Petition Against Annexation of ???
Focusing on Details: White Out/Black Out
All documents and text associated with this activity are printed below, followed by a worksheet for student responses.Introduction
Throughout its history, when the United States has annexed new territory, it has often been met with controversy. Read and analyze the following petition from the native inhabitants against the United States annexing their homeland. With the name of the territory blacked out, use clues from the document to determine which annexed territory it refers to.Name:
Class:
Class:
Worksheet
Petition Against Annexation of ???
Focusing on Details: White Out/Black Out
Examine the documents included in this activity and write your response in the space provided.
- What type of document is it?
- Who wrote the document?
- To whom was it written?
- What was the purpose of the document?
- Why do you suppose it was written in two languages?
- Based on you analysis, which annexation does this document relate to?
Your Response
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Activity Element
Conclusion
Petition Against Annexation of ???
Focusing on Details: White Out/Black Out
- What potentially annexed territory is this petition about? Cite specific evidence from the document to support your analysis.
- If this petition was signed by over 50% of the native population, do you think the United States should have annexed it? Why or why not?
Your Response
Document
Petition Against the Annexation of Hawaii
1897
In 1897, more than 21,000 native Hawaiians—out of a population of less than 40,000—signed this petition opposing the annexation of Hawaii (these are two pages of the almost 600-page petition). It contributed to the defeat of a proposed annexation treaty.
After America went to war with Spain in 1898, however, proponents of annexation argued that Hawaii was needed to support military action in the Philippines. In July 1898, a joint resolution passed control of Hawaii’s 6,450 square miles of territory to the United States.
Text adapted from “The 1897 Petition Against the Annexation of Hawaii” in the November/December 1999 National Council for the Social Studies (NCSS) publication Social Education.
After America went to war with Spain in 1898, however, proponents of annexation argued that Hawaii was needed to support military action in the Philippines. In July 1898, a joint resolution passed control of Hawaii’s 6,450 square miles of territory to the United States.
Text adapted from “The 1897 Petition Against the Annexation of Hawaii” in the November/December 1999 National Council for the Social Studies (NCSS) publication Social Education.
This primary source comes from the Records of the U.S. Senate.
National Archives Identifier: 595390
Full Citation: Petition Against the Annexation of Hawaii; 1897; Petitions and Memorials, Resolutions of State Legislatures, and Related Documents, which were referred to the Committee on Foreign Relations from the 55th Congress; Petitions and Memorials, 1817 - 2000; Records of the U.S. Senate, ; National Archives Building, Washington, DC. [Online Version, https://www.docsteach.org/documents/document/petition-against-annexation-hawaii, April 23, 2024]Petition Against the Annexation of Hawaii
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Petition Against the Annexation of Hawaii
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