I am SO glad to see my own lesser known history being represented and brought into the light. It's truly tragic how buried this is, and it brings a smile to my face knowing that more people are learning about it. Thank you
@@concernedcommenter8258 Well of course, that makes sense. But the problem is mostly how underrepresented it is for the people who weren't affected by it. I think it's awesome for Hawaiian high school, but the majority of the continental USA fails to teach the history and wrongdoings of our ancestors at all. We should learn from the previous generations failures, not bury them and sing their praises
@@ziabyapah That's mainly because it harshes the buzz of American Exceptionalism(tm). Americans don't want to be told the flaws of their country and they dont want their children to know either.
I am also born and raised in Hawaii and I saw a curriculum getting taught to K-12 kids in Hawaii about how the Queen gifted Hawaii to America. I was like, nah, that's busted.
@@naustinfipecto6104 ? Never heard that in any schools. I'm still in high school and the overthrow is being taught, teachers aren't very light on the subject either.
I will never stop appreciating the manner in which this channel delivers information and subjects like this in an accessible way. It’s frustrating how stories such as this are hardly ever shared among the population at large, simply because it doesn’t matter to them. Yet people have suffered because of that same disregard. Thank you TED-Ed for helping to spread awareness about important topics like these.
@@mperformance3059 youre not wrong, but those people also deserve their right to reign over their own land in the first place, to reserve their identity as a whole, not part
@@loki2240 yes, and im not denying that. But lets admit that overall they got more than gave. Their grand grand sons are citizens of the #1 democracy so as for me its fine. You gotta suffer sometimes and nothing is wrong with that. Look at all these "independent" countries in Asia or Africa. I bet they would live better being a part of the US than having "independence".
@@mperformance3059 There was a time when British Empire was extremely powerful and the Royal Navy was the best. After seven years war, the safety of an ordinary American against all external threats was more or less guaranteed. So according to your line of argument, American revolution should've never happened, right? Afterall, democracy would've have automatically came there after some time right?
Native Hawaiian here: YALL I WAS TEARING UP. I hope that this spreads the knowledge of another TERRIBLE thing American colonizers did to poor Hawai'i. I would love for TED-Ed to do more videos on Hawai'i, there's so much more to say and spread. Hawai'i has MANY problems, and it would do great good for it to be addressed: - Hawai'i STILL being considered a "paradise" playground for the rich - Hawai'i being one of the most expensive places to live, and thus pushing out native hawaiians from our aina (land, home), because we cannot afford to even afford a place for us and our families. - HUGE native hawaiian homeless populations (+drug issues, prostitution) - "Blood quantities" being used against natives petitioning for just a nibble of our ancestral lands. I am not 50% hawaiian, and thus would not be eligible for land, my great-grandmother was eligible but she died on an endless waiting list. (She lived into her hundreds, and yet have a century of waiting never gave her the land she was due.)
@@briancartwright7 Unironically, it would. It's strategically located in the Pacific and could've made an economy being a resupply station for ships traversing the Pacific. I mean, that's how their economy was before US annexation.
Essential and tragic history. Lays out the colonialist template: appropriating lands, extinguishing culture, usurping rights and dividing the indigenous population. Clear, concise, irrefutable. Thank you, TedEd
@@NihonKaikan is ur argument seriously that this shouldn't be seen too critically by us today because cruelties are a part of the human condition? What nonsense. I suppose we shouldn't bother to judge a mugger because thieves exist everywhere. What kind of warped logic is this? U have been watching WAY too much Ben Shapiro.
Apparently we'll just gloss over and ignore the fact that less than a century before the Americans took over Kamehameha the First "unified" the islands by conquering all the independent chiefdoms and deposing or killing their ali'i (chieftain/kings) Before that the islands were all independent and some the whole island wasn't even controlled by one chief.
Hawaii may have been the first country to be annexed under US rule, but it wasn't certainly be the last. And as a Filipino, I understand the pain Hawaiian people have gone through. When Hawaii became US territory in 1898, the United States continued its conquest of gaining more territory especially during the Spanish-American War. The US gained Guam, Puerto Rico, Mariana Islands, and the Philippines in the process. The Philippines at that time already gained independence from Spain and established our own republic. But like what Americans did to Hawaii, they never recognized our sovereignty and thus we had to go to war with them to defend our freedom from these new colonizers. Unfortunately, we lost to the Americans and we became US territory for almost 40 years until Japan occupied us during World War II. Luckily for us though, we gained independence from the US in 1946 although we still have close ties to the US to this day. Hawaii, on the other hand, was completely annexed and became a US state in 1959. Nevertheless, I still wish freedom, prosperity, and justice for Hawaii and the Hawaiian people.
By gained independence and made "our own republic", you mean by the Many different Independent declarations, none having full or partial control over the entire archipelago that they claim to be independent?
@Conejito Rosada General Emilio Aguinaldo declared the first republic and the Philippine independence in 1898. Are you a Filipino? If not, then you know nothing. Shut up
It’s so scary how this is real, tragic, and rich history that was just erased like that. Not a lot of people or even students, like myself, have heard about how Hawaii became part of the U.S. What’s even scarier is that, I’m sure, there are countless more instances like this buried in history :( What a noble queen, I hope her children/people get their land back. Thank you, Ted-Ed, for making is aware with telling even the most heartbreaking stories with respect and beauty.
Quick quick! Let's distract the people by focusing on atrocities in Afghanistan, Arabia, Libya, China, Russia, Myanmar, India! Anywhere >1000 miles from American home soil!
I've heard stories about this during high school during the dawn of 2010s through my history teacher, but it wasn't until the mid 2010s through my Hawaiian history professor did I actually learn what happened during my state's annexation during the 1890s. Man, the entire class was either disgusted or aghast.
As someone from outside of the US, I have never heard this side of it's history, or rather Hawaii's history. It baffles me that the truth regarding general native struggles over land, sovereignty, and authority is not better known internationally, and in many cases, nationally. Queen Lili'uokalani is truly inspiring. Her undying spirit and resilience is admirable, respectable, and so incredibly defining of a strong leader.
Indeed. In short, the Hawaiian Kingdom still exist today because the US illegally occupies the Hawaiian KIngdom. We are NOT americans. We are Hawaiians. Spread the word amigo kanaka....and the aloha. Mahalos!!
@@thorpeaaron1110 King Kam sided with the English and used guns to control the other islands. I think he lied and killed the King of Kauai too. The US saved the islands from the Japanese invasion with their blood. The "Hawaiians" voted for statehood. Russia said it wants to reclaim the Fort Elizabeth on Kauai. Just look at the Lahaina fire inaction to realize the Hawaiians cannot protect their own. It's the US's fair and square.
this is false in two parts. king of kaua'i died five years after Kamehameha and Japan had a huge alliance and royal friendship with Hawai'i. @erikh9991 Btw it was only the Hawaiian community that has made changes since Lahaina and we warned the tourism industry what would happen if it kept taking water and now look at the consequences of not listening to the people....
As a native Hawaiian I am so glad this history is being shared. Yes we can’t change the past, but that doesn’t mean we can’t acknowledge it and learn from it
of course the past can be overturned, look at the phillipines, New Caledonia, Vanuatu, Micronesia, etc. Hawaii has not been colonized as long as other places that have gotten independence, all empires eventually fall
This is the first sensible comment I’ve read on here. For some reason people seem to think that most Hawaiians are yearning to turn the clock back to the 1800’s and have a monarchy again.
Sorry was I supposed to feel something when I watched this? I'm proud of my White American ancestors for conquering Hawaii and the rest of America. Proud to be White. Proud to be American.
I'm so glad these thorough and detailed stories are being brought to light in such a creative way. I've had discussions with people about how the US unlawfully stole Hawaii and many claims this 'never happened'. Thank you for continuing to share this heartbreaking history.
I had similar discussion. I compared USSR anexation of Baltic states with USA anexation of Hawaii, condeming bouth, and although nobady denied that it happened, they claim that it was justified and it is ok because "USA apologize latter"
@@solar0wind Well, maybe, but that isn't what I meant😅 USSR tried to annexate Lethonia, Estonia, an Lithuania after WW2. I did not had modern Ukrainia in mind, but... ok, I guess it is related
I cannot believe that I was never taught this tragic history behind one of the U.S's most famous "tourist" spots. Native people all over the world have been stripped of their land, rights, culture, and dignity brutally, and their stories are always strategically hidden. This made me heartbroken but also made me smile at the courage and strength of the queen and her people. My heart goes out to all those whose ancestors were subjected to this cruel and unfair treatment and to those who still feel the long-lasting impacts of it today. I believe that these parts of history are the most important and should be shared with urgency, to right the wrongs of the past.
I used this to teach my class today. I am only a intern and I took a risk because our state is a red state with a anti-CRT ban. However I felt that it was wrong to not talk about it unlike the other teachers including my mentor. If I get banned I get banned least I showed my students valuable history.
In retrospect, it's a bit ironic that the US went against Soviet Russia's communism that controlled the peoples' lives, but US history shows again & again that they've immorally controlled the lives of others. And the fact that the people who annexed Hawaii tried to erase history just goes to show that in many ways, we're still worse than our enemies.
