Hawaii Annexation Lesson Plan Lesson Plan
The Hawaiian Overthrow
Lesson 1 of 5
Pacific Power Play
Objectives
Identify the key actors and motivations behind the 1893 overthrow of the Hawaiian monarchy.
Analyze Queen Liliuokalani's letters of protest to identify her strategy for resistance.
Evaluate the ethical and political arguments for and against annexation.
Lesson Flow
The Hook (10 mins)
Reading the Queen's Surrender
Distribute the excerpt of Queen Liliuokalani's Jan 17, 1893 letter. Students read silently and underline words that show her tone and purpose. Discuss: Why did she "yield" rather than fight?
Instructional Presentation (15 mins)
From Kingdom to Territory
Use the "Kingdom to Territory Slides" to outline the role of the Committee of Safety, John L. Stevens, and the US Marines. Emphasize the "Sugar Interests" as a primary driver.
Primary Source Analysis (25 mins)
Letters of Protest
Students work in pairs on the "Liliuokalani's Protest Source Analysis" worksheet. They compare her letter to President Cleveland with the official annexation documents.
Closing Debate (10 mins)
The Blount Report vs. Morgan Report
Briefly summarize the two conflicting congressional reports. Ask: If you were a senator in 1898, would you vote for annexation? Why?
Materials
Kingdom to Territory Slides
Liliuokalani's Protest Source Analysis
Answer Key & Discussion Guide
Key Vocabulary
• Annexation
• Sovereignty
• Committee of Safety
• Reciprocity Treaty
• Bayonet Constitution
Teacher Background & Discussion Prompts
The Geopolitical Context
Hawaii's location made it a vital "coaling station" for the US Navy. However, the 1890 McKinley Tariff devastated the Hawaiian sugar industry by removing Hawaii's duty-free status. American planters (many descendants of missionaries) realized that if Hawaii were part of the US, they would receive the 2-cent-per-pound subsidy granted to domestic producers.
Teacher Tip:
Remind students that Hawaii was a recognized independent nation with international treaties. The overthrow was not a "war" but a coup supported by US diplomatic and military power without the authorization of the US President (Cleveland) initially.
Deep-Dive Questions
Question 1: Sovereignty vs. Strategy
"Does a nation have the right to take over another nation for its own 'strategic interests'?"
Look for: Connections to modern foreign policy, discussion of the Pearl Harbor naval base, and the tension between safety and justice.
Question 2: Constitutional Contradictions
"How did the actions of the Committee of Safety violate the very American principles they claimed to represent?"
Look for: Mentions of 'consent of the governed,' democracy, and the use of force to silence a legitimate monarch.
Common Misconceptions
"The Hawaiians were primitive." Actually, Hawaii had a higher literacy rate than the US at the time, and Iolani Palace had electricity before the White House."Annexation was unanimous." Over 38,000 native Hawaiians signed the Kūʻē Petitions against annexation, which successfully blocked a treaty in the Senate for a time. Kingdom to Territory Slides KINGDOM TO TERRITORY
The Overthrow of the Hawaiian Monarchy
Lesson 1: Pacific Power Play
The Queen's Surrender
"I, Liliuokalani... do hereby solemnly protest against any and all acts done against myself and the Constitutional Government of the Hawaiian Kingdom... I yield to the superior force of the United States of America."
— Queen Liliuokalani, January 17, 1893
Queen Liliuokalani
Why did she "yield" rather than fight?
The Sugar Motive
McKinley Tariff (1890)
Removed Hawaii's "duty-free" status. Hawaiian sugar prices plummeted.
Annexation Solution
If Hawaii were part of the US, planters would get a 2-cent-per-pound subsidy.
"The Hawaiian pear is now fully ripe, and this is the golden hour for the United States to pluck it."
— John L. Stevens, US Minister to Hawaii
The Overthrow (1893)
1. Committee of Safety
A group of 13 American and European businessmen plotting to depose the Queen.
2. US Marines
Minister Stevens orders 162 Marines from the USS Boston to land in Honolulu to "protect American lives."
