’ dominant culture and European disease devastated the population of Native Hawaiians. After a series of coups and changes to the Kingdom of Hawaii’s Constitution that weakened the power of the Native Hawaiian people, the United States government annexed the islands and Hawaii became part of the growing American empire in 1898. But the Hawaiian Royal Family and the Native Hawaiians did not turn over their Kingdom quietly: They protested. King Kalakaua and then his sister, Queen Liliuokalani, failed to withstand the push for American "Manifest Destiny," but their protest became an inspiration for civic activism and their Palace -- a lavish mix of indigenous and European architecture -- became a powerful symbol of Hawaiian heritage and history.

About this Lesson

This lesson is based on the National Register of Historic Places file, “Iolani Palace” (with photos). This lesson was published in 2016. The lesson was written by Ben Hurwitz, graduate student and National Council for Preservation Education intern working in the Office of Outreach, Education and Training. It was edited by Teaching with Historic Places staff at NPS Cultural Resources Interpretation & Education. This lesson is one in a series that brings the important stories of historic places into classrooms across the country.

For a PDF version of this lesson click Here.

Materials for students

The materials listed below can either be used directly on the computer or can be printed out, photocopied, and distributed to students.
1. Two maps showing the layout of Honolulu in 1901 and the expansion of United States territory over time;
2. Four readings on the Iolani Palace site, the history of the Hawaiian Islands, and the views of Hawaiian monarchs;
3. Four historic photographs showing the first Iolani Palace, the exterior and interior of the second Iolani Palace, and the landing of U.S. Marines in Honolulu in 1893;
4. One historic political cartoon illustration about American expansionism.

Where it fits into the curriculum

The lesson could be used in middle and high school units relating to Hawaiian history, 19th Century American Expansionism, Globalization, Cultural Exchanges, Colonization, and Architecture.

Time Period: Late 19th Century and early 20th Century

Objectives

1. To explain how U.S. imperialism affected the people and landscape of foreign territories;
2. To identify the ways European and American influence affected the Hawaiian Islands in the late nineteenth century;
3. To describe the Hawaiian and American arguments for and against annexation;
4. To identify a historical site of protest and explain why citizens choose to exercise their 1st Amendment rights at that location.

National History and Social Studies Standards


This lesson relates to the UCLA National Center for History in the Schools National History Standards:

  • US History Era 6, Standard 4B: The student understands the roots and development of American expansionism and the causes and outcomes of the Spanish-American War.
  • US History Era 7, Standard 2A: The student understands how the American role in the world changed in the early 20th century.

This lesson relates to Thematic Strands from the National Council for the Social Studies' National Standards:

  • Theme I: Culture;
  • Theme II: Time, Continuity, and Change;
  • Theme III: People, Places, and Environments;
  • Theme IV: Individual Development and Identity;
  • Theme IX: Global Connections;
  • Theme X: Civic Ideals and Practices.

See the Full Lesson (PDF) for details about how the these Standards and Themes relate to the lesson.

Inquiry Question:

Why did Hawaii become part of the United States? How did Native Hawaiians respond?

Getting Started

Grey scale photo of large two story palace with towers on corner and in the center
What type of building is this? How do you think this building was used?

Photograph courtesy of Library of Congress

Photo Analysis Worksheet

Step 1: Examine the photograph for 10 seconds. How would you describe the photograph?

Step 2: Divide the photograph into quadrants and study each section individually. What details--such as people, objects, and activities--do you notice?

Step 3: What other information--such as time period, location, season, reason photo was taken--can you gather from the photo?

Step 4: How would you revise your first description of the photo using the information noted in Steps 2 and 3?

Step 5: What questions do you have about the photograph? How might you find answers to these questions?

Setting the Stage

The Hawaiian Kingdom can be traced back hundreds of years before Europeans reached the Hawaiian islands’ shores. The first settlers arrived more than one thousand years ago, travelling in canoes from either Tahiti or the Marquesas Islands. They were part of the Polynesian culture that settled islands throughout the South Pacific region. As their own population grew, Hawaiians eventually formed multiple kingdoms on each of the main islands. They developed a rich culture that was unique but also tied to other Polynesian cultures.

