KE AUPUNI UPDATE - MARCH 2025
Tariffs and the Overthrow…
U.S. President Trump’s recent announcements on raising tariffs is sending shockwaves through the international trade community. Tariffs not only have a profound effect on commerce and economics, but it can greatly affect the political health and status of nations.
What we are seeing today is a chilling, real-time reminder of the scenario that led to the “overthrow” of the Hawaiian Kingdom in 1893…
Here’s what happened. The huge influx of people triggered by the 1849 California Gold Rush created a huge demand for sugar in California. Ideally situated to meet that demand, the fledgling Hawaii sugar companies rapidly expanded putting thousands of acres into production and bringing in thousands of laborers from China. Then, ten years later, the American Civil War broke out. The Southern sugar-producing states seceded from the Union cutting off the Northern sugar consuming states from their supply of the sweet stuff. The Hawaii sugar planters stepped up to fill the need and the Hawaii sugar business exploded exponentially.
But after the Civil War as the Southern sugar returned to market, and tariffs on imports from foreign countries like the Hawaiian Kingdom began to be levied to protect American sugar production, the Hawaiian government and Hawaii’s sugar planters had to constantly negotiate with the US to keep tariff down to maintain higher market prices. Sometimes they succeeded, sometimes they did not.
To stop the roller-coaster of boom or bust, the sugar planters, the shipping industry, the purveyors of goods, the banks, etc., mostly owned and run by foreigners, came to the conclusion that the best way to keep their profits up, would be to have Hawaii annexed to the United States. If Hawaii was part of the US, there’d be no more tariffs and the rich would get richer and richer.
The problem they had was that the Monarchs, King Kalakaua and later, Queen Liliuokalani, and the Hawaiian people would have nothing to do with such a traitorous scheme — trading the sovereignty of their country so that a few rich and obnoxious haole could get richer and more obnoxious.
In 1887 the annexationists forced King Kalakaua to accept the infamous Bayonet Constitution, named for the manner in which it was obtained. This gave more governing power to the annexationists and reduced the power of the monarchs and the Hawaiian people.
The tipping point was the U.S. Congress’ passage of the Tariff Act of 1890, commonly called the McKinley Tariff… (Yes, that McKinley, who seven years later became the US President, and eight years later carried out the fake annexation of Hawaii). The McKinley Tariff greatly reduced all tariffs of foreign goods to practically zero… except for sugar from the Hawaiian Kingdom. This enraged the Hawaii sugar planters and deepened their resolve to annex the Hawaiian Islands to the United States, which they caried out three years later in collusion with the US military.
The taking of the Hawaiian Kingdom was fueled by sheer greed. More money and power for the sugar/commerce industry in Hawaii and an ideal military operations base for the US in the Pacific.
Aloha ʻĀina —
“Love of country is deep-seated in the breast of every Hawaiian, whatever his station.” — Queen Liliʻuokalani
Ua mau ke ea o ka ʻāina i ka pono.
The sovereignty of the land is perpetuated in righteousness.
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For the latest news and developments about our progress at the United Nations in both New York and Geneva, tune in to Free Hawaii News at 7 PM, the first Friday of each month on ʻŌlelo Television, Channel 53.
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Malama Pono,
Leon Siu
Hawaiian National
