ANNEXATION OF HAWAII APPROVED

Annexation of Hawaii Approved

On July 7th, 1898, as the United States waged war against Spain, Congress approved a joint resolution to annex the Hawaiian Islands. American sugar interests and political figures in Hawaii had pushed for closer ties for years, but the Spanish–American War threw the strategic value of the islands into sharp relief. Pearl Harbor and other Hawaiian ports promised a vital coaling and repair station roughly midway between the West Coast and Asia, allowing United States warships and transports greater reach in the Pacific. The annexation, formalized in the midst of wartime, linked economic interests with emerging naval strategy built around steam power and long-range operations. In the decades that followed, Hawaii became central to American Pacific defense, culminating in its role during the Second World War and the later development of major air and naval bases. The date marks a turning point in how far from the mainland American military planning routinely looked.