Facts About Pearl Harbor

 Pearl Harbor is on the southern coast of the island of Oahu, Hawaii, United States, just about 8 miles (13 km) west-northwest of downtown Honolulu. 

So, Pearl Harbor is located on the island of Oahu, in the state of Hawaii, within the City and County of Honolulu. It functions as a lagoon harbor and an active military installation known as Joint Base Pearl Harbor-Hickam.

It is best known as the site of the Japanese attack on December 7, 1941, which led the United States to enter World War II. Today, it remains an active U.S. naval base and is also home to several historic memorials, including the USS Arizona Memorial.

History

Hawaii — including Pearl Harbor — became part of the United States in 1898. Before 1898, Hawaii was an independent kingdom and later the Republic of Hawaii.

Hawaii was officially annexed by the United States on July 7, 1898 (President McKinley signed the Newlands Resolution). The formal ceremony transferring sovereignty was held in Honolulu on August 12, 1898. 

That means Pearl Harbor became U.S. territory in 1898, although it did not become part of a U.S. state until Hawaii achieved statehood in 1959.

And therefore, Pearl Harbor was already part of the United States for about 43 years when the Japanese attacked it in 1941.

Who Owned Hawaii Before the U.S.?

Before the United States took control, Hawaii was the independent Hawaiian Kingdom, ruled by the Native Hawaiian monarchy — founded by King Kamehameha I, who unified all the islands in 1810. The kingdom was recognized as a sovereign nation by the U.S., Britain, France, and other countries. The last ruling monarch was Queen Liliʻuokalani, who came to the throne in 1891.

How US Took Hawaii

1. The Sugar Business (1800s)

In the 1800s, Americans started moving to Hawaii. First came Christian missionaries, but soon after came businessmen. These businessmen realized Hawaii had perfect land for growing sugar. They bought up huge amounts of land, started massive sugar plantations, and became very rich selling sugar back to the United States. Because they were making so much money, these American businessmen wanted more political power to protect their businesses.

2. The "Bayonet Constitution" (1887)

The Hawaiian King at the time, King Kalākaua, wanted Hawaii to remain independent. The American businessmen didn't like this. In 1887, a secret group of these businessmen forced the King to sign a new constitution. They literally made him sign it at gunpoint, backed by their own armed militia.

Because it was forced upon him, it became known as the "Bayonet Constitution." This new document stripped the King of most of his power and took away voting rights from many Native Hawaiians and Asian workers, giving all the political control to the rich, white landowners.

3. The Overthrow of the Queen (1893)

When King Kalākaua died, his sister, Queen Liliʻuokalani, took the throne. She was a strong leader who wanted to create a new constitution to give power back to the Native Hawaiian people and restore the monarchy.

The American businessmen panicked. They decided they needed to get rid of the Queen completely so they could keep their wealth and power. In January 1893, they organized a rebellion. To make sure they won, the US Minister (ambassador) to Hawaii ordered US Marines from a nearby warship to land in Honolulu. The soldiers claimed they were just there to "protect American lives," but their presence intimidated the Queen.

To prevent a bloody war that her people would surely lose, Queen Liliʻuokalani surrendered. She stepped down, trusting that the US government back in Washington D.C. would realize what happened and fix the mistake.

4. The US Steps In (1893–1898)

The businessmen declared Hawaii a "Republic" and made an American named Sanford B. Dole the president. They immediately asked the US to annex (absorb) Hawaii.

However, the US President at the time, Grover Cleveland, investigated the overthrow. He concluded that the US Marines had been used illegally to overthrow a peaceful, independent government. Cleveland called the takeover an act of war and demanded the Queen be put back on her throne.

But the businessmen in Hawaii refused. They ignored the President and just kept running their "Republic" for the next five years.

5. Official Annexation (1898)

In 1898, a new US President, William McKinley, took office. By this time, the United States was fighting the Spanish-American War. The US military desperately needed a refueling station and a military base in the middle of the Pacific Ocean to help fight the war in the Philippines.

Because Hawaii (specifically Pearl Harbor) was the perfect strategic location, President McKinley and Congress pushed aside the controversy and officially annexed Hawaii. It became a US Territory, and the American businessmen continued to run the islands and make money off sugar and pineapples.

6. Statehood and the Apology

After decades of being a territory, Hawaii finally became the 50th official US State in 1959.

For over a century, Native Hawaiians protested the illegal overthrow of their Queen and the theft of their land. Finally, in 1993, the US Congress passed the "Apology Resolution," signed by President Bill Clinton. 

The US government officially admitted that the overthrow of the Kingdom of Hawaii was illegal and that the Native Hawaiian people never willingly gave up their rights to their land.

In short: American businessmen went to Hawaii to get rich off sugar. When the Queen tried to take back control of her country, the businessmen used US soldiers to overthrow her. A few years later, the US government officially took over the islands to use them as a military base.