3. Provisional Govt
Sandford B. Dole is named President. They immediately request annexation by the US.
The Voice of the People
The Kūʻē Petitions (1897)
38,000+ signatures gathered.
Represented 95% of native Hawaiians.
Successfully blocked the initial annexation treaty in the US Senate.
Why did it fail eventually?
The Spanish-American War (1898) changed the game. Hawaii became "essential" as a Pacific naval base. Annexation passed via a joint resolution (simple majority) rather than a treaty.
Exit Discussion
"Was the annexation of Hawaii an act of progress or an act of theft?"
How do the events in Hawaii challenge the idea that the US only fights for "democracy"?
Liliuokalani Protest Analysis Worksheet Protest & Power
Primary Source Investigation: The Hawaiian Overthrow
Name:
Date:
Historical Context: On January 17, 1893, a group of American and European businessmen, supported by 162 U.S. Marines, overthrew the Hawaiian monarchy. Queen Liliuokalani, wanting to avoid bloodshed, issued a formal protest.
Source A: Queen Liliuokalani's Protest (1893)
"I, Liliuokalani, by the Grace of God and under the Constitution of the Hawaiian Kingdom, Queen, do hereby solemnly protest against any and all acts done against myself and the Constitutional Government of the Hawaiian Kingdom by certain persons claiming to have established a Provisional Government of and for this Kingdom...
Now, to avoid any collision of armed forces and perhaps the loss of life, I do, under this protest, and impelled by said force, yield my authority until such time as the Government of the United States shall, upon facts being presented to it, undo the action of its representatives and reinstate me in the authority which I claim as the Constitutional Sovereign of the Hawaiian Islands."
1. To whom is the Queen officially yielding her authority? Why is this distinction important?
2. What evidence from the text shows the Queen’s motive for not ordering her guards to fight?
Source B: The Blount Report (1893)
Commissioned by President Grover Cleveland to investigate the overthrow.
"The United States diplomatic representative, John L. Stevens, and the local troops from the U.S.S. Boston, were the primary cause of the Queen's surrender... A great wrong has been done to a feeble but independent people... The landing of the U.S. forces was an act of war, committed with the participation of a diplomatic representative of the United States and without authority of Congress."
3. Corroboration: How does the Blount Report support the Queen's claim in Source A?
4. Ethical Reasoning: If the U.S. government acknowledged a "great wrong" had been done, why do you think Hawaii was still annexed five years later?
Philippine War Lesson Plan Lesson Plan
The Philippine War
Lesson 2 of 5
Pacific Power Play
Objectives
Trace the shift in the US-Filipino relationship from allies (against Spain) to enemies.
Analyze how American media depictions of Emilio Aguinaldo shifted to justify colonization.
Explain the transition from conventional to guerrilla warfare in the Philippines.
Lesson Flow
The Hook (10 mins)
Hero to Villain
Display two images of Emilio Aguinaldo from 1898 and 1899. Students list adjectives for each. Discuss: What changed in one year to make him go from a "George Washington" figure to a "bandit"?
Flipped Review / Mini-Lecture (15 mins)
The Treaty of Paris & Betrayal
Explain the $20 million purchase of the Philippines from Spain. Discuss the Filipino declaration of independence and the start of the war in 1899.
Propaganda Analysis (25 mins)
Aguinaldo Comparison Worksheet
Students analyze political cartoons from the period, focusing on racialized depictions and the narrative of "benevolent assimilation."
Strategy Discussion (10 mins)
Guerrilla Warfare
Discuss why the Filipinos switched tactics and why this made the war so much more brutal for both sides.
Materials
The Philippine War Slides
Aguinaldo Media Comparison Worksheet
Key Vocabulary
• Emilio Aguinaldo
• Treaty of Paris (1898)
• Benevolent Assimilation
• Guerrilla Warfare
• Insurrection
Historical Context: The Forgotten War
The "Splendid Little War" Turns Sour
After the Spanish-American War, Filipinos expected independence. Instead, the U.S. annexed the islands. The resulting Philippine-American War (1899–1902) was far more lethal than the war with Spain, resulting in the deaths of over 4,000 Americans and an estimated 200,000 to 1,000,000 Filipino civilians (mostly from disease and famine).