The first Europeans on record arrived in a divided Hawaii in 1778, under the command of Captain James Cook. Contact between Hawaiians and foreigners became more frequent over the next century as western missionaries and settlers became established. In 1810, King Kamehameha I was the first ruler to unite all of the Hawaiian Islands under a single government. He ruled over the islands and passed them down to his successors. During this early contact period, the Native Hawaiian population experienced a massive decline resulting from introduced diseases like smallpox, measles, and tuberculosis. Hawaiian chiefs began to adopt more European customs and Christianity became established in the islands.

In the mid-1800s, the Monarchy established private property and allowed foreign citizens to hold land for the first time. These developments attracted foreign settlement and investment. Foreign businessmen formed large sugar plantations. They brought Chinese and Japanese workers to cultivate the sugar. In the next century, Filipino and Korean workers migrated to work the plantations in Hawaii.

The late 1800s were a time of Western Imperialism when European nations sought overseas colonies throughout Africa and Asia. The same process affected the Pacific region, as many remote islands were claimed and conquered by European powers. Both France and Britain considered colonizing the Hawaiian Islands. The United States eventually took an interest as well after developing economic ties to the Kingdom.

By the late 1800s, foreigners acquired large portions of Hawaii. U.S. citizens made up the majority of foreign landowners. In 1887, these landowners launched a coup that limited the power of the Monarchy. In 1893, a second coup abolished the monarchy altogether and essentially excluded Native Hawaiians from participating in government. The U.S. annexed Hawaii after much debate in 1898. The islands remained a territory from June 1900 up until Hawaii became the 50th state in the Union of August 21, 1959.

Hawaii is a place of extreme demographic diversity where Native Hawaiians are now a minority group. Since the 1970s, the Native Hawaiian Movement has sought to reevaluate Hawaiian history and Hawaiian self government. In 1993, the U.S. government offered an official apology for annexing Hawaii. This was one of only five times that the United States has officially apologized for its actions.

Locating the Site

Map of US divided by territories and when they were added
After the American Revolution, the United States acquired most of its territory during the 19th century. This map shows years when the U.S. expanded.

Department of the Interior. Source: http://nationalmap.gov/small_scale/printable/territorialacquisition.html

Map 1: Territorial Acquisitions of the United States.

Questions for Map 1
1) From what countries did the United States acquire territory?
2) What ways did the United States acquire land?
3) In what direction (north, south, east, or west) did the United States expand? Why do you think it expanded that way and not in the other directions? (Refer to a world map if necessary)

grey scale map of Oahu from 1901

(Perry-Castañeda Library. Source: http://www.lib.utexas.edu/maps/hawai
i.html.)

Map 2: Honolulu, Oahu, 1901

Questions for Map 2
1) What natural features can you identify on the map? What kinds of human-made places can you find in Honolulu?
2) Where is Iolani Palace (“Palace”)? What other landmarks are located near it?
3) What cultures and what nationalities of people do you think were present in Honolulu in 1901? What evidence in the map supports your answer? What culture was dominant? Why do you think so

Determining the Facts

Reading 1: Hawaiian History

The first settlers of the Hawaiian Islands arrived from Polynesia at least 1,000 years ago and crossed many miles of open ocean to reach them. As the population grew, Hawaiians eventually formed multiple kingdoms on each of the main islands. King Kamehameha I took control of all the Hawaiian Islands in the early 1800s. He created a unified Kingdom of Hawaii.

European sailors arrived in Hawaii in the late 1700s. They carried new diseases like smallpox and tuberculosis. Many Native Hawaiians died from disease. Christian Missionaries from the United States arrived in 1820. Hawaii’s rulers adopted Christianity and many foreign customs. The government banned religious and cultural practices that offended the missionaries. These practices included some Native Hawaiian traditions.

Europeans settled in towns like Honolulu. They sold goods to Native Hawaiians and to passing ships. Many foreigners bought Hawaiian land and established large sugar cane plantations. Most plantation workers were immigrants from Asia or Portugal. They were paid very low wages. The sugar plantations, mills, and shipping companies were owned by foreigners, mostly from the United States.