Thank you for bringing this terrible history out in the open. Many people don't know about this. I didn't learn about the overthrow until I moved here in 1977 and toured 'Iolani Palace. Some people say, "Oh, that's just history; forget the past; it's over now," or people in power make the excuse, "We can't do anything about it now" but that's all denial and rationalizing. The harm done by injustice like this doesn't just go away. It continues in the present until it has been put right. The ugliest case of cultural appropriation I have seen is the appropriation of King Kamehameha III's declaration of sovereignty "Ua mau ke ea o ka 'aina i ka pono," turned into the so-called state motto used to try to justify the annexation and "statehood," and mistranslated as referring to the "life" of the land when it really means the "sovereignty" of the Hawaiian nation. I once saw a sickening photo of King Kalakaua surrounded by soldiers with bayonets, forced to sign that document. And what a noble and courageous leader Queen Lili'uokalani was! Her diaries have been published and are available through the UH Press.
I was born and raised on Oahu, and when I moved to the mainland I remember talking about Hawaii's annexation with my coworkers but was very surprised to hear that none of them knew about or even learned about the nature of Hawaii's statehood in school.
Unfortunately the history we are taught tends to always show the US in a positive light. The education I received in the 80s and 90s was more like propaganda than truth, and I'm so grateful that now I have the internet to teach me about things that I would never have heard about otherwise!
Thankfully my school actually taught us these topics, which I heard was pretty rare to be taught this from my teacher, I am very lucky to learn about my people’s history
I'm in my 30's and I still remember some of my US history course. I remember "bad things" happened to native Hawaiians and the US forced their queen out before taking over. This is a nice reminder of its rich cultural history.
@@thorpeaaron1110 it don’t they try to hide the truth they don’t tell the whole story i have a PHD in Hawaiian studies and am native Hawaiian I am a descendant of the chiefs and family of the queen and king kamehameha
Same old story. Americans annexing people from their native lands. Then we can’t even own up to it. I had never heard this story once in any history class.
Ahem... Started with the British. They still pride themselves about once owning the whole world. The students are NOT taught about the atrocities Britain had committed.
@@SF-li9kh They’re not taught about the atrocities of the British Empire because The British Empire is not in the curriculum. They tend to focus on history from other nations such as the USA - American West Module - in which, atrocities are covered. I should add that throughout history all empires regardless of race have committed atrocities.
@@epg96 The comment was about AMERICAN colonialism. Do you think bringing up other cruelties justifies such? What's the point of your attempt at deflecting?
Sorry was I supposed to feel something when I watched this? I'm proud of my White American ancestors for conquering Hawaii and the rest of America. Proud to be White. Proud to be American.
There isn't enough time. They focus on their own regional history, general history, world history, and then people graduate. What happened in the 1830's...most people have no idea because it wasn't as high profile as 1861 and the lead up/reconstruction after. Limited time means unless you live in Hawaii you probably won't know Hawaii's origin stories
Just a week ago my US history teacher was teaching about United States Imperialism and the last slide of my assignment was about Hawaii's Annexation and the role of the queen, U.S. president, and leaders of the annexation member groups. I saw it as another injustice the United States did in a series of horrible deeds done to other ethnic groups like what was done to the Indian-Americans. Fortunately, my teacher went into more detail about the injustice for the assignment.
I only learned about this in school because a girl gave a report on it. Even then, she left out a lot of the horrifying details. It's devastating but not shocking how many times the US government has been actively involved in terrible acts such as this, and many more times turning a blind eye.
Not even a week ago my history class went over the annexation of Hawaii. Yet, this entire historical context was skimmed over in a day! I'm grateful to have heard of it, but it pains me that the rich details of such a drastic event in history could go untaught to the many.
As a Hawaiian, I got to say thank you for making this video. Our history doesn't get talked a lot so maybe people like you can help spread the word about it. Maybe then we can finally have our Aina taken back if more people are informed of it
The hard truth is, everyone in the world could be educated on this history and it won't matter. It's far too late for Hawaii to be anything other than a state in the US.
This reminds me of the Ted-Ed video about the United States expansion of lands belonging to the indigenous Lakota people and how the last words referred to America as "a country known for breaking its promises." In this episode, we see another example where Americans' treatment of the Hawaiian people and monarchy was about as cruel and injust if not more.
@@Alkalus if it didnt happen, then they would either be living in poverty like a huge amount of independent countries today. So even if it WAS moraly wrong or smth, being American today in 21 century is one of the best thing ever happened to them. You cannot be the superpower without doing stuff like this. You pay for everything in life. If the US did only moraly right things, we would be living under soviets or chinese communist regime.
In 1990 my father was a maintenance worker at the Outrigger Hobron Hotel in Waikiki, O'ahu. He was called to a room to fix something. When he arrived an elderly lady opened the door. They would Wala'au, small talk, as he worked. Somehow the conversation steered to the time of the overthrow. She said she was a little girl then and in her dreams she can still recall the people gathered at I'olani palace. She remembered the crying, the shouting, and the wailing long and deep. It would wake her at the the dead of night. Gave my dad chicken skin. After his work was done he said goodbye and brought her story to us. I live in the mainland now. When I think my family, of home, it eventually leads to that moment and the long, deep wailing still echoes.
Colonization has ruined so many lives and it’s sad that so many ppl lost everything. The Indians had their land taken as well. It’s so disturbing and devastating. 😔😔
Sorry was I supposed to feel something when I watched this? I'm proud of my White American ancestors for conquering Hawaii and the rest of America. Proud to be White. Proud to be American.
make a video about how the US told the Philippines they were gonna get them free from Spain, but actually they bought their asses from Spain like it's on sale
that upsets me to this day. what's more upsetting to me is that we (my batch/generation) weren't taught about how cruel the Americans were to Filipinos until we got to college. it's also very sad to think that up to now, tons of older Filipinos still think highly of Americans because they "were good to us."
@@hunnitbaehunnitbae8804 I had a feeling they don't teach that in high school. Yes boo it was pretty bad. And for some reason, Filipino Americans aren't only loyal to America.... But are somehow Republicans 😂😂😂 something don't add up
I don't think the U.S. had long term plans to annex the Philippines. They were too far flung and too large/populated for that to be plausible. I think the U.S. was far more interested in using it as a center for their military/commercial interests in East Asia instead, which is why once the Philippines did become fully independent, their military/connections to the U.S. hardly changed at all, especially given how the Cold War emerged. Hawaii on the other hand is much smaller, has very immense strategic value and native power had been eclipsed by foreign interests' power in Hawaii over the course of several decades (One thing this video does not cover though is how the Ali'i allowed a lot of foreigners to cultivate Hawaii into a large cash crop-focused state because they failed to convince the lower class masses of Native Hawaiians to abandon their old subsistence-based ways of living and adopt this newer, more modernized form of agriculture, and the Ali'i also became notably corrupt over time, taking in lots of bribes from the foreign planters against the interests of the Hawaiian State and Hawaiian People.
Sorry was I supposed to feel something when I watched this? I'm proud of my White American ancestors for conquering Hawaii and the rest of America. Proud to be White. Proud to be American.
I am extremely thankful you shared this story and appreciate the fact you brought Queen Liliʻuokalani story into the light. I hope we can continue to grow to make stories like this much more common as it is an important part of history that is often overlooked.
No offence bro i come from a nation who massacered and oppressed by slavs but you have to understand if that does happen just know with your population and capabilities every polyanitian sorry if i spelt that wrong. Would be scooped up by china and most likely your culture and language would be earased and you would be known as the chinese of the pacific from that point.
I wish this were an option in 2023 but as it stands, if it is not America, it will be another that finds a way to twist its lies into control that the public will ultimately feel hopeless to fight. In order to fight something of this nature, we the people have to be as crafty or more so than those who've gained control through said lies and deception. The US is but a pawn in a worldwide game of chest. They are not the perpetrators as we once thought they were. The powers at be have their minds set on a global control initiative. They let whomever take control of whatever so long as it means they are the subversive power behind it all and therefore create issues to solve said issues in order come out on top, no matter the number in casualties. America isn't the problem. It's those that are at the helm of this worldwide chest board of imperialism. It's easier to see in this day and age of technology. If we relinquish control to our natives, they to will be bought out with promises of riches and safety from the law. Nobody is safe from corruption through generations unless we smarten up and use the same tech that provides truth, to arm us with defensive mechanisms with breadth and thought so encompassing it cannot be challenged in order to ensure the safety of our people and lands from those who want to use it as a piece in their worldwide game. Without such measures, we stand no chance.
I don’t think any of those places would choose independence even if offered. Their economies and defensive capabilities are pretty much held up by the US alone, and Hawaii is already a state.
I was just thinking about this recently after hearing about how native Hawaiians are leaving Hawaii due to rising cost of living and gentrification forcing them to leave or becoming homeless trapped on the islands
I agree with you, and I think the limited narrative of the curriculum (Go 'Merica! Every war was just and we won them ALL) has much to do with it. And in some private schools kids get to study "Creationism" in lieu of "Evolution". Isn't that grand too?
@@rochelleguido8431 Unless you count the Vietnam War, Bay of Pigs Invasion, Korean War, Russian Civil War, Second Samoan War, Formosa Expedition(Paiwan War), Red Cloud's War, Powder River Indian War, oh... and the War of 1812.
Sorry was I supposed to feel something when I watched this? I'm proud of my White American ancestors for conquering Hawaii and the rest of America. Proud to be White. Proud to be American.