Discussion Strategy: The Name Game
Why did the U.S. call it the "Philippine Insurrection" while Filipinos call it the "Philippine-American War"?
Insight: "Insurrection" implies a rebellion against a legitimate government. By using this term, the U.S. delegitimized the Filipino government (the Malolos Republic) and framed Aguinaldo as a criminal rather than a head of state.
Benevolent Assimilation
President McKinley's policy of "Benevolent Assimilation" argued that the U.S. was there to help, not exploit. This paternalistic framing is key to understanding the racialized propaganda of the era, which often depicted Filipinos as children in need of "uplifting and civilizing."
The Philippine War Slides THE FORGOTTEN WAR
Alliance and Conflict in the Philippines
Lesson 2: Pacific Power Play
Hero to Villain?
1898: "The Washington of the East"
U.S. Admiral Dewey brings Aguinaldo back to the Philippines to lead the fight against Spain.
1899: "The Bandit Leader"
After the U.S. refuses to recognize Filipino independence, Aguinaldo is labeled a rebel and an insurgent.
The Treaty of Paris (1898)
The U.S. pays Spain $20 Million for the Philippine Islands.
The Filipino Perspective:
"We have already established our own government. We have a Constitution. We are not yours to buy or sell."
Benevolent Assimilation
President McKinley's policy: The U.S. comes "not as invaders or conquerors, but as friends."
White Man's Burden
The racialized idea that Western nations had a duty to "civilize" non-white peoples.
Conventional to Guerrilla
Phase 1: Conventional
Set battles between organized armies.
U.S. superior firepower dominates.
Phase 2: Guerrilla
Hit-and-run tactics in jungles/mountains.
Harder to tell friend from foe.
Brutality increases on both sides.
The Human Cost (1899-1902)
U.S. Soldiers
4,200+
Died in combat or from disease.
Filipino Soldiers
20,000+
Died defending the Malolos Republic.
Filipino Civilians
200,000 to 1,000,000
Died from famine, disease, and war-related violence.
Exit Ticket Discussion
"If the U.S. was founded on the idea of 'liberty for all,' how did it justify this war?"
Was the Philippines "stolen" from Spain, or "stolen" from the Filipinos?
Aguinaldo Media Comparison Worksheet Manufacturing a Rebel
Analyzing the Media Transformation of Emilio Aguinaldo
Student Name:
Task: In 1898, the U.S. government and media hailed Emilio Aguinaldo as a freedom fighter and "The George Washington of the Philippines." By 1899, he was rebranded as a bandit, an insurgent, and a child-like figure in need of American discipline. Analyze the descriptions of two period political cartoons below to understand how propaganda was used to justify the Philippine-American War.
IMAGE A: "The Liberator" (Mid-1898)
Aguinaldo is depicted in a crisp, European-style military uniform, standing tall with a sword at his side. He is shaking hands with Admiral Dewey. In the background, a Filipino flag and a U.S. flag are crossed together. The caption reads: "Allies in the cause of liberty."
Analysis: What is the message of this image?
IMAGE B: "The Ungrateful Child" (1899)
Aguinaldo is depicted as a small, child-like figure with racialized features. He is throwing a tantrum and holding a dagger labeled "Treachery." Uncle Sam stands over him like a stern schoolteacher, holding a switch labeled "Civilization." The caption reads: "A lesson he must learn."
Analysis: How has the portrayal changed?
Synthesis Questions
1. Why was it necessary for the U.S. media to change Aguinaldo’s image once the war started?
2. Racism and Paternalism: In Image B, why is Aguinaldo depicted as a child rather than an adult man? What does this imply about the Filipino people’s ability to rule themselves?
3. Reflection: Can you think of a modern example where a foreign leader's image was changed in the media to justify a conflict? (Think about the words used: "Freedom Fighter" vs. "Terrorist").