In 1887, a group of foreigners known as the Hawaiian League staged a coup (a forceful takeover). They forced the Hawaiian King Kalakaua to sign a new constitution. The new “Bayonet Constitution” limited the King’s power and gave the foreigners more power in Hawaii. Kalakaua died in 1891. He was succeeded by his sister, Queen Liliuokalani. The foreigners tried another coup in 1893, led by a group called the Committee of Public Safety. This coup was supported by United States Marines. The Hawaiian League removed all of the queen’s powers and declared an end to the Hawaiian Monarchy. They installed a new Provisional Government.

The Provisional Government wanted to join the United States, but President Grover Cleveland rejected the offer. The leaders of the coup then declared a Republic of Hawaii. William McKinley was elected president of the United States in 1896. Unlike Grover Cleveland, McKinley wanted to annex Hawaii. His staff drafted a treaty of annexation and sent it to Congress.

Americans were divided on the issue of Hawaii. Other powerful nations of the era, like England, had colonies in Africa and Asia. Some Americans also wanted an empire. They argued that taking Hawaii would make America more powerful. Others felt that Empires were unjust. They argued that colonization went against the idea of liberty and justice for all.

Native Hawaiians opposed the annexation treaty. They were led by Liliuokalani. The former Queen wrote letters to American politicians who wanted to annex Hawaii. She argued that the Republic of Hawaii was illegal. The Kingdom of Hawaii was over one hundred years old. It had a constitution and many agreements with foreign nations. The treaty ignored this history.

Hawaiian people wanted to play a role in their government. Many Hawaiians had voted in elections under the Monarchy. Very few Hawaiians could vote under the Republic. Native Hawaiians protested the treaty using petitions. In September 1897, more than half of all Hawaiians signed petitions against the treaty. More than half of the signers were women.

A group led by Liliuokalani traveled to Washington, D.C., in December 1897. They read the petitions to the U.S. Senate. Many senators were moved by their arguments. Some Senators became opposed to the treaty. Others thought that Hawaiians should vote on the issue first. By February of 1898, the treaty had been stopped in the Senate. The Hawaiians returned home as heroes.

In April of 1898, however, the United States went to war with Spain. Hawaii suddenly seemed important to U.S. national defense and Congress passed a joint resolution to annex Hawaii. The House, Senate, and President approved the resolution. The United States took control of Hawaii on July 7, 1898. In the same year, the United States acquired the Philippines, Guam, and Puerto Rico from Spain. Hawaii became a territory two years later in June 1900. With its new lands, the United States controlled an empire stretching halfway around the globe.

Questions for Reading 1
1) Who were the first people to live in the Hawaiian Islands? Where did they come from? How did they get to Hawaii?
2) How did Native Hawaiians express themselves during the annexation debate Were these efforts successful? Explain why or why not.
3) Name three ways contact between Hawaiians and foreigners changed Hawaiian culture. How do you think the Hawaiians felt about the arrival of Europeans and Americans to the islands? Why do you think so?
4) What reasons did the United States have for annexing Hawaii? Why do you think some Americans did not want to annex Hawaii?

Reading 2: Song by King Kalakaua upon returning from his trip around the world in 1881


I have traveled over many lands and distant seas
To India afar and China renowned
I have touched the shores of Africa
And boundaries of Europe
And have met the great ones of all lands

As I stood at the side of heads of governments
Next to leaders proud of their rule,
Witnessing their authority over their own
I realized how small and weak is the power I hold
My throne is established on a heap of lava
They rule where millions obey their commands
Only a few thousands can I count under my care

One thought came to me of which I may boast
Of all beauties
Locked within these shores
One is a jewel more precious than any owned by
My fellow monarchs
I have nothing in my Kingdom to dread

I mingle with my people without fear
And in safety, I require no bodyguards
My gift is a pearl of great price given
To me from above
The loyalty of my people

Questions for Reading 2
1) Who was King Kalakaua? What places did he visit?
2) What is the King’s message in his song? What are the strengths of the Hawaiian Kingdom, according to Kalakaua? What are its weaknesses?
3) Why do you think the Hawaiian king traveled?
4) How do you think he was treated by the people he encountered? Why do you think so?

