What may be a happy joyous day for tourism, America, and surfers, was actually a sad day for the natives of Hawaii. Francis G. Newlands initiated the bill, which would be turned down, and on July 7, 1898 the joint resolution to annex Hawaii was approved by the house and senate.
On this day July 7th, in 1898, President William McKinley signed the Newlands Resolution annexing Hawaii as a territory of the United States. Francis G. Newlands was born in San Francisco and served as senator for Nevada; he wrote the Newlands resolution. On this very day many native Hawaiians were mourning for the end of the Hawaiian monarchy.
Later in 1898, in August, a formal event was held on the steps of Iolani Palace to signify the transfer from the monarchy of Hawaii to America. It is located in Downtown Honolulu and in 1978 it was opened to the public as a museum. Honolulu is the capital of Hawaii, with a population of in its metropolitan area of nearly a million people. Hawaii and Honolulu continue to be among the hottest tourist hotspots in the world.