Insular Cases Lesson Plan Lesson Plan
Constitution and Flag
Lesson 3 of 5
Pacific Power Play
Objectives
Define the legal question: "Does the Constitution follow the flag?"
Analyze the Supreme Court’s distinction between incorporated and unincorporated territories.
Evaluate how the Insular Cases denied full constitutional rights to people in annexed territories.
Lesson Flow
The Hook (10 mins)
Flag vs. Rights
Ask: "If the US flag is flying over a land, does everyone there have the same rights as someone in Ohio?" Most students will say yes. Introduce the historical reality that shocked many in 1901.
Case Briefing (20 mins)
The Insular Cases
Use the "Constitution and Flag Slides" to explain Downes v. Bidwell (1901). Focus on Justice Brown's majority opinion regarding "alien races."
Legal Logic Lab (20 mins)
Rights in the Territories Worksheet
Students categorize rights into "Fundamental" (which everyone gets) vs. "Formal/Procedural" (which only people in states get), based on the Court's ruling.
Synthesis Discussion (10 mins)
Imperial Democracy?
Discuss the contradiction: Can a democracy own colonies? How did the Court's decision make the US an "Empire" in the European sense?
Materials
Constitution and Flag Slides
Rights in the Territories Worksheet
Key Vocabulary
• Insular Cases
• Unincorporated Territory
• Incorporated Territory
• Fundamental Rights
• Formal Rights
Legal Background: The Insular Cases
The "Middle Way"
The Supreme Court faced a dilemma: if the Constitution followed the flag, then everyone in the newly acquired territories (Philippines, Puerto Rico, Guam) would have full rights, including the right to jury trials and eventually statehood. If it didn't, the US was an empire. The Court created a "middle way" that allowed for permanent second-class status.
Fundamental Rights
Granted to ALL under the US flag.
Right to own property
Right to free speech (mostly)
Freedom of religion
Due process
Formal/Procedural Rights
Denied to "Unincorporated" territories.
Right to a jury trial
Uniform taxation
The right to eventually become a state
Constitution and Flag Slides CONSTITUTION & FLAG
The Legal Crisis of the New American Empire
Lesson 3: Pacific Power Play
The Great Debate
"Does the Constitution follow the flag?"
The "Yes" Side
If the U.S. owns the land, the people there MUST have all the rights of U.S. citizens.
The "No" Side
Congress has the power to decide how to rule territories, and rights don't apply automatically.
Mapping the Crisis (1900)
Hawaii
Annexed 1898
Philippines
Acquired 1898
Puerto Rico
Acquired 1898
Guam
Acquired 1898
The Problem: These lands weren't "states" or even "territories" destined for statehood. They were treated as colonies.
The Supreme Court Decides
Downes v. Bidwell (1901)
The Court ruled that the Constitution does NOT automatically apply to all territories.
The Reason (Majority Opinion):
"They are inhabited by alien races, differing from us in religion, customs, laws, methods of taxation, and modes of thought..."
Incorporated
Destined for statehood. Constitution applies fully. (Example: Hawaii, eventually)
Unincorporated
Appurtenances (possessions). Only "fundamental" rights apply. (Example: Philippines)
The Conscience of the Court
Justice John Marshall Harlan
"The idea that this country may acquire territories anywhere and hold them as mere colonies... is inconsistent with the spirit and genius of the Constitution."
Harlan's Warning: This creates a "second-class" citizenship that the Constitution was designed to prevent.
Why it matters today
People born in Puerto Rico, Guam, and the U.S. Virgin Islands are U.S. citizens—but they cannot vote for President.
Is the U.S. still an empire because of the Insular Cases?
Rights in the Territories Worksheet Flag vs. Constitution
Mapping Rights in the "Unincorporated" Territories
Name:
The Situation: 1901
You are a legal advisor to the U.S. government in 1901. The Supreme Court has just ruled in Downes v. Bidwell that the Constitution does not follow the flag to "unincorporated" territories like the Philippines. Use the categories below to determine which rights a person living in Manila (The Philippines) has compared to someone living in New York.