Reading 3: The Power of Iolani Palace


Today, downtown Honolulu’s Iolani Palace is surrounded by modern American offices and hotels. But the site of the palace is steeped in Hawaiian history too. The palace sits over the site of an ancient heiau, a sacred place of worship in the Hawaiian religion. Scholars do not know how this heiau was used, since each one served a different purpose. Heiau were used to heal the sick, and to make offerings for rain, a good harvest, or a victory in war. Since at least the early 1800’s, Hawaiian alii (royalty) had come to the heiau to worship, relax, and surf in the nearby waves.

In 1845, King Kamehameha III moved the Hawaiian Capitol from the island of Maui to Honolulu. He took up residence in a new palace that was built over the site of the heiau. The palace was called Hale Alii, which means “house of the chiefs.” King Kamehameha V renamed the palace Iolani, which comes from the Hawaiian words Io (Hawk) and lani (royal or exalted). The first Iolani palace was a simple structure made of wood and bricks made from coral. Hawaiian Kings and their advisers used it as a meeting place and for entertaining, but it did not contain sleeping areas.

In 1879, King Kalakaua ordered a larger and more impressive Iolani Palace to be built. Kalakaua was an ambitious ruler who loved both Hawaiian and foreign culture. He composed popular songs and supported Hawaiian traditions like Hula and surfing. He also traveled around the world and met with foreign leaders. The new palace was designed by San Francisco architect, Charles J. Baker. Three architects worked on the palace before it was complete. The Palace contained European and Hawaiian features.

The two-story building is 54 feet tall and 140 feet long. It is built from bricks, supported by a wooden frame. The palace’s six towers echo the European style of architecture called Renaissance and the tallest tower reaches a height of 80 feet. The entire building is surrounded by two-story porches. The porches included expensive iron railings: the railings on the first floor were imported from outside Hawaii and railings on the second were made by Hononlulu Iron Works, located just blocks from the Palace. The building was completed in 1882 at a cost of $350,000. This was a very large sum for the time.

The palace interior is finely decorated. The walls and ceilings are covered in ornamental plaster. Many of the doors and wall panels are made of expensive and rare Hawaiian woods like koa, kamani, and kou. The centerpiece of the building is a large staircase that leads to the second floor, made entirely out of koa wood. Parts of the palace are decorated with imported woods like White Cedar and Curly Maple. Much of the furniture was custom made by A.H. Davenport Company of Boston and shipped to Hawaii.

Entering the palace, one finds the throne room is located on the right. The Hawaiian King and Queen hosted royal balls, receptions, and other ceremonies in this red and gold room. On the left is the blue room, a place for more informal meetings. It contained a huge portrait of French King Louis Phillippe, given to Hawaii by the French Government in 1848. Portraits painted by American artist William Cogswell of King Kalakaua and his sister, Queen Liliuokalani, also hang in the throne room. The dining room is located next to the blue room through a set of large wooden sliding doors. Portraits of European leaders hang on the dining room walls. These portraits were diplomatic gifts to the Hawaiian royal dynasty. The upstairs level of the palace held the bedrooms of the King and Queen, along with several sleeping rooms for guests. There was a music room, as well as a library where one of Hawaii’s first telephones was installed. The upstairs lanai provided a place for royals and guests to relax and enjoy cool ocean breezes.

The palace grounds also contain a barracks building, a bandstand, and two archives buildings. The barracks building was designed by a German architect, Theodore Heuck, and completed in 1871. It was used to house the palace guard. The bandstand, known as Keliiponi Hale, was built for Kalakaua’s coronation in 1883. It was later used as a stage for the Royal Hawaiian Band. The two archives buildings were built in the 20th century.

Only two Hawaiian leaders lived in the Iolani Palace, Kalakaua and his sister, Liliuokalani. Both rulers faced rebellions by foreign land owners. Kalakaua signed the “bayonet constitution” of 1887 at Iolani Palace. The Republic of Hawaii tried Liliuokalani for treason in the throne room where she once sat as Queen. She was found guilty and imprisoned in an upstairs bedroom where guests of the royal family once slept. In 1898, the United States annexed Hawaii. The annexation ceremony took place on the King Street steps of the Iolani Palace. Queen Liliuokalani lost political power but remained revered by the Hawaiian people. After her imprisonment at Iolani Palace, she was under house arrest at her own home, called Washington Place. This grand house is located near Iolani Palace in Honolulu and Liliuokalani stayed there until she died in 1917. Today, it is the Hawaiian governor’s mansion and also a historic site.