They won't in capitalist countries because they don't teach ethics. It goes against the capitalist narrative that valuing profit and growth over all else is the best thing for everyone.
Thank you for doing this for my home, our history has transcended to the ongoing issues of over tourism, displacement of native Hawaiians, and profit over culture. There is no ethical way to visit here, without recognizing Hawai’i’s background.
hello, can I ask you? I am a history buff and I wanted to ask you: if you know any books about the history of Hawaii and Queen Lili, could you please tell me which are the best books? I would like to deepen this story that I had never heard of, thanks. I am Italian, I tell you already sorry if my English is not perfect😅
@@vittoriogirolimetto6083 Aloha & Ciao Vittorio, i would be happy too!! Hawai'i’s Story by Hawai'i’s Queen Lili'uokalani is the her own writing, Reclaiming Kalākaua:19th century perspectives of Hawaiian Sovereign, and Ancient History of the Hawaiian People by Abraham Fornander. Your english is perfect btw!!
im SO glad this video exists. A while ago I became interested in Hawaiian history so I tried to find a good resource with which to read about it in detail. It turned out to be near impossible for me to do so online. I dont know if its influenced by the fact that I do not live in the US, or if there simply isnt enough people talking about it at all, but Im thankful to finally learn some more about this from a reliable source. No-one should have their history erased, no race deserves their struggles forgotten.
As someone who was born and raised in Hawaii, this video brought tears to my eyes. Although I've heard these stories over and over again, it is so important to spread Hawaiian history, being that so much of it is still missing to this day.
its funny to remember that they accused china of occupying tibet, but they annexed hawaii illegally and the world is silent about this! china came to tibet for good reasons, but what is the reason for usa to come to hawaii?
I am not native to Hawai'i nor do I live anywhere close but I am devastated by this. I didn't know Hawai'i was never part of the US and was annexed yet after watching this whole video, it brought me to tears. To all the Hawai'ians out there, never stop fighting for your land!!
“Never stop fighting for your land.” What does that mean in 2024? Hawaii has been part of the U.S. for over 100 years and a state for 65 years. And it’s largely run by Japanese-Americans. There is so much more to the story than this five minute video conveys.
Most recently a drone strike hit a family of 4 which included 2 children when the US withdrew from Afghanistan. They just said their information "could" have been wrong when they were outed. They brushed the death of two children off their shoulders and moved on. The casual attitude of some people in the US military is no different from the group of white men mentioned in this video.
You can also read the entire life story of Queen Liliuokalani in her own autobiography, which she wrote while she was imprisoned. A beautiful read, truly inspiring
That’s a great book. I just finished it. I wish more people would read instead of relying on videos on UA-cam. The story of Hawaii is much more nuanced than just the missionaries treating the natives poorly. With the advent of the explorers and global travel, Hawaii was bound to be invaded.
Sorry was I supposed to feel something when I watched this? I'm proud of my White American ancestors for conquering Hawaii and the rest of America. Proud to be White. Proud to be American.
As a Hawaiian who was adopted and has never been to Hawai'i this legitimately made me cry. How horrible, but I'm glad this video exists. All I have is a single picture of my mother. All I've ever wanted was to know my family and my heritage. To know much of that has been destroyed for the sake of the rich using my ancestors land for vacation homes and tourist spots pisses me off beyond belief. This truly made me cry.
I can't express how much I appreciate this video, I enjoy when parts of Hawaiian history are shared to the world. I know this is a summary of the overthrow, however I would like to say that the sugar industry in Hawaii had quite an impact on the overthrow.
How can we lecture our kids about bullying and how terrible it is to be one, while we actively support and uplift countries that have been bullies throughout modern history?
@Weasel Yea that doesn't make what they did right, nor does it mean we shouldn't try to improve the situation in hawaii by giving the natives their land back.
As a Japanese, I’ll add some details. However, I believe my English may not be entirely accurate as I’m using a translation tool. I apologize for any errors. King Kalākaua was the first sitting head of state to visit Japan after its opening to the world. He discreetly met with Emperor Meiji, hiding from the American envoys accompanying him. King Kalākaua discussed a request for immigrants and proposed a marriage between Princess Ka’iulani and a member of the Japanese imperial family to the Emperor. The reason behind this was Japan’s significant power as a nation of people of color at that time. Unfortunately, the marriage didn’t materialize, but later, many immigrants arrived in Hawaii from Japan. Additionally, during Queen Liliuokalani’s reign, when a coup occurred, military officer Heihachiro Togo came to Hawaii with two cruisers as a show of force, restraining the Americans present.
Thank you so much for telling this history. Videos like this makes educating everyone but especially our kids so much easier and engaging. History of indigenous people and especially history we want to erase needs to be told and taught most of all, THANK YOU!!!
Somebody got upset with me once when I said we teach a very watered down and skimmed over version of history in our schools. But it's true. I was right.
Thank you for this history. Thank you for bringing it into the light for us to hear and see. I was taught America took Hawaii as a state and I remembered no one told me the history behind it. I just thought it was really cool Hawaii was part of America. But this…this has altered my thoughts and how I feel about Hawaii being a state. I watched a lot of history on North America becoming what it is and honestly, I cannot believe all 100% of this land was stolen. Taken away. I’m 99.8% European. I hate to know my ancestors were part of the cause. It brings me to tears to know the true natives of the land were pushed back and no longer can live like they use to. We really must continue to reveal more of the truth of history. No more covering up and changing it but revealing it in it’s raw form.
I’m half native Hawaiian and it’s not your fault. Education will liberate us and hopefully restore things to equilibrium. There’s still so much more to to lose and becoming lost every day, this world needs vigilant people like you.
I will be 30y/o in less than a month and I can tell you this is the FIRST time I have heard any of this history in detail. I knew Hawaii had a queen and was forced to relinquish sovereignty, but never formal taught any of this in school. Its a crying shame.
The USA should be eternally ashamed of what they’ve done to Hawai’i. It’s the sort of exact same thing that countries like China, the former Soviet Union, Russia and others have gotten up to. But isn’t the USA all about so-called freedom and all of that? What a bunch of hypocrites they truly are. Hawai’i should be an independent. With its tourism, local industry and the leases on the military bases, Hawai’i can surely stand on its own two feet.
@@Fafnd maybe they should just go back to Europe, Asia, and Africa. Those lands in the rest of the US were also stolen. My point is what if you’re from there? Some non natives have been there for generations. What if you’re mixed race? Where should you go?
@@RoccosVideos If I remember correctly, native Hawaiians were and still are a welcoming people who loved to accept foreigners and provide for them. Our sentiment only changed as the Hawaiian people were betrayed and taken advantage of. Personally, I believe that spirit of love and welcoming should and will still persist if the Hawaiian people are ever to get their land back. I think even those who aren't native would still be welcome with open arms. As long as we get back ownership of course
I didn't even know about this. Of course, they never taught this stuff in school. Textbooks always try to convey the United States as the "perfect" country, when in reality all we ever do is just screw people over. This is just tragic... :(
This video is absolutely amazing. The way how they were able to tell the history of Hawaii and give much meaning and power to it all and how it connects to today is very inspiring and shines a light on one of Hawaii's toughest times. How they portrayed Queen Liliuokalani as a formidable and caring leader shows how much she cared for the islands.
The United States past a joint resolution, they did not annex anything. Hawaii remains occupied till this day. According to International law, a U.S. joint resolution has no effect beyond its border. That means a joint resolution is a domestic law and has no effect in foreign countries. In order for another country to annex or claim territory is to have a peace treaty or legally purchase the land. Examples would be the Mexican American War (1845-1848). Mexico was defeated in war by the United States thus they signed a peace treaty, legally transferring their land (Guadalupe-Hidalgo) which is now know as Texas. Another one be the purchase of Louisiana (1803) when the French sold their land to the United States signing a peace treaty. When Queen Liliuokalani and her royal acquaintances traveled to the U.S. they were able to provide over 38,000 documented signatures from her country that were against annexation, which eventually killed the annexation, leaving a dead treaty. Therefore, the Hawaiian Kingdom does not have a treaty of any annex document which makes it illegal today. That said, Hawaii not having a peace treaty, that could only mean that Hawaii is in a state of war with the United States because we are under a strange prolonged OCCUPATION. This is what Japan did to China they occupied a few places and left. But, the difference is the United States has not de-occupied Hawaii for nearly 130 years, which still continues present day.
This is very true. People are misconstrued about how president Willam McKinley signed a paper annexing Hawaii as a territory. What president McKinley signed was a domestic law that only applies within the United States. The paper signed was a joint resolution in which congress passed, but that law has no effect in other foreign countries. This made people believe that Hawaii was annexed by the U.S., but that false narrative is complete BS because under international law you need a treaty of peace in order to obtain another country. Between the United States and the Hawaiian Kingdom, there is none. International law protects all sovereign countries, the Hawaiian Kingdom is protected by this. The U.S. or any other country cannot just invade another sovereign country just because they want to. They need a reason why-there was no reason for the United States to illegally invade the Hawaiian Kingdom. That is a war crime. The United States cannot prove a treaty of peace, therefore the Hawaiian kingdom today still exist, but it is illegally being occupied under the hostile army: the U.S. military. For more information, look online for a person name Keanu Sai. He has a degree in political science and for years he has been educating people about this complex issue.
