Territory of Hawaii

Territory of Hawaii
Panalāʻau o Hawaiʻi (Hawaiian)
Organized incorporated territory of the United States
1900–1959

Main islands of the Territory of Hawaii
Anthem
"Hawaiʻi Ponoʻī"
CapitalHonolulu
Government
 • TypeOrganized incorporated territory
Governor 
• 1900–1903 (first)
Sanford B. Dole
• 1957–1959 (last)
William F. Quinn
Military Governor 
• 1941
LTG Walter Short
• 1941–1943
LTG Delos Emmons
• 1943–1944
LTG Robert C. Richardson Jr.
History 
August 12, 1898
30 April 1900
December 7, 1941
• Martial law
1941–1944
1946–1958
21 August 1959
Preceded by
Succeeded by
Republic of Hawaii
Hawaii
Palmyra Atoll

The Territory of Hawaii or Hawaii Territory[1][2][3] (Hawaiian: Panalāʻau o Hawaiʻi) was an organized incorporated territory of the United States that existed from April 30, 1900,[4] until August 21, 1959, when most of its territory, excluding Palmyra Island, was admitted to the United States as the 50th US state, the State of Hawaii. The Hawaii Admission Act specified that the State of Hawaii would not include Palmyra Island, the Midway Islands, Kingman Reef, and Johnston Atoll, which includes Johnston (or Kalama) Island and Sand Island.[5]

On July 4, 1898, the United States Congress passed the Newlands Resolution authorizing the US annexation of the Republic of Hawaii, and five weeks later, on August 12, Hawaii became a US territory. In April 1900, Congress approved the Hawaiian Organic Act which organized the territory. United States Public Law 103-150 adopted in 1993, (informally known as the Apology Resolution), acknowledged that "the overthrow of the Kingdom of Hawaii occurred with the active participation of agents and citizens of the United States" and also "that the Native Hawaiian people never directly relinquished to the United States their claims to their inherent sovereignty as a people over their national lands, either through the Kingdom of Hawaii or through a plebiscite or referendum".[6]

Hawaii's territorial history includes a period from 1941 to 1944, during World War II, when the islands were placed under martial law. Civilian government was dissolved and a military governor was appointed.

  1. ^ "Department of Commerce and Labor, Coast and Geodetic Survey, Terrestrial magnetism results of magnetic observations made by the coast and geodetic survey between July 1, 1905, and June 30, 1906" (PDF). ftp.ngdc.noaa.gov. p. 119.
  2. ^ "Department of Commerce, Statistical Abstract of the United States, page 1" (PDF). Retrieved February 1, 2013.
  3. ^ https://www.census.gov/prod/cen2000/phc-3-13.pdf (U.S. Census Bureau, 2003, page III-1)
  4. ^ 31 Stat. 141
  5. ^ "An Act to Provide for the Admission of the State of Hawaii into the Union". Hawaii State Legislature. March 18, 1959.
  6. ^ "Public Law 103-150 – Wikisource, the free online library".