Part 1: Categorizing Rights
| Right | Fundamental?
Part 2: Legal Analysis
1. Define "Unincorporated Territory" in your own words based on the Supreme Court's logic.
2. The Court argued that these territories were inhabited by "alien races" who didn't understand U.S. law. How does this racial argument justify denying people the right to a jury trial?
3. Reflection: If the U.S. is a democracy, can it legally own colonies? How did the Court's decision solve (or hide) this problem?
Voices of Resistance Lesson Plan Lesson Plan
Voices of Resistance
Lesson 4 of 5
Pacific Power Play
Objectives
Identify the arguments of the Anti-Imperialist League through the writings of Mark Twain.
Analyze primary sources from U.S. soldiers and Filipino combatants to understand the war's brutality.
Evaluate the ethical implications of "total war" tactics in a colonial context.
Lesson Flow
The Hook (10 mins)
Mark Twain's Biting Satire
Read an excerpt from Twain's "To the Person Sitting in Darkness." Discuss: Why was one of America's most famous authors so angry about this war? What did he mean by "the person sitting in darkness"?
Station Rotation: Voices of War (30 mins)
Source Packet Analysis
Students rotate through three stations using the "Resistance Source Packet":
Ethical Synthesis (15 mins)
The Ethical Reasoning Organizer
Students use their notes to complete the organizer, weighing the "democratic mission" against the "tactical reality."
Closing Debrief (5 mins)
How does hearing these voices change your understanding of the "Benevolent Assimilation" policy from Lesson 2?
Materials
Voices of Resistance Source Packet
Ethical Reasoning Organizer
Key Vocabulary
• Anti-Imperialist League
• Water Cure (Torture)
• Reconcentration Camps
• Total War
• Satire
Historical Background: The Brink of Empire
The Anti-Imperialist League
The League was a diverse coalition of prominent Americans—Mark Twain, Andrew Carnegie, Jane Addams, and Samuel Gompers—who opposed annexation. Their primary argument was that imperialism violated the "consent of the governed" principle found in the Declaration of Independence.
The Brutality of Guerrilla Warfare
Warning: This lesson covers difficult topics including torture and military violence.
Because the Filipino forces used guerrilla tactics, U.S. troops often struggled to distinguish between combatants and civilians. This led to "scorched earth" policies, the burning of villages, and the use of the "water cure" (an early form of waterboarding) to extract information. General J. Franklin Bell’s use of reconcentration camps in Batangas led to thousands of civilian deaths from disease.
Resistance Perspectives Packet Voices of Resistance
Primary Source Packet: The Ethics of Expansion
Lesson 4 Material
Source 1: Mark Twain (1901)
"We have debauched [corrupted] America's honor and blackened her face before the world... We have gone there with our guns and our gospel, and our 'civilization'... and we have shown them that we are as capable of cruelty and bloodthirstiness as any of the 'savage' races we have gone to 'civilize.'"
— Excerpt from "To the Person Sitting in Darkness," published in the North American Review.
Source 2: Letter from a U.S. Soldier (1900)
"We took a prisoner and gave him the 'water cure.' You tie them down and pour water into them until they are nearly dead... and then you jump on their stomach to get the water out. It is a terrible thing to see, but they won't tell where the guns are hidden any other way. We have burned every house in this valley. The women and children are crying, but our orders are to make it a 'howling wilderness.'"
— A.F. Miller, 32nd Volunteer Infantry, in a letter to his family.
Source 3: Filipino Declaration (1899)
"Why should we be denied the right to rule ourselves? You who fought for your own liberty from England, now come to take ours. You call us 'insurgents' and 'bandits,' but we are the true government of this land, chosen by our people. We will fight in the mountains and the swamps until you leave us in peace."
— Adapted from manifestos issued by the Malolos Republic (Emilio Aguinaldo).
Ethical Reasoning Organizer
The "Democratic" Mission
List arguments used by the U.S. government to justify the war (from Lessons 2 & 3).
• To "uplift and civilize" (Benevolent Assimilation)
The "Tactical" Reality
List evidence from today's sources that contradicts the mission above.