Im not Hawaiian, my parents are middle eastern but I was born and raised in the states. I always had this idea from mainstream media growing up, that Hawaii is the ideal vaction spot for rich people and that there werent really native hawaii people left. That similar to Native Americans, they were only a small fraction of the population and its mostly for tourists. After watching this video, Im grateful that I can learn so much about this important part of Hawaiian history, and learn new cultural perspectives that were impacted by American colonilasim. I feel your sorrow and pain that your going through, and I hope you guys the best of luck in preserveing your Aina ❤
I have to write an article as a school project and I chose the annexation of Hawaii. I had never heard the story what so ever and I am so glad that I now know. This is so sad and tragic. I rlly enjoyed this video and learned so much from it, thank u!!
I love hearing about Hawaii's history and about Lili'uokalani. Also, thanks to people like historians and activists that keep the knowledge of the past alive, no matter how much others try to hide or rewrite it
I took a course in the History of Hawaii. This is just a brief version of the atrocities that the American did. All I will say is that it isn't that much different from what the United States did to the Native American.
Yo I’m a native Californian in a Mexicano familia, pero…. THIS HIT HARD MAN! Much luv to my brothers and sisters in Hawaii. Imma have to visit y’all soon
Every time I watch or read things about this, I learn something new. And it never gets any better. A very tragic tale of many in America's bloody history.
People in the Comments section saying how america covered this up and doesn't teach this. I grew up in alabama and learned about this, where are yall from in America where this isn't taught?
I'm from Alabama as well and learned this, but it's weird how I only touched on this topic once in class, but will hear the french revolution over 20 times, every time I graduated a grade.
What I find interesting is it seems the older generation of American's were taught this stuff while the younger folks are the ones getting completely shocked when they actually learn a little history. So the question we have to ask ourselves is why did America stop teaching that history and more importantly why are people talking as if it was never taught in the first place? I remember well from my school days the quote of Martin Luther King Jr. "I have a dream that my four little children will one day live in a nation where they will not be judged by the color of their skin, but by the content of their character."
Let’s name the evildoers, shall we? The heads of the Dole Food Company, Alexander & Baldwin (still the largest landowner in Hawaii), and Castle & Cooke (real estate firm) helped organize and led the coup.
i worked in hawaii for abit, became good friends with some locals who had issues with mainlanders coming to the islands, we had good long talks and end the end i felt so bad for the hawaiian people, their entire culture is being wiped out or turned into some sort of circus for mainlanders and foreigners, hawaiins are losing there land and being outpriced of their homes by rich mainland americans, i cried on my way back to the mainland because i met several native hawaiians leaving hawaii for the phillipines because they no longer could affort to live on their own islands
Native Hawaiian here: The sad part is that despite the revival of Hawaiian culture and language, the most we got from the US in response to the illegal overthrow was only a written appology by the US government back in 1993 signed by Bill Clinton. All it amounted to was a “Gosh, we’re so sorry about overthrowing you guys. No hard feelings?” It didn’t resolve anything. Ultimately we are far too ingrained into the US to recover from the loss and the cost of living is driving us out of hawaii. It’s paradise from the outside, but we’re still living amongst the squalor inside. I weep for my people still.
Thank you for telling this story. A lot of people like to belittle the history of Hawai‘i and say that Kānaka & locals should be thankful for the US. 😂😂😂 that’s laughable at best. INTERNATIONAL LAWS WERE BROKEN AND NO TREATY WAS EVER MADE. How the US is still getting away with this is so crazy
I truly appreciate telling us this story. But for your video, I couldn’t have known that there is sad history in Hawaii which is prospering as a tourist destination now. I’d like to express my respect for this Queen’s way of living.
thank you for talking about this !! It is so important to the history of my home and my people and without sharing it, it will be forgotten. This cannot just be forgotten.
Crazy as a local resident that’s born and raised here, this was taught to us in class at a young age. It’s even crazier that we see hundreds of thousands of visitors yearly and all they’re taught is Pearl Harbor.
I am SO glad to see my own lesser known history being represented and brought into the light. It's truly tragic how buried this is, and it brings a smile to my face knowing that more people are learning about it. Thank you
It’s required in high school for Hawaii 🤦♂️
@@concernedcommenter8258 Well of course, that makes sense. But the problem is mostly how underrepresented it is for the people who weren't affected by it. I think it's awesome for Hawaiian high school, but the majority of the continental USA fails to teach the history and wrongdoings of our ancestors at all. We should learn from the previous generations failures, not bury them and sing their praises
@@ziabyapah That's mainly because it harshes the buzz of American Exceptionalism(tm). Americans don't want to be told the flaws of their country and they dont want their children to know either.
I am also born and raised in Hawaii and I saw a curriculum getting taught to K-12 kids in Hawaii about how the Queen gifted Hawaii to America. I was like, nah, that's busted.
@@naustinfipecto6104 ? Never heard that in any schools. I'm still in high school and the overthrow is being taught, teachers aren't very light on the subject either.
I will never stop appreciating the manner in which this channel delivers information and subjects like this in an accessible way. It’s frustrating how stories such as this are hardly ever shared among the population at large, simply because it doesn’t matter to them. Yet people have suffered because of that same disregard. Thank you TED-Ed for helping to spread awareness about important topics like these.
Who suffered? I bet those people would live worse being an independent country today than being a part of the US.
@@mperformance3059 youre not wrong, but those people also deserve their right to reign over their own land in the first place, to reserve their identity as a whole, not part
@@mperformance3059 - I'm willing to bet that the people who were executed and/or imprisoned suffered, as did their loved ones.
@@loki2240 yes, and im not denying that. But lets admit that overall they got more than gave. Their grand grand sons are citizens of the #1 democracy so as for me its fine. You gotta suffer sometimes and nothing is wrong with that. Look at all these "independent" countries in Asia or Africa. I bet they would live better being a part of the US than having "independence".
@@mperformance3059 There was a time when British Empire was extremely powerful and the Royal Navy was the best. After seven years war, the safety of an ordinary American against all external threats was more or less guaranteed. So according to your line of argument, American revolution should've never happened, right? Afterall, democracy would've have automatically came there after some time right?
Native Hawaiian here: YALL I WAS TEARING UP. I hope that this spreads the knowledge of another TERRIBLE thing American colonizers did to poor Hawai'i. I would love for TED-Ed to do more videos on Hawai'i, there's so much more to say and spread.
Hawai'i has MANY problems, and it would do great good for it to be addressed:
- Hawai'i STILL being considered a "paradise" playground for the rich
- Hawai'i being one of the most expensive places to live, and thus pushing out native hawaiians from our aina (land, home), because we cannot afford to even afford a place for us and our families.
- HUGE native hawaiian homeless populations (+drug issues, prostitution)
- "Blood quantities" being used against natives petitioning for just a nibble of our ancestral lands.
I am not 50% hawaiian, and thus would not be eligible for land, my great-grandmother was eligible but she died on an endless waiting list. (She lived into her hundreds, and yet have a century of waiting never gave her the land she was due.)
Waaaaaaaaaaaahhhhhhhhh!
I'm sure Hawaii would be a burgeoning economy without the U.S.
Coloniza's greed won't ever fade my friend. Stand strong, never let your will waver. Someday we'll all truly be free
It is so sad that a strong country can just declare Hawaii as part of its territory against international outcry.
@@briancartwright7 Unironically, it would. It's strategically located in the Pacific and could've made an economy being a resupply station for ships traversing the Pacific. I mean, that's how their economy was before US annexation.
Essential and tragic history. Lays out the colonialist template: appropriating lands, extinguishing culture, usurping rights and dividing the indigenous population. Clear, concise, irrefutable. Thank you, TedEd
Yes, thank you Ted-Ed!
Yes, a plan practiced by nearly every group, including indigenous Hawaiians.
@@NihonKaikan There ay go, make up excuses for injustice. Your Colonizer forbears couldn't be prouder of you
@@NihonKaikan is ur argument seriously that this shouldn't be seen too critically by us today because cruelties are a part of the human condition? What nonsense. I suppose we shouldn't bother to judge a mugger because thieves exist everywhere. What kind of warped logic is this? U have been watching WAY too much Ben Shapiro.
Apparently we'll just gloss over and ignore the fact that less than a century before the Americans took over Kamehameha the First "unified" the islands by conquering all the independent chiefdoms and deposing or killing their ali'i (chieftain/kings) Before that the islands were all independent and some the whole island wasn't even controlled by one chief.
Hawaii may have been the first country to be annexed under US rule, but it wasn't certainly be the last. And as a Filipino, I understand the pain Hawaiian people have gone through. When Hawaii became US territory in 1898, the United States continued its conquest of gaining more territory especially during the Spanish-American War. The US gained Guam, Puerto Rico, Mariana Islands, and the Philippines in the process. The Philippines at that time already gained independence from Spain and established our own republic. But like what Americans did to Hawaii, they never recognized our sovereignty and thus we had to go to war with them to defend our freedom from these new colonizers. Unfortunately, we lost to the Americans and we became US territory for almost 40 years until Japan occupied us during World War II.
Luckily for us though, we gained independence from the US in 1946 although we still have close ties to the US to this day. Hawaii, on the other hand, was completely annexed and became a US state in 1959. Nevertheless, I still wish freedom, prosperity, and justice for Hawaii and the Hawaiian people.
By gained independence and made "our own republic", you mean by the Many different Independent declarations, none having full or partial control over the entire archipelago that they claim to be independent?
