Abstract

Ten years before, Secretary of State James Blaine had observed that "there are only three places that are of value enough to be taken. One is Hawaii. The others are Cuba and Puerto Rico." Shortly after, the United States Minister informed Washington that "[t]he Hawaiian pear is now fully ripe and this is the golden hour for the United States to pluck it." In July 1898, troops imposed martial law followed by formal annexation. Celebrating their victory over the indigenous population, a journal of the American planters proclaimed Hawaii to be "The First Outpost of a Greater America."