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State Department Deletes “Joint Resolution” from Official History of the Annexation of
Hawaii and of the “Spanish American War:” Admits that we are Right that Hawaii could not be acquired by Joint Resolution

Williamson Chang
Professor of Law
University of Hawaii at Manoa

May 6, 2016

Copyright 2016
This article does not represent the views of the University of Hawaii or its School of Law

On April 17, 2014 at a forum held at the University of Hawaii School of Law I presented evidence for the first time in 20 years that the by the laws of the United States itself the United States had never acquired the Hawaiian Islands. Many of you are familiar with this argument. It was repeated over and over again in the Department of Interior hearings held in the summer of 2014.

I have stated this again and again, to the DLNR and in State and Federal Courts. On September 8, 2001, I was sanctioned [fined] by Judge Susan Mollway in Federal District Court for 76,000 dollars for using the lack of subject matter jurisdiction of the United States as a defense for my Native Hawaiian clients.

The United States has always claimed that it acquired Hawaii by a Joint Resolution. That is impossible. If the United States had the sovereignty to acquire Hawaii, the Kingdom of Hawai, as a co-equal and independent sovereign could have acquired the United States by an act of its own Legislative Assembly.

By deception and coercion, the United States has bluffed us and fooled the world into believing that it had actual sovereignty and jurisdiction over Hawaii. The United States took 1.8 million acres of Crown and Government lands, without any compensation, by the very same Joint Resolution in 1898.

The United States has never claimed it acquired Hawaii by any other manner---that is by conquest, or by acquisitive prescription which is the same concept as adverse possession as applied by nation states.

Prior to the disclosure of the truth on April 17, 2014 the Office of the Historian of the United States Department of State, the body that writes the official history of the United States, admitted that the United States had taken Hawaii “by pretext” and by a “joint resolution. The description of the history of Hawaii prior to removal read as follows:

" Annexation of Hawaii: 1898: America's annexation of Hawaii in 1898 extended U.S. territory into the Pacific and highlighted resulted from economic integration and the rise of the United States as a Pacific power. For most of the 1800s, leaders in Washington were concerned that Hawaii might become part of a European nation's empire. During the 1830s, Britain and France forced Hawaii to accept treaties giving them economic privileges.

In 1842, Secretary of State Daniel Webster sent a letter to Hawaiian agents in Washington affirming U.S. interests in Hawaii and opposing annexation by any other nation. He also proposed to Great Britain and France that no nation should seek special privileges or engage in further colonization of the islands. In 1849, the United States and Hawaii concluded a treaty of friendship that served as the basis of official relations between the parties.”

In the fall of 2014, the above description was removed and replaced with the following excuse:

“Notice to readers: This article has been removed pending review to ensure it meets our standards for accuracy and clarity. The revised article will be posted as soon as it is ready. In the meantime, we apologize for any inconvenience, and we thank you for your patience.”

http://history.state.gov/milestones/1866-1898/hawaii. [Last Visited February 22, 2015 1:25 PM HST]

On April 28, 2016, the above “excuse” was removed and now the site describing the annexation of Hawaii is completely barren:

"Milestones: 1866–1898
Annexation of Hawaii, 1898"

https://history.state.gov/milestones/1866-1898/hawaii [Last checked May 6, 2016 900 pm]

However, during the past two years, the Office of Historian neglected to check its site on the Spanish American War. In that section the United States admitted taking Hawaii by “pretext” and by a joint resolution:

"The McKinley Administration also used the war as a pretext to annex the independent state of Hawaii. In 1893, a group of Hawaii-based planters and businessmen led a coup against Queen Liliuokalani and established a new government. They promptly sought annexation by the United States, but President Grover Cleveland rejected their requests. In 1898, however, President McKinley and the American public were more favorably disposed toward acquiring the islands. Supporters of annexation argued that Hawaii was vital to the U.S. economy, that it would serve as a strategic base that could help protect U.S. interests in Asia, and that other nations were intent on taking over the islands if the United States did not. At McKinley’s request, a joint resolution of Congress made Hawaii a U.S. territory on August 12, 1898." [Emphasis added]

https://web.archive.org/…/mi…/1866-1898/spanish-american-war

By April of 2016, the Spanish American War cite had been “cleansed.” The word “pretext” and the reference to the taking of Hawaii by a Joint Resolution were removed. This is how that site reads today. Someone at the State Department had been sleeping on the job. During the past two years I have cited to the language in the Spanish American War as evidence the United States was still making the absurd claim that Hawaii had been taken by a joint resolution. Finally, someone at the State Department read my writing and today the description of the Spanish American has been changed to delete the words “pretext” and “joint resolution. If you check that website today you will find that they removed the admission that annexation was a “pretext” and the claim that Hawaii was taken by ”Joint Resolution.”

"Milestones: 1866–1898
The Spanish-American War, 1898
The Spanish-American War of 1898 ended Spain’s colonial empire in the Western Hemisphere and secured the position of the United States as a Pacific power. U.S. victory in the war produced a peace treaty that compelled the Spanish to relinquish claims on Cuba, and to cede sovereignty over Guam, Puerto Rico, and the Philippines to the United States. The United States also annexed the independent state of Hawaii during the conflict. Thus, the war enabled the United States to establish its predominance in the Caribbean region and to pursue its strategic and economic interests in Asia."

What happened? First, the United States now realizes we are right—it is stupid to claim that Hawaii was acquired by a joint resolution. Thus, they are on a campaign to delete “joint resolution” wherever they can. Two, it means that the Department of Justice and the State Department are watching and listening to what we say and write.

Of course they have the technology: the National Security Agency reads every email and listens to every phone call made in the United States. Surprise! We are being watched! However, even better, the United States by deleting “joint resolution” in its official history is admitting that we are right-a joint resolution could never have acquired Hawaii.

Watching out for you
Mahalo
Professor Wiliamson Chang