Territory of Hawaii

The Territory of Hawai‘i, abbreviated officially as T.H., was established on 7 July, 1898 and dissolved on 21 August, 1959 when Hawai‘i became a state. The U.S. Congress passed the Newlands Resolution which annexed the former Kingdom of Hawai‘i and later Republic of Hawai‘i to the United States. Hawai‘i's territorial history includes a period from 1941 to 1944 when the islands were placed under martial law. Civilian government was dissolved and a military governor was appointed.

Statehood

After failing in 1935 and 1937 to convince Congress Hawai‘i was ready for statehood, Hawai‘i resurrected the campaign in 1940 by placing the statehood question on the ballot. Two-thirds of the electorate in the territory voted in favor of joining the Union. After World War II, the call for statehood was repeated with even larger support, even from some mainland states. The reasons for the support of statehood were clear:

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• Hawai‘i wanted the ability to elect its own governor
• Hawai‘i wanted the ability to elect the president
• Hawai‘i wanted an end to taxation without voting representation in Congress
• Hawai‘i suffered the first blow of the war
• Hawai‘i ethnics, especially the Japanese, proved their loyalty having served on the European frontlines
• Hawai‘i consisted of 90% American citizens, most born in the U.S.

A former officer of the Honolulu Police Department, John A. Burns was elected Hawai‘i's delegate to Congress in 1956. A Democrat, Burns won without the white vote but rather with the overwhelming support of Japanese and Filipinos in Hawai‘i. His election proved pivotal to the statehood movement. Upon arriving in Washington, D.C., Burns began making key political maneuvers by winning over allies among Congressional leaders and state governors. Burns' most important accomplishment was convincing Senate Majority Leader Lyndon B. Johnson (D-TX) that Hawai‘i was ready to become a state.

Related Topics:
Honolulu Police Department - John A. Burns - Democrat - Senate Majority Leader - Lyndon B. Johnson

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In March 1959, both houses of Congress passed the Admission Act and U.S. President Dwight D. Eisenhower signed it into law. (The act excluded Palmyra Atoll, part of the Kingdom and Territory of Hawai‘i, from the new state.) On June 27 of that year, a plebiscite was held asking Hawaiians to vote on accepting the statehood bill. Hawai‘i voted 17 to 1 to accept. On August 21, church bells throughout Honolulu were rung upon the proclamation that Hawai‘i was finally the 50th state of the Union.

Related Topics:
Admission Act - Dwight D. Eisenhower - Palmyra Atoll - June 27 - Plebiscite - August 21

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