Newlands Resolution

On August 12, 1898, the flag of the Kingdom of Hawai‘i over ‘Iolani Palace was lowered to raise the United States flag to signify annexation.

A page of the Ku’e Petitions that prevented Hawaii from being annexed by treaty.

The Newlands Resolution, was a joint resolution written and named after United States Congressman Francis G. Newlands. It was an Act of Congress to annex the Republic of Hawai'i and create the Territory of Hawai'i.

In 1898 President of the United States William McKinley signed the treaty of annexation for Hawaii, but it failed in the senate after the 38,000 signatures of the Ku’e Petitions were submitted. After the failure Hawaii was annexed by means of joint resolution called the Newlands Resolution

It was approved on July 4, 1898 and signed on July 7 by William McKinley. In August of the same year, a ceremony was held on the steps of 'Iolani Palace to signify the official transfer of Hawaiian sovereignty to the United States.

Sanford B. Dole, left, continued as President of the newly created Territory of Hawai'i until the Hawaiian Organic Act of 1900 established a permanent territorial government led by a governor.

Larsen Case

This section may stray from the topic of the article. Please help improve this section or discuss this issue on the talk page.

Lance Paul Larsen vs. the Hawaiian Kingdom was a case in the World Court that challenged the Newlands Resolution under international law, the court did not decide on the legitimacy of the Resolution.

Lance Paul Larsen accused the Hawaiian Kingdom of not protecting him from traffic violations committed under US law (there were no vehicular laws in the Hawaiian Kingdom), with the intention of challenging the validity of the Newlands Resolution. The case was heard by the Permanent Court of Arbitration at the Hague, which allows for private parties to engage in arbitration, and has no legal authority. At a cost of $10,000 each, the parties involved hired three arbitrators. The arbiters of the case affirmed that there was no dispute they could decide upon, because the United States was not a party to the arbitration. As stated in the award from the arbitration panel, in the absence of the United States of America, the Tribunal can neither decide that Hawaii is not part of the USA, nor proceed on the assumption that it is not. To take either course would be to disregard a principle which goes to heart of the arbitral function in international law.

See also

• Hawaiian Organic Act, approved in 1900 by Congress to adopt a form of government for the new territory, in supplement of the Newlands Resolution.

External links

Wikisource has original text related to this article: Annexation of the Hawaiian Islands

• Text of the Newlands Resolution

v • d • e Territorial expansion of the United States Concept: Manifest Destiny Thirteen Colonies (1776) · Treaty of Paris (1783) · Louisiana Purchase (1803) · Red River Cession (1818) · Adams-Onís Treaty (1819) • Texas Annexation (1845) · Oregon Treaty (1846) · Mexican Cession (1848) · Gadsden Purchase (1853) · Guano Islands Act (1856) · Alaska Purchase (1867) · Annexation of Hawaii (1898) · Treaty of Paris (1898)