Synthesis: The Contradiction
How did the methods used to win the war (Source 2) undermine the stated goals of the war (Source 1 & 3)?
Mark Twain argued that America had "blackened her face before the world." Do you agree? Use evidence from at least two sources in your answer.
Pacific Annexation Project Guide Project Guide
Curating History: The Pacific Annexations
Final Project
Pacific Power Play
The Challenge
The Smithsonian Institution has commissioned you to design a new museum exhibit titled "Empire or Liberty? The US in the Pacific." Your goal is to move beyond one-sided textbook narratives and present a balanced view that includes both the American expansionist perspective and the indigenous resistance perspective.
Exhibit Requirements
Your exhibit plan must include three distinct sections:
Section 1: The Hawaiian Overthrow. Must include Queen Liliuokalani's perspective.
Section 2: The Philippine-American War. Must address the shift from "ally" to "insurgent."
Section 3: The Constitution and the Flag. Must explain the legal status of the territories.
For Each Section:
The Artifact: Select or describe a historical object/primary source to display (e.g., a signature from the Kūʻē Petitions, a $20 million check, a soldier's diary).
The Label (100-150 words): Write the caption that visitors will read. It must be factually accurate and present multiple perspectives.
The Essential Question
"To what extent did American expansion in the Pacific contradict the nation's founding democratic ideals?"
Your final exhibit must provide a concluding statement that answers this question based on the evidence you've curated.
Project Rubric
Criteria Advanced (4) Proficient (3) Developing (2) Historical Accuracy Captions contain specific, nuanced facts from all 5 lessons. No errors. Captions contain accurate historical facts. Minor omissions. Some factual errors or vague generalizations present. Multiple Perspectives Indigenous resistance and American expansionist views are given equal, respectful weight. Both perspectives are present, though one may be more developed than the other. Exhibit leans heavily toward one perspective; the other is a footnote. Artifact Selection Artifacts are highly symbolic and directly support the narrative of each section. Artifacts are relevant and clearly connected to the topic. Artifacts are generic or only loosely related to the specific section. Synthesis (Conclusion) Concluding statement offers a complex, evidence-based answer to the EQ.
Curating History Lesson Plan Lesson Plan
Curating History
Lesson 5 of 5
Pacific Power Play
Objectives
Synthesize information from the entire sequence to create a cohesive historical narrative.
Critique existing historical narratives for bias and omissions.
Write museum-style captions that present multiple perspectives on sensitive topics.
Lesson Flow
The Hook (10 mins)
The Missing Paragraph
Show a standard textbook paragraph about the Philippines from the 1950s (e.g., focusing only on "uplifting" and "schools"). Ask students: Based on what we've learned this week, what is missing from this story? Whose voices are silenced?
Project Workshop (40 mins)
Curating the Exhibit
Students use the "Pacific Annexation Project Guide" and "Exhibit Planner" to draft their museum sections. Teacher circulates to help with artifact selection and tone-checking captions.
Peer Review (10 mins)
The Critical Eye
Students swap planners with a partner. Partners check for:
Materials
Pacific Annexation Project Guide
Exhibit Planner Worksheet
Teaching Tips
Encourage students to think like "Public Historians." Public history isn't just about facts; it's about making those facts accessible and meaningful to a diverse audience.
Exhibit Planner Worksheet Museum Exhibit Planner
Drafting the Pacific Annexation Exhibit
Student:
1 Section One: The Hawaiian Overthrow
Artifact Selection
What object represents this event?
Exhibit Label (Draft)
Write 100-150 words presenting both the planter and monarch perspectives.
2 Section Two: The Philippine War
Artifact Selection
Exhibit Label (Draft)
Address the transition from alliance to war and the "Benevolent Assimilation" policy.
3 Section Three: Constitution and Flag
Artifact Selection
Exhibit Label (Draft)
Explain the Insular Cases and the concept of "unincorporated" territories.
The Conclusion
Answer the Essential Question: To what extent did American expansion in the Pacific contradict the nation's founding democratic ideals?