It was not a luck,
it was through struggle, blood ,sweat, and tears of your predecessor 😅
@Conejito Rosada
General Emilio Aguinaldo declared the first republic and the Philippine independence in 1898. Are you a Filipino? If not, then you know nothing. Shut up
The world would have been very different if Hawaii wasnt colonize but the US
@@jpb2366 explain how
It’s so scary how this is real, tragic, and rich history that was just erased like that. Not a lot of people or even students, like myself, have heard about how Hawaii became part of the U.S. What’s even scarier is that, I’m sure, there are countless more instances like this buried in history :(
What a noble queen, I hope her children/people get their land back.
Thank you, Ted-Ed, for making is aware with telling even the most heartbreaking stories with respect and beauty.
Sarah Vowell wrote an informative book about this time called Unfamiliar Fishes. Worth a read.
@@damatar thanks
Ahem... So you support monarchy ?
@@SF-li9kh monarchy is not always bad.... just like democracy does not always act in the best interests of the people
@@SF-li9kh ahem... so you support the stealing of someones land?
This story never fails to break my heart and make me shake my head.
I had to read the book she wrote when I was in school, the story was upsetting and her writing skills were amazing
You think this was bad, read about Julian Assange or Saudi Arabia and the petrodollar.
Quick quick! Let's distract the people by focusing on atrocities in Afghanistan, Arabia, Libya, China, Russia, Myanmar, India!
Anywhere >1000 miles from American home soil!
It is merely one story of many. Do you have any idea how many mainland indigenous people went through this?
@@nikhilpranav6915 What does that have to do with this particular history?
I've heard stories about this during high school during the dawn of 2010s through my history teacher, but it wasn't until the mid 2010s through my Hawaiian history professor did I actually learn what happened during my state's annexation during the 1890s. Man, the entire class was either disgusted or aghast.
As someone from outside of the US, I have never heard this side of it's history, or rather Hawaii's history. It baffles me that the truth regarding general native struggles over land, sovereignty, and authority is not better known internationally, and in many cases, nationally.
Queen Lili'uokalani is truly inspiring. Her undying spirit and resilience is admirable, respectable, and so incredibly defining of a strong leader.
Indeed. In short, the Hawaiian Kingdom still exist today because the US illegally occupies the Hawaiian KIngdom. We are NOT americans. We are Hawaiians. Spread the word amigo kanaka....and the aloha. Mahalos!!
@@tonylove8066 mana ki a koe, “power to you” in Te Reo Māori. Love from New Zealand
@@tonylove8066 You are a U.S. state
@@thorpeaaron1110 King Kam sided with the English and used guns to control the other islands. I think he lied and killed the King of Kauai too. The US saved the islands from the Japanese invasion with their blood. The "Hawaiians" voted for statehood. Russia said it wants to reclaim the Fort Elizabeth on Kauai. Just look at the Lahaina fire inaction to realize the Hawaiians cannot protect their own. It's the US's fair and square.
this is false in two parts. king of kaua'i died five years after Kamehameha and Japan had a huge alliance and royal friendship with Hawai'i. @erikh9991
Btw it was only the Hawaiian community that has made changes since Lahaina and we warned the tourism industry what would happen if it kept taking water and now look at the consequences of not listening to the people....
As a native Hawaiian I am so glad this history is being shared. Yes we can’t change the past, but that doesn’t mean we can’t acknowledge it and learn from it
of course the past can be overturned, look at the phillipines, New Caledonia, Vanuatu, Micronesia, etc. Hawaii has not been colonized as long as other places that have gotten independence, all empires eventually fall
This is the first sensible comment I’ve read on here. For some reason people seem to think that most Hawaiians are yearning to turn the clock back to the 1800’s and have a monarchy again.
Sorry was I supposed to feel something when I watched this?
I'm proud of my White American ancestors for conquering Hawaii and the rest of America. Proud to be White. Proud to be American.
@@ronlacker326proud to be a douch
@@pdrcmplm cry for me lil victim.
I'm so glad these thorough and detailed stories are being brought to light in such a creative way. I've had discussions with people about how the US unlawfully stole Hawaii and many claims this 'never happened'. Thank you for continuing to share this heartbreaking history.
Who's claiming this didn't happen? Again I'm form Alabama and I learned this!
@@lazarussolomon3541 did you learn this in school?
I had similar discussion. I compared USSR anexation of Baltic states with USA anexation of Hawaii, condeming bouth, and although nobady denied that it happened, they claim that it was justified and it is ok because "USA apologize latter"
@@pavlelazarevic5042 Yeah, I just thought that it's like Russia's annexation of the Krim peninsula, and the constant threat to the Ukraine.
@@solar0wind Well, maybe, but that isn't what I meant😅 USSR tried to annexate Lethonia, Estonia, an Lithuania after WW2. I did not had modern Ukrainia in mind, but... ok, I guess it is related
I cannot believe that I was never taught this tragic history behind one of the U.S's most famous "tourist" spots. Native people all over the world have been stripped of their land, rights, culture, and dignity brutally, and their stories are always strategically hidden. This made me heartbroken but also made me smile at the courage and strength of the queen and her people. My heart goes out to all those whose ancestors were subjected to this cruel and unfair treatment and to those who still feel the long-lasting impacts of it today. I believe that these parts of history are the most important and should be shared with urgency, to right the wrongs of the past.
I used this to teach my class today. I am only a intern and I took a risk because our state is a red state with a anti-CRT ban. However I felt that it was wrong to not talk about it unlike the other teachers including my mentor. If I get banned I get banned least I showed my students valuable history.
In retrospect, it's a bit ironic that the US went against Soviet Russia's communism that controlled the peoples' lives, but US history shows again & again that they've immorally controlled the lives of others. And the fact that the people who annexed Hawaii tried to erase history just goes to show that in many ways, we're still worse than our enemies.
Thank you for bringing this terrible history out in the open. Many people don't know about this. I didn't learn about the overthrow until I moved here in 1977 and toured 'Iolani Palace. Some people say, "Oh, that's just history; forget the past; it's over now," or people in power make the excuse, "We can't do anything about it now" but that's all denial and rationalizing. The harm done by injustice like this doesn't just go away. It continues in the present until it has been put right. The ugliest case of cultural appropriation I have seen is the appropriation of King Kamehameha III's declaration of sovereignty "Ua mau ke ea o ka 'aina i ka pono," turned into the so-called state motto used to try to justify the annexation and "statehood," and mistranslated as referring to the "life" of the land when it really means the "sovereignty" of the Hawaiian nation. I once saw a sickening photo of King Kalakaua surrounded by soldiers with bayonets, forced to sign that document. And what a noble and courageous leader Queen Lili'uokalani was! Her diaries have been published and are available through the UH Press.
What can be done?
So what's your solution, Eileen? History is rife with injustices that cannot be undone.
I was born and raised on Oahu, and when I moved to the mainland I remember talking about Hawaii's annexation with my coworkers but was very surprised to hear that none of them knew about or even learned about the nature of Hawaii's statehood in school.
Unfortunately the history we are taught tends to always show the US in a positive light. The education I received in the 80s and 90s was more like propaganda than truth, and I'm so grateful that now I have the internet to teach me about things that I would never have heard about otherwise!
I wouldn’t be surprised if no one knew how many islands make up my 808 home state
Thankfully my school actually taught us these topics, which I heard was pretty rare to be taught this from my teacher, I am very lucky to learn about my people’s history
Why doesn’t US history cover this? Thank you so much Ted ed, through your videos you’re able to quickly and easily educate many about these subjects.
Cause white people did crime
It does
I'm in my 30's and I still remember some of my US history course. I remember "bad things" happened to native Hawaiians and the US forced their queen out before taking over. This is a nice reminder of its rich cultural history.
@@thorpeaaron1110 it don’t they try to hide the truth they don’t tell the whole story i have a PHD in Hawaiian studies and am native Hawaiian I am a descendant of the chiefs and family of the queen and king kamehameha
It's white washed. Americans went there and built the country up
Same old story. Americans annexing people from their native lands. Then we can’t even own up to it. I had never heard this story once in any history class.
Ahem... Started with the British. They still pride themselves about once owning the whole world. The students are NOT taught about the atrocities Britain had committed.
@@SF-li9kh They’re not taught about the atrocities of the British Empire because The British Empire is not in the curriculum. They tend to focus on history from other nations such as the USA - American West Module - in which, atrocities are covered. I should add that throughout history all empires regardless of race have committed atrocities.
@@epg96 The comment was about AMERICAN colonialism. Do you think bringing up other cruelties justifies such? What's the point of your attempt at deflecting?
@@epg96 do you know how brutal every society was back then, you are just using this to justify racism
@@literallyanything6661 That don't make colonization and genocide okay lmao, also how tf does this promote racism? 🤨
Very heartbreaking story. Complemented by gorgeous animation
Sorry was I supposed to feel something when I watched this?
I'm proud of my White American ancestors for conquering Hawaii and the rest of America. Proud to be White. Proud to be American.
It’s crazy how much our school doesn’t talk about the full history. My US history teacher barely talked the the Queen and her people.
