Hawaii was economically important to the US from the 1790's. Many American merchants stopped in Hawaii on their way to China and East India. Yankee missionaries founded churches and Christian schools on the islands in the 1820's. many of these Yankee's children and grandchildren eventually became sugar planters and they sold almost all their crops to the United states.By the 1900's Native Hawaiians were outnumbered three to one by foreigners and immigrant laborers. The United States agreed to import Hawaiian sugar duty free in 1875. Hawaiian sugar production increased nine times over the next 15 years. The McKinley Tariff of 1890 brought up a crisis by eliminating the duty-free status of Hawaiian Sugar. Because of this sugar growers had competition in the American market. American Planters called for the united states to annex these islands so they wouldnt have to pay the duty.U.S. military leaders pressured Hawaii in 1887 to allow them to build a naval base at Pearl Harbor. This would be a place for ships to stop and refuel.White business leaders forced Hawaii's king of the time Kalakaua to amend Hawaii's constitution which limited voting rights rich landowners. Kalakaua died in 1891 and his sister Queen Liliuokalani came to power and she wanted to remove the land owning requirements for voting. With the help of marines business groups encouraged by Ambassador John L. Stevens organized a revolution and overthrew the queen. They then set up a government that was headed by Sanford B. Dole.The queen was ordered to be restored to her throne by President Cleeveland. Dole of course refused to give up his power.. Clevelend refused to consider annexation unless the majority of Hawaiians favored it.Cleveland was succeeded as president in 1897 by William McKinley who favored annexation. Hawaii was proclaimed American Territory on August 12, 1898. In 1959 Hawaii became the 50th state of the United States.Sources--http://www.state.gov/r/pa/ho/time/gp/17661.htm-http://www.hawaiian-roots.com/missionaries.htm-http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pearl_harbor
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