The Republic of Hawaii’s only president, Sanford Dole, used the Iolani Palace as his office. When Hawaii became a United States Territory, the royal bedroom became the Governor’s Office. The Hawaii Senate met in the dining room and the House of Representatives met in the throne room. In 1970, the Friends of Iolani Palace and the Hawaii State Department of Land and Natural Resources began to restore the palace. Many original items were returned to the palace and it is now a museum.

Recently, the palace has been used by activists in the Native Hawaiian movement. In 1993 thousands of activists gathered there 100 years after the overthrow of the Queen by the foreign occupiers. They wanted to raise awareness about Hawaii’s history. Many wanted to protest American rule. In 2008, the palace was occupied by Native Hawaiian activists two times. They called for a return of the Hawaiian Monarchy. Even today, the palace is a powerful place in Hawaiian politics.

Questions for Reading 3
1) Why did Kalakaua choose this site for the new Iolani Palace in 1879? What had existed in this place before the palace was built?
2) What features of Iolani Palace show Native Hawaiian influences? What features are foreign?
3) List chronologically the ways the palace has been used since it was built. Why do you think activists protest at Iolani Palace?
4) What has not changed about Iolani Palace? Why do you think this is?

Reading 4: Letter from Queen Liliuokalani of Hawaii to President William McKinley of the United States, June 17, 1897


I, Liliuokalani of Hawaii, by the Will of God named heir-apparent on the tenth day of April, A.D. 1877, and by the grace of God Queen of the Hawaiian Islands on the seventeenth day of January, A.D. 1893, do hereby protest against the ratification of a certain treaty, which, so I am informed, has been signed at Washington by Messrs., Hatch, Thurston, and Kinney, purporting to cede those Islands to the territory and dominion of the United States.1 I declare such a treaty to be an act of wrong toward the native and part-native people of Hawaii, an invasion of the rights of the ruling chiefs, in violation of international rights both toward my people and toward friendly nations with whom they have made treaties, the perpetuation of the fraud whereby the constitutional government was overthrown, and, finally, an act of gross injustice to me.

BECAUSE the official protests made by me on the seventeenth day of January, 1893, to the so-called Provisional Government was signed by me, and received by said government with the assurance that the case was referred to the United States of America for arbitration. BECAUSE that protest and my communications to the United States Government immediately thereafter expressly declare that I yielded my authority to the forces of the United States in order to avoid bloodshed, and because I recognized the futility of a conflict with so formidable a power.

BECAUSE the President of the United States, the Secretary of State, and an envoy commissioned by them reported in official documents that my government was unlawfully coerced by the forces, diplomatic and naval, of the United States; that I was at the date of their investigations the constitutional ruler of my people.

BECAUSE neither the above-named commission nor the government which sends it has ever received any such authority from the registered voters of Hawaii, but derives its assumed powers from the so-called committee of public safety, organized on or about the seventeenth-day of January, 1893, said committee being composed largely of persons claiming American citizenship, and not one single Hawaiian was a member thereof, or in any way participated in the demonstration leading to its existence.

BECAUSE my people, about forty thousand in number, have in no way been consulted by those, three thousand in number, who claim the right to destroy the independence of Hawaii. My people constitute four-fifths of the legally qualified voters of Hawaii, and excluding those imported for the demands of labor, about the same proportion of the inhabitants.

BECAUSE said treaty ignores, not only the civic rights of my people, but, further, the hereditary property of their chiefs. Of the 4,000,000 acres composing the territory said treaty offers to annex, 1,000,000 or 915,000 acres has in no way been heretofore recognized as other than the private property of the constitutional monarch, subject to a control in no way differing from other items of a private estate.

BECAUSE it is proposed by said treaty to confiscate said property, technically called the crown lands, those legally entitled thereto, either now or in succession, receiving no consideration whatever for estates, their title to which has been always undisputed, and which is legitimately in my name at this date.