There isn't enough time. They focus on their own regional history, general history, world history, and then people graduate. What happened in the 1830's...most people have no idea because it wasn't as high profile as 1861 and the lead up/reconstruction after. Limited time means unless you live in Hawaii you probably won't know Hawaii's origin stories
Just a week ago my US history teacher was teaching about United States Imperialism and the last slide of my assignment was about Hawaii's Annexation and the role of the queen, U.S. president, and leaders of the annexation member groups. I saw it as another injustice the United States did in a series of horrible deeds done to other ethnic groups like what was done to the Indian-Americans. Fortunately, my teacher went into more detail about the injustice for the assignment.
It's almost like there's more important stuff to be taught. Like the Civil war, WW1, WW2, The Korean-Finnish Hyperwar, etc.
@@themysticautistic5449 How is one more important than the other?
I only learned about this in school because a girl gave a report on it. Even then, she left out a lot of the horrifying details. It's devastating but not shocking how many times the US government has been actively involved in terrible acts such as this, and many more times turning a blind eye.
Not even a week ago my history class went over the annexation of Hawaii. Yet, this entire historical context was skimmed over in a day! I'm grateful to have heard of it, but it pains me that the rich details of such a drastic event in history could go untaught to the many.
As a Hawaiian, I got to say thank you for making this video. Our history doesn't get talked a lot so maybe people like you can help spread the word about it. Maybe then we can finally have our Aina taken back if more people are informed of it
You can have your land back but Hawaii must remain part of the Union
The hard truth is, everyone in the world could be educated on this history and it won't matter. It's far too late for Hawaii to be anything other than a state in the US.
You’ll never get your land back. Sorry
@@stonewallis4373 true, at least not until the US collapses entirely. humanity really is doomed
@@stonewallis4373 that's why your queen died💀
I grew up in Hawaii and have heard this part of history so many times, and it never ceases to amaze and disgust me.
This reminds me of the Ted-Ed video about the United States expansion of lands belonging to the indigenous Lakota people and how the last words referred to America as "a country known for breaking its promises." In this episode, we see another example where Americans' treatment of the Hawaiian people and monarchy was about as cruel and injust if not more.
So you think Hawaiians would live better today being an independent country than being a part of the US? I doubt that...
@@mperformance3059 I don't know, man. But annexing Hawaii by force as well as taking away their people's rights was just morally wrong.
@@Alkalus if it didnt happen, then they would either be living in poverty like a huge amount of independent countries today. So even if it WAS moraly wrong or smth, being American today in 21 century is one of the best thing ever happened to them. You cannot be the superpower without doing stuff like this. You pay for everything in life. If the US did only moraly right things, we would be living under soviets or chinese communist regime.
@@mperformance3059 Alright.
@@mperformance3059 so what do you think about the independence of US from great britain?
In 1990 my father was a maintenance worker at the Outrigger Hobron Hotel in Waikiki, O'ahu. He was called to a room to fix something. When he arrived an elderly lady opened the door. They would Wala'au, small talk, as he worked. Somehow the conversation steered to the time of the overthrow. She said she was a little girl then and in her dreams she can still recall the people gathered at I'olani palace. She remembered the crying, the shouting, and the wailing long and deep. It would wake her at the the dead of night. Gave my dad chicken skin. After his work was done he said goodbye and brought her story to us. I live in the mainland now. When I think my family, of home, it eventually leads to that moment and the long, deep wailing still echoes.
Colonization has ruined so many lives and it’s sad that so many ppl lost everything. The Indians had their land taken as well. It’s so disturbing and devastating. 😔😔
Indeed
That is the History of Mankind. Overpowering people and always someone ends up on top and others at the bottom.
@SonderDAze X I bet you Hawaii was on their list but the Americans beat them to it😳💀
Yup.. now euro Americans are crying we Mexicans colonizing the southwest @@modztunerz
Sorry was I supposed to feel something when I watched this?
I'm proud of my White American ancestors for conquering Hawaii and the rest of America. Proud to be White. Proud to be American.
I literally started tearing up and then I needed a moment of silence. Like I wish more rulers will try as hard as she did to help her people.
make a video about how the US told the Philippines they were gonna get them free from Spain, but actually they bought their asses from Spain like it's on sale
that upsets me to this day. what's more upsetting to me is that we (my batch/generation) weren't taught about how cruel the Americans were to Filipinos until we got to college. it's also very sad to think that up to now, tons of older Filipinos still think highly of Americans because they "were good to us."
@@hunnitbaehunnitbae8804 I had a feeling they don't teach that in high school. Yes boo it was pretty bad. And for some reason, Filipino Americans aren't only loyal to America.... But are somehow Republicans 😂😂😂 something don't add up
@@yahoo3388 maybe because they’re hard workers that live the American dream, instead of asking for handouts…
No need to go back far even for America to try to buy humans, they wanted to buy the inuit and danish people on Greenland in 2019.
I don't think the U.S. had long term plans to annex the Philippines. They were too far flung and too large/populated for that to be plausible. I think the U.S. was far more interested in using it as a center for their military/commercial interests in East Asia instead, which is why once the Philippines did become fully independent, their military/connections to the U.S. hardly changed at all, especially given how the Cold War emerged.
Hawaii on the other hand is much smaller, has very immense strategic value and native power had been eclipsed by foreign interests' power in Hawaii over the course of several decades (One thing this video does not cover though is how the Ali'i allowed a lot of foreigners to cultivate Hawaii into a large cash crop-focused state because they failed to convince the lower class masses of Native Hawaiians to abandon their old subsistence-based ways of living and adopt this newer, more modernized form of agriculture, and the Ali'i also became notably corrupt over time, taking in lots of bribes from the foreign planters against the interests of the Hawaiian State and Hawaiian People.
Finally!!! Someone is talking about this! This story is so important in American history, yet is rarely brought up.
Thank you for covering this story. It means a lot as someone from Hawai’i and who cares deeply for this erased narrative.
Hi, are you hawaian?
Sorry was I supposed to feel something when I watched this?
I'm proud of my White American ancestors for conquering Hawaii and the rest of America. Proud to be White. Proud to be American.
@@ronlacker3263/10 rage bait
@@therealtaco7328 Cry for me, bch boi
I am extremely thankful you shared this story and appreciate the fact you brought Queen Liliʻuokalani story into the light. I hope we can continue to grow to make stories like this much more common as it is an important part of history that is often overlooked.
Free Hawai’i, Puerto Rico, Samoa, Guam, and all other nations under the oppressive occupation of the American Empire!
No offence bro i come from a nation who massacered and oppressed by slavs but you have to understand if that does happen just know with your population and capabilities every polyanitian sorry if i spelt that wrong. Would be scooped up by china and most likely your culture and language would be earased and you would be known as the chinese of the pacific from that point.
All those places would be shitholes without the usa
Hawaii will not survive without statehood
I wish this were an option in 2023 but as it stands, if it is not America, it will be another that finds a way to twist its lies into control that the public will ultimately feel hopeless to fight. In order to fight something of this nature, we the people have to be as crafty or more so than those who've gained control through said lies and deception. The US is but a pawn in a worldwide game of chest. They are not the perpetrators as we once thought they were. The powers at be have their minds set on a global control initiative. They let whomever take control of whatever so long as it means they are the subversive power behind it all and therefore create issues to solve said issues in order come out on top, no matter the number in casualties. America isn't the problem. It's those that are at the helm of this worldwide chest board of imperialism. It's easier to see in this day and age of technology. If we relinquish control to our natives, they to will be bought out with promises of riches and safety from the law. Nobody is safe from corruption through generations unless we smarten up and use the same tech that provides truth, to arm us with defensive mechanisms with breadth and thought so encompassing it cannot be challenged in order to ensure the safety of our people and lands from those who want to use it as a piece in their worldwide game. Without such measures, we stand no chance.
I don’t think any of those places would choose independence even if offered. Their economies and defensive capabilities are pretty much held up by the US alone, and Hawaii is already a state.
I was just thinking about this recently after hearing about how native Hawaiians are leaving Hawaii due to rising cost of living and gentrification forcing them to leave or becoming homeless trapped on the islands
These videos are needed, since certain individuals adverse to the idea of teaching history these days.
I assume you're referring to the fact the list of books that are banned from public school libraries keeps getting longer?
Certain individuals? No, a majority of individuals..
I agree with you, and I think the limited narrative of the curriculum (Go 'Merica! Every war was just and we won them ALL) has much to do with it. And in some private schools kids get to study "Creationism" in lieu of "Evolution". Isn't that grand too?
@@rochelleguido8431 Unless you count the Vietnam War, Bay of Pigs Invasion, Korean War, Russian Civil War, Second Samoan War, Formosa Expedition(Paiwan War), Red Cloud's War, Powder River Indian War, oh... and the War of 1812.
Sorry was I supposed to feel something when I watched this?
I'm proud of my White American ancestors for conquering Hawaii and the rest of America. Proud to be White. Proud to be American.
Very brilliant, easy, and interesting! Thanks. This channel never fails me.
0:34 Whenever you hear “missionaries arrived” you already know that means decimation for the native people
Why don't you call them for what they really are, they are christians
Man our narrator today has done magic to the Hawaiian names and pronunciations. So smooth and cool
Public school history courses NEED to teach the full extent of Hawai'i's history
They won't in capitalist countries because they don't teach ethics. It goes against the capitalist narrative that valuing profit and growth over all else is the best thing for everyone.
@@100c0c he's right lmfao
Erm, they do. It's a requirement in Hawaii to learn Hawaiian history.
