On August 21, 2009, Hawaiian’s will be celebrating 50 years of statehood. However, becoming a state wasn’t necessarily a simple undertaking. With American help, Hawaii’s monarchy was overthrown all the way back in 1893, but the islands went on to be ruled undemocratically for a number of years, as the American government was unable to agree as to what they should do about it. In 1898, the U.S.A. annexed Hawaii without so much as giving the natives any say in the situation. Congressman started to promote statehood all the way back in 1903, but it took until 1959 for this to be achieved. On March 11, 1959, the U.S. Senate passed a Hawaii statehood bill, 76-15, and the U.S. House approved it March 12, 323-89. This came about because of the compromise made that had allowed Alaska statehood on January 3, 1959.
I’m showing my age here, but I can still remember how Hawaiian statehood was a really big deal when I was a boy. Suddenly all those American flags we had around the house had to be updated. It was a foregone conclusion that it was going to happen, so I don’t think we had any 49-star flags at all. I also don’t believe I have even one of my old 48-star flags anymore. It’s funny, but my memories of Hawaiian statehood include standing mid-driveway on the drive up to the Keating house near Orting (later where Patty and I lived for about 15 years). That must have been where I was when I heard about it, maybe on my trusty 6-transistor radio.
Read a good article and timeline on Hawaii’s statehood journey in the April 12, 2009 edition of the Honolulu Advertiser.