BECAUSE said treaty ignores, not only all professions of perpetual amity and good faith made by the United States in former treaties with the sovereigns representing the Hawaiian people, but all treaties made by those sovereigns with other and friendly powers, and it is thereby in violation of international law.

BECAUSE, by treating with the parties claiming at this time the right to cede said territory of Hawaii, the Government of the United States receives such territory from the hands of those whom its own magistrates (legally elected by the people of the United States, and in office in 1893) pronounced fraudulently in power and unconstitutionally ruling Hawaii.

Therefore I, Liliuokalani of Hawaii, do hereby call upon the President of that nation, to whom alone I yielded my property and my authority, to withdraw said treaty (ceding said Islands) from further consideration. I ask the honorable Senate of the United States to decline to ratify said treaty, and I implore the people of this great and good nation, from whom my ancestors learned the Christian religion, to sustain their representatives in such acts of justice and equity as may be in accord with the principles of their fathers, and to the Almighty Ruler of the universe, to him who judgeth righteously, I commit my cause.

Done at Washington, District of Columbia, United States of America, this seventeenth day of June, in the year eighteen hundred and ninety-seven.

1 Francis Hatch, Lorrin Thurston, and William Kinney were representatives of the Republic of Hawaii.

Questions for Reading 4
1) Where was Queen Liliuokalani when she wrote this letter? Why do you think she was at that place, at that time?
2) Who led the coup against Liliuokalani in 1893? Why did she agree to step down from office?
3) Why did Liliuokalani believe annexation was illegal? List several reasons she gives in her letter.
4) In what ways was the native Hawaiian government different from the U.S. government the coups and annexation? In what ways was it similar?

Visual Evidence

House with large wrap around porch and a smaller second story

(Source: Library of Congress)

Photo One: The first Iolani Palace, built in 1844

Two story palace with towers in the four corners of the building

(Library of Congress, Historic American Buildings Survey Collection)

Photo Two: Historic image of Iolani Palace, completed in 1882

Questions for Photo 1 and Photo 2
1) What are the purposes of a palace? Which building in these photographs looks like a better place for those purposes? Why?
2) What differences do you notice in the setting and features of the buildings in Photo 1 and Photo 2? What similarities do you notice?
3) What do you think are the reasons for the similarities between the two palaces? What are the reasons for the differences? (Refer to Reading 1 if necessary)
4) Why do you think the Hawaiian King built the new Iolani Palace? Do you think he needed to build a new one? Why? (Refer to Readings 2 and 3 if necessary)

Two fancy chairs sit on a raised platform at the center of the back wall of a room
Photo 3: Iolani Palace Throne Room, 1880s.

Library of Congress, Historic American Buildings Survey Collection

Photo 3: Iolani Palace Throne Room, 1880s.

Questions for Photo 3
1) Describe the decorations and features that you see in the photo. Is it a formal or informal place? Why do you think so?
2) Who used this room? What types of events do you think took place in this room? Why do you think so?
3) How do you think foreign dignitaries felt about this room? How do you think the Native Hawaiian elites felt about this room? Why do you think so? (See Reading 2 if necessary)
Military battalions stand in formation in front of a crowd of civilians
Photo 4: US Marines Landing in Honolulu during the Overthrow of Liliuokalani, 1893

Hawaii State Archives

Photo 4: US Marines Landing in Honolulu during the Overthrow of Liliuokalani, 1893

Questions for Photo 4
1) Write a short description of this photo. Where was it taken? What human-built structures can you spot?

2) Apart from the Marines, who else do you think is present in the photo? Why do you think so?

3) Referring to Map 2, where do you think this place is in Honolulu? Why do you think so? How far might this scene be from Iolani Palace?