@@stewiex You Commies are funny
@@stewiex Hello, I am from the U.S and have taken a class literally called "Ethics"
Thank you for doing this for my home, our history has transcended to the ongoing issues of over tourism, displacement of native Hawaiians, and profit over culture. There is no ethical way to visit here, without recognizing Hawai’i’s background.
hello, can I ask you? I am a history buff and I wanted to ask you: if you know any books about the history of Hawaii and Queen Lili, could you please tell me which are the best books? I would like to deepen this story that I had never heard of, thanks. I am Italian, I tell you already sorry if my English is not perfect😅
@@vittoriogirolimetto6083 Aloha & Ciao Vittorio, i would be happy too!! Hawai'i’s Story by Hawai'i’s Queen Lili'uokalani is the her own writing, Reclaiming Kalākaua:19th century perspectives of Hawaiian Sovereign, and Ancient History of the Hawaiian People by Abraham Fornander. Your english is perfect btw!!
@@kimiiikyla thank you so much 😊
I almost cried watching this video 😭 and I didn't know until now that such a paradise ( your own Aina) was robbed a and devoured in such a cruel way
@@vittoriogirolimetto6083 i appreciate your comment & your willingness to learn, aloha😊
As a native Hawaiian, I applaud your pronunciations 👏
Yeah not too bad
@@jalfredprufrock1000The narrator is a descendant of one of the queen’s trustee Curtis P. Iaukea.
im SO glad this video exists. A while ago I became interested in Hawaiian history so I tried to find a good resource with which to read about it in detail. It turned out to be near impossible for me to do so online. I dont know if its influenced by the fact that I do not live in the US, or if there simply isnt enough people talking about it at all, but Im thankful to finally learn some more about this from a reliable source. No-one should have their history erased, no race deserves their struggles forgotten.
Read “Hawaii” by James Michener.
@@briansmith8730 Thank you for the reccomendation! Ill give it a read!
As someone who was born and raised in Hawaii, this video brought tears to my eyes. Although I've heard these stories over and over again, it is so important to spread Hawaiian history, being that so much of it is still missing to this day.
I visited Hawaii for the first time earlier this year. Beautiful, of course. I saw posters of Queen Liliuokalani everywhere. History can be so cruel.
Man, it's an incredibly beautiful place. So much to see on each island. And some of the warmest, kindest people I've ever known
So glad that this video was created. Hawaiian history needs to be taught more, specially of this wrongful tragedy.
its funny to remember that they accused china of occupying tibet, but they annexed hawaii illegally and the world is silent about this! china came to tibet for good reasons, but what is the reason for usa to come to hawaii?
It's all about power between nations
$$$$$$$$
Pearl Harbor
@@Potaters12That’s right. Pearl Harbor.
Someone must be Chinese lmao 😂. Idk many Tibet people who agree.
Im 33 years old and never have even heard of this wow my mind is blown
Just about everything you think you do know is just all a lie. trust me it is
I am not native to Hawai'i nor do I live anywhere close but I am devastated by this. I didn't know Hawai'i was never part of the US and was annexed yet after watching this whole video, it brought me to tears. To all the Hawai'ians out there, never stop fighting for your land!!
Its the usa’s land now and forever will be
@@r1areone377temporary. World war will come again last tine and USA will lost many countriest.
Illegally annexed. No treaty of annexation
“Never stop fighting for your land.” What does that mean in 2024? Hawaii has been part of the U.S. for over 100 years and a state for 65 years. And it’s largely run by Japanese-Americans. There is so much more to the story than this five minute video conveys.
I can laugh at this for a simple reason .....@@briansmith8730
So much for “the soldiers are fighting for your freedom”
They never fought for freedom. That was ALWAYS a lie.
Most recently a drone strike hit a family of 4 which included 2 children when the US withdrew from Afghanistan. They just said their information "could" have been wrong when they were outed. They brushed the death of two children off their shoulders and moved on. The casual attitude of some people in the US military is no different from the group of white men mentioned in this video.
@@SF-li9kh “they fight for your freedom” wtf is my freedom doing in the Middle East?
You can read how horrible the missionaries were in James Michener's book HAWAII.
You can also read the entire life story of Queen Liliuokalani in her own autobiography, which she wrote while she was imprisoned. A beautiful read, truly inspiring
That’s a great book. I just finished it. I wish more people would read instead of relying on videos on UA-cam. The story of Hawaii is much more nuanced than just the missionaries treating the natives poorly. With the advent of the explorers and global travel, Hawaii was bound to be invaded.
@@ziabyapah Thank you so much for this , never knew this
Sorry was I supposed to feel something when I watched this?
I'm proud of my White American ancestors for conquering Hawaii and the rest of America. Proud to be White. Proud to be American.
Literally, the best video I've seen on our history. Didn't go into to much detail but hit all the right points in such a short amount of time.
As a Hawaiian who was adopted and has never been to Hawai'i this legitimately made me cry. How horrible, but I'm glad this video exists. All I have is a single picture of my mother. All I've ever wanted was to know my family and my heritage. To know much of that has been destroyed for the sake of the rich using my ancestors land for vacation homes and tourist spots pisses me off beyond belief.
This truly made me cry.
I can't express how much I appreciate this video, I enjoy when parts of Hawaiian history are shared to the world. I know this is a summary of the overthrow, however I would like to say that the sugar industry in Hawaii had quite an impact on the overthrow.
The animation artists of Ted-Ed are amazing! Beautifully rendered, and made me keep wanting to watch!
How can we lecture our kids about bullying and how terrible it is to be one, while we actively support and uplift countries that have been bullies throughout modern history?
Can you name a single country in the world that has never in their history been bullies or done something horrific?
@@InMaTeofDeath you are correct, I can’t think of any places who haven’t done at least something, not even Canada
@@InMaTeofDeath Yeah the republic of San Marino. Stop with the whataboutism fallacy man and fix this.
probably because bullying usually brings money, glory and influence
@Weasel Yea that doesn't make what they did right, nor does it mean we shouldn't try to improve the situation in hawaii by giving the natives their land back.
This was never taught to us. I'm so glad we have videos on here for free like this
I watch this channel since beginning of the pandemic, and today is the first time TED-Ed's video makes me cry.
Rest in peace, Queen ❤️
The US: We are disgusted by all this European Colonialism!
Also the US:
It's unreal what the U.S. did to Queen Liliuokalani, but I am still grateful for the things the U.S. have supported us with.
As a Japanese, I’ll add some details. However, I believe my English may not be entirely accurate as I’m using a translation tool. I apologize for any errors.
King Kalākaua was the first sitting head of state to visit Japan after its opening to the world. He discreetly met with Emperor Meiji, hiding from the American envoys accompanying him. King Kalākaua discussed a request for immigrants and proposed a marriage between Princess Ka’iulani and a member of the Japanese imperial family to the Emperor. The reason behind this was Japan’s significant power as a nation of people of color at that time. Unfortunately, the marriage didn’t materialize, but later, many immigrants arrived in Hawaii from Japan. Additionally, during Queen Liliuokalani’s reign, when a coup occurred, military officer Heihachiro Togo came to Hawaii with two cruisers as a show of force, restraining the Americans present.
Thank you so much for telling this history. Videos like this makes educating everyone but especially our kids so much easier and engaging. History of indigenous people and especially history we want to erase needs to be told and taught most of all, THANK YOU!!!
I’m learning more from this channel than I ever had in high school
Thank you TedEd for this. As I am part Native Hawaiian, and was born and raised on the island of O’ahu, this means a lot to me.
Finally you guys make a video on this, what they did to my people goes un-talked about everyday, thank you.
Somebody got upset with me once when I said we teach a very watered down and skimmed over version of history in our schools. But it's true. I was right.
So dark and so sad. I really feel sorry for them.
Thank you for this history. Thank you for bringing it into the light for us to hear and see. I was taught America took Hawaii as a state and I remembered no one told me the history behind it. I just thought it was really cool Hawaii was part of America. But this…this has altered my thoughts and how I feel about Hawaii being a state. I watched a lot of history on North America becoming what it is and honestly, I cannot believe all 100% of this land was stolen. Taken away. I’m 99.8% European. I hate to know my ancestors were part of the cause. It brings me to tears to know the true natives of the land were pushed back and no longer can live like they use to. We really must continue to reveal more of the truth of history. No more covering up and changing it but revealing it in it’s raw form.
I’m half native Hawaiian and it’s not your fault. Education will liberate us and hopefully restore things to equilibrium. There’s still so much more to to lose and becoming lost every day, this world needs vigilant people like you.
I will be 30y/o in less than a month and I can tell you this is the FIRST time I have heard any of this history in detail. I knew Hawaii had a queen and was forced to relinquish sovereignty, but never formal taught any of this in school. Its a crying shame.
The USA should be eternally ashamed of what they’ve done to Hawai’i. It’s the sort of exact same thing that countries like China, the former Soviet Union, Russia and others have gotten up to. But isn’t the USA all about so-called freedom and all of that? What a bunch of hypocrites they truly are. Hawai’i should be an independent. With its tourism, local industry and the leases on the military bases, Hawai’i can surely stand on its own two feet.
TED-ED’s animations are always mi favorito! 😗👌🏼
This is so sad, I was about to cry at work. I hope they get their land back 😞
What happens to the people that aren’t native Hawaiians but are from there?
@@RoccosVideos They can go back to the states. Plenty of room there for them.
