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• Portugal - 1882
• Russia - 1869
• Samoa - 1887
• Spain - 1863
• Sweden and Norway - 1852
• Swiss Confederation - 1864
• United States - 1849, 1870, 1875, 1883, 1884
• Universal Postal Union - 1882

Abandoned
The Hawaiian Kingdom had excellent relations
with all its treaty partners and had no dispute
or animosity toward anyone. But sadly, when
the United States landed troops in the islands
in 1893 to overthrow Queen Liliuokalani, King
Kalakaua’s successor, not a single country raised customary international law, the terms of a treaty apply to not only
a protest or came to the aid of the Hawaiian the highcontracting parties, but also to the colonies and territories of
Kingdom. the treaty partners. That means former colonies and territories
There are several self-serving reasons for this that have become independent states are successor parties to the treaty
desertion of treaty obligations. arrangements of their former colonial or administrative countries.
1) No one dared challenge the United States even
though it committed blatant acts of aggression. Thus, of the 193 Member States of the United Nations, 173 of them —
2) Hawaii was a small insignificant country and whether they know it or not —currently have either an original
the coup was essentially “bloodless”. (direct) or a successor (indirect) treaty relationship with the Hawaiian
3) Racial prejudice and the belief that whites Kingdom.
were supposed to be the rulers was rampant
among the world powers. No Treaty of Annexation
4) The overthrow did not upset or interfere with However, of all the treaties the Hawaiian Kingdom had with the world,
trade to and from Hawaii so countries went along and the five treaties the Hawaiian Kingdom shared with the United
with rather than object to the regime change. States, the one treaty it does not have is a Treaty of Annexation with the
United States of America. There is no Treaty of Annexation in either
The only treaty partner to question the coup was the archives of the Hawaiian Kingdom or the archives of the United
the Empire of Japan, concerned about whether States.
the regime chamge would adversely affect
Japanese immigration to Hawaii. The leaders of The only place where a “Treaty of Annexation” exists is an artists’
the coup assured Japan it would not, so Japan rendition; an inscription on a sculpted scroll in the right hand of a
dropped the issue. Most of the other countries statue of US President William McKinley that stands in front of a high
simply recognized the Republic of Hawaii as the school in Honolulu that bears his name.
successor to the Hawaiian Kingdom, and carried
on with business as usual. The absence of an actual treaty of annexation proves that the United
States never lawfully acquired the Hawaiian Islands. Thus, the Hawaiian
Despite this abandonment and betrayal, the Kingdom and its subjects emphatically reject all US claims of dominion
Hawaiian Kingdom maintains that none of its over them and are diligently working to reinstate the Kingdom of the
treaties were actually formally abrogated, and Hawaiian Islands as an independent country, and in the Spirit of Aloha,
thus remain in force today. Just as the Hawaiian looks forward to normalizing and resuming productive relationships
Kingdom remains in continuity, the Hawaiian with all its treaty partners.
Kingdom’s treaties remain in continuity.
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More Treaties * This year, 2024 is the 160 Anniversary of the signing of the Treaty
th
Today, there are many more sovereign between the Swiss Confederation and the Hawaiian Kingdom. A
countries in the world that feasibly share treaty celebration between the peoples of Switzerland and Hawaii is being
relationships with the Hawaiian Kingdom. Under planned.

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