4) Why do you think U.S. Marines were in Hawaii during the overthrow of the Queen?
Illustration of Uncle Sam standing in front of basket of apples looking up at one labeled Hawaii
Illustration 1: Patient waiters are no losers, by Louis Dalrymple. Published in New York City, January 13, 1897

Library of Congress

Illustration 1 Description:

The apples on the tree read (from left to right): Hawaii, Canada, Cuba, Central America.
The apples in the basket read (from left to right): Texas, Louisiana, California, Alaska, Florida.
The caption reads: PATIENT WAITERS ARE NO LOSERS – Uncle Sam – I ain’t in a hurry: -- it’ll drop into my basket

Questions for Illustration 1
1) What does the man in the cartoon represent? Why do you think so?

2) What do the apples in the basket have in common? What is the shared history of those places?

3) What do the apples in the tree have in common? What might be the reasons the artist chose to represent those places this illustration?

4) What is the cartoonist’s message? Do you agree with him? Why or why not?

Putting it All Together


Use the following activities to deepen your students' engagement with the topics and themes introduced in the lesson, and to help them develop essential skills.

Activity 1: Extra! Extra! Exploring 19th Century Annexation Op-Eds


Have your students read primary source newspaper articles from the late 19th century to learn more about the United States' annexation of foreign lands during that era and to examine Americans' arguments for or against annexation. You may assign a single case (like Guam, American Samoa, Puerto Rico, or Hawaii) or ask students to look for broader examples of the debate over American expansionism during the era. For example, some Americans saw what was going on in Hawaii and guessed the U.S. would eventually annex portions of South America and the Caribbean.

The Library of Congress offers the 'Chronicling of America' database with thousands of free, digitized historical newspapers. Have students search the site and find op-eds related to the annexation of foreign land in the late 1800s. They may work in groups or individually on this project. You may want to assign articles if students choose the same ones or guide students toward different sources. Students will choose one long piece or two short articles to study. Next, have them prepare and give an oral presentation on the author's position, who the student believes the author's audience is, and the arguments that the author makes.

If there is time and the resources available, have students create a poster board display or PowerPoint presentation to outline their presentation.

Chronicling of America: http://chroniclingamerica.loc.gov/

Activity 2: Discover Civic Activism at Iolani Palace and in Your Community


Have students read news articles and blog posts about two recent political events at the Iolani Palace: a massive pageant and demonstration marking the 100th anniversary of the Hawaiian Monarchy’s overthrow in 1993; and the occupation of the palace by a modern Hawaiian independence movement in 2008. After they read the materials, moderate a class discussion to have students talk about the ways the Palace has been used over the years. Pose the question, why have some Hawaiian activists chosen this site as a place of protest?

This activity prepares students to think about how other historic sites have been used as places of protest. Have students work individually to research and write an essay on the history of another place they are familiar with, like a local park or the National Mall, and ask them to answer the same question from the discussion in their essay: Why do they think the activists chose this site for their activism?

The essays should describe the history of their chosen site, its original purpose or function, and what causes are talked about there. Have your students present an argument and offer supporting evidence to explain why they believe the character of their chosen place encouraged activists and/or public speakers to embrace it. Have your students look their chosen site up on the National Register of Historic Places and use its documentation as a source.

If time allows, have students paint, draw, or create a model of the historic site to accompany their essay. They may choose the site’s historic character or its contemporary appearance. WikiMedia Commons and the Library of Congress are useful databases to find images of the sites that students can use as guides

Activity 3: Whose Destiny? Study the effects of American expansion on indigenous cultures


The United States expanded farther and farther west during the 19th century. From the Louisiana Purchase to Alaska to Hawaii, Americans began to imagine these acquisitions to be “Manifest Destiny.” Americans migrated west in the 19th and 20th centuries to, but these lands were not necessarily unsettled. Already present, the Creoles, Mexicans, Hawaiians, and other indigenous peoples were suddenly subject to new laws and sometimes to new customs.

Break your students into small groups and assign each group a different territorial acquisition, such as the Mexican Cession or the Louisiana Purchase, as the subject for a group report. The report will focus on the people who preceded the U.S. settlers and explain what happened to the group after U.S. acquisition. Students can present their report as a short film, limited podcast series, or as a blog with a series of short entries that explore related topics and the affected cultures.

In their reports, students should identify the historical events that led to the new territory being added to the conflict. They will describe the people who were living in the region before it became a United States territory and the ways their lives changed as a result of the expansion.

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Last updated: February 23, 2024