Pineapple Imperialism – a History of Hawaii

Viewed as a microcosm of Manifest Destiny beyond the confines of the geographical limits of the continental United States, the annexation of the Hawaiian Islands by the US in the late 19th century marked the beginning of what we now consider the global American Empire. To the Hawaiian peoples, it was a clearly just as if not moreso a historic moment, albeit done for reasons of pragmatic acceptance of their minor power relationship in an ocean surrounded by much larger political and economic forces. The Hawaiian Islands, given their incredible strategic military location in the middle of the Pacific, would inevitably come under the sway of one of the surrounding powers. It was almost always less a question of if, but rather a question of when – and how.

Myth of the 20th Century – Episode 251 – Pineapple Imperialism – a History of Hawaii

— References —

– The Influence of Sea Power upon History, Mahan (1890)

– Overthrow: America’s Century of Regime Change from Hawaii to Iraq, Kinzer (2006)

– Banana Imperialism – Central America and the Rise of the United Fruit Company, Myth of the 20th Century (2020) – https://myth20c.wordpress.com/2020/02/05/banana-imperialism-central-america-and-the-rise-of-the-united-fruit-company/

– Indigenous Continent: The Epic Contest for North America, Hämäläinen (2022)