@@Fafnd maybe they should just go back to Europe, Asia, and Africa. Those lands in the rest of the US were also stolen. My point is what if you’re from there? Some non natives have been there for generations. What if you’re mixed race? Where should you go?
@Weasel Yes, more should be done to preserve the culture.
@@RoccosVideos If I remember correctly, native Hawaiians were and still are a welcoming people who loved to accept foreigners and provide for them. Our sentiment only changed as the Hawaiian people were betrayed and taken advantage of. Personally, I believe that spirit of love and welcoming should and will still persist if the Hawaiian people are ever to get their land back. I think even those who aren't native would still be welcome with open arms. As long as we get back ownership of course
This was so sad. I wished it never happened. Queen Liliuokalani is amazing.
I didn't even know about this. Of course, they never taught this stuff in school. Textbooks always try to convey the United States as the "perfect" country, when in reality all we ever do is just screw people over. This is just tragic... :(
This video is absolutely amazing. The way how they were able to tell the history of Hawaii and give much meaning and power to it all and how it connects to today is very inspiring and shines a light on one of Hawaii's toughest times. How they portrayed Queen Liliuokalani as a formidable and caring leader shows how much she cared for the islands.
I will never stop fighting for my homeland
@@hungrycrab3297 I don't want to talk about that
The United States past a joint resolution, they did not annex anything. Hawaii remains occupied till this day. According to International law, a U.S. joint resolution has no effect beyond its border. That means a joint resolution is a domestic law and has no effect in foreign countries. In order for another country to annex or claim territory is to have a peace treaty or legally purchase the land.
Examples would be the Mexican American War (1845-1848). Mexico was defeated in war by the United States thus they signed a peace treaty, legally transferring their land (Guadalupe-Hidalgo) which is now know as Texas. Another one be the purchase of Louisiana (1803) when the French sold their land to the United States signing a peace treaty.
When Queen Liliuokalani and her royal acquaintances traveled to the U.S. they were able to provide over 38,000 documented signatures from her country that were against annexation, which eventually killed the annexation, leaving a dead treaty. Therefore, the Hawaiian Kingdom does not have a treaty of any annex document which makes it illegal today.
That said, Hawaii not having a peace treaty, that could only mean that Hawaii is in a state of war with the United States because we are under a strange prolonged OCCUPATION. This is what Japan did to China they occupied a few places and left. But, the difference is the United States has not de-occupied Hawaii for nearly 130 years, which still continues present day.
This is very true. People are misconstrued about how president Willam McKinley signed a paper annexing Hawaii as a territory. What president McKinley signed was a domestic law that only applies within the United States. The paper signed was a joint resolution in which congress passed, but that law has no effect in other foreign countries. This made people believe that Hawaii was annexed by the U.S., but that false narrative is complete BS because under international law you need a treaty of peace in order to obtain another country. Between the United States and the Hawaiian Kingdom, there is none. International law protects all sovereign countries, the Hawaiian Kingdom is protected by this. The U.S. or any other country cannot just invade another sovereign country just because they want to. They need a reason why-there was no reason for the United States to illegally invade the Hawaiian Kingdom. That is a war crime. The United States cannot prove a treaty of peace, therefore the Hawaiian kingdom today still exist, but it is illegally being occupied under the hostile army: the U.S. military.
For more information, look online for a person name Keanu Sai. He has a degree in political science and for years he has been educating people about this complex issue.
@@kulanimoe1837 Obama didnt help blacks either..
Hawaiians: Our land is looted and illegaly ocupied by USA.
Mexicans, Natives Americans, Filipinos, Panamanians & Puerto Ricans: First time?
Im not Hawaiian, my parents are middle eastern but I was born and raised in the states. I always had this idea from mainstream media growing up, that Hawaii is the ideal vaction spot for rich people and that there werent really native hawaii people left. That similar to Native Americans, they were only a small fraction of the population and its mostly for tourists. After watching this video, Im grateful that I can learn so much about this important part of Hawaiian history, and learn new cultural perspectives that were impacted by American colonilasim. I feel your sorrow and pain that your going through, and I hope you guys the best of luck in preserveing your Aina ❤
I have to write an article as a school project and I chose the annexation of Hawaii. I had never heard the story what so ever and I am so glad that I now know. This is so sad and tragic. I rlly enjoyed this video and learned so much from it, thank u!!
Such a good day,when Ted-Ed has a story to say!
I love hearing about Hawaii's history and about Lili'uokalani. Also, thanks to people like historians and activists that keep the knowledge of the past alive, no matter how much others try to hide or rewrite it
I took a course in the History of Hawaii. This is just a brief version of the atrocities that the American did. All I will say is that it isn't that much different from what the United States did to the Native American.
Yo I’m a native Californian in a Mexicano familia, pero…. THIS HIT HARD MAN! Much luv to my brothers and sisters in Hawaii. Imma have to visit y’all soon
I cried at the last part... at the same time, I'm really glad that this story got to be told.
Watched twice and still cried. So heartbreaking
The Hawaiian people and their kingdom, the Royal Hawaiian Kingdom, lives on! E ola mau a mau i ka lāhui nui o Hawaiʻi.
Eō… E kū haʻaheo E kū ikaika E kū kanaka o hawaiʻi nei! he hawaiʻi au mau a mau ✊
Every time I watch or read things about this, I learn something new. And it never gets any better. A very tragic tale of many in America's bloody history.
I'd love to see this go viral.
As a US Marine, this grieves me deeply.
you're serving the wrong country, grunt.
@@Just4Kixs He's serving the best country on the planet
Mahalo for your consideration.
@@thorpeaaron1110 By what measure?
@@maapauu4282 Every one
we need more content explaining the less known history of poc. the fact that hawaii's history isn't known by all us citizens makes me sad
People in the Comments section saying how america covered this up and doesn't teach this. I grew up in alabama and learned about this, where are yall from in America where this isn't taught?
I'm from Canada and I know lmfao
Connecticut and Florida didn't teach me this
I'm from Alabama as well and learned this, but it's weird how I only touched on this topic once in class, but will hear the french revolution over 20 times, every time I graduated a grade.
@@sagittariusbeauty well interms of historical significance the French revolution is more important. Not to negate this or downplay it at all.
What I find interesting is it seems the older generation of American's were taught this stuff while the younger folks are the ones getting completely shocked when they actually learn a little history. So the question we have to ask ourselves is why did America stop teaching that history and more importantly why are people talking as if it was never taught in the first place? I remember well from my school days the quote of Martin Luther King Jr. "I have a dream that my four little children will one day live in a nation where they will not be judged by the color of their skin, but by the content of their character."
Let’s name the evildoers, shall we? The heads of the Dole Food Company, Alexander & Baldwin (still the largest landowner in Hawaii), and Castle & Cooke (real estate firm) helped organize and led the coup.
Makes me happy I order my groceries on the phone nowadays.
@@godzillavkk These islands were violently conquered by King Kamehameha the Great in 1795
@@thorpeaaron1110 Not relevant.
i worked in hawaii for abit, became good friends with some locals who had issues with mainlanders coming to the islands, we had good long talks and end the end i felt so bad for the hawaiian people, their entire culture is being wiped out or turned into some sort of circus for mainlanders and foreigners, hawaiins are losing there land and being outpriced of their homes by rich mainland americans, i cried on my way back to the mainland because i met several native hawaiians leaving hawaii for the phillipines because they no longer could affort to live on their own islands
Native Hawaiian here: The sad part is that despite the revival of Hawaiian culture and language, the most we got from the US in response to the illegal overthrow was only a written appology by the US government back in 1993 signed by Bill Clinton. All it amounted to was a “Gosh, we’re so sorry about overthrowing you guys. No hard feelings?” It didn’t resolve anything.
Ultimately we are far too ingrained into the US to recover from the loss and the cost of living is driving us out of hawaii. It’s paradise from the outside, but we’re still living amongst the squalor inside. I weep for my people still.
Hearing the government say "it's for your safety" should always raise an eyebrow.
Aaaand the anti maskers/anti vaxxers have arrived.
Yeah I love to violate OSHA too. Forklift races ftw.
Thank you for telling this story. A lot of people like to belittle the history of Hawai‘i and say that Kānaka & locals should be thankful for the US. 😂😂😂 that’s laughable at best. INTERNATIONAL LAWS WERE BROKEN AND NO TREATY WAS EVER MADE. How the US is still getting away with this is so crazy
I truly appreciate telling us this story.
But for your video, I couldn’t have known that there is sad history in Hawaii which is prospering as a tourist destination now.
I’d like to express my respect for this Queen’s way of living.
thank you for talking about this !! It is so important to the history of my home and my people and without sharing it, it will be forgotten. This cannot just be forgotten.
Crazy as a local resident that’s born and raised here, this was taught to us in class at a young age. It’s even crazier that we see hundreds of thousands of visitors yearly and all they’re taught is Pearl Harbor.
That’s was dark and sad 😢, I felt sorry for the Hawaiians.
The animation makes this very real and heartbreaking story bearable
Truly tragic, like the PH-US war including its prelude and post war era.
I am not Hawaiian, but I am infact polynesian.. I cried on this video.
The most idyllic place on earth (to some) strategically as well.. & you thought this could never happen... lol
I’m an American and I say #FreeHawaii
It would never survive now
Actually it would
@@nateowen1064 no way
say whatever you want