Publication Date
Spring 4-8-2025
Document Type
Thesis
Degree Name
Master of Arts in History & Political Thought, History Concentration (MA)
Department
History
Committee Chair
Dr. Jerry Thompson
Committee Member
Dr. Deborah Blackwell
Committee Member
Dr. Alfonso Vergaray
Committee Member
Dr. Andrew Hazelton
Abstract
In the discourse of Western historiography, we fail to account for the importance of the Hawai’ian Islands. American imperialism did not stop with the occupation of the Pacific Coast but continued into the Pacific. In the mid-nineteenth century, Hawai’i and its monarch, King Kamehameha III, stood at the center of a dispute between Britain, France, and the United States. King Kamehameha III used the California Gold Rush and Hawai’i’s location to his advantage to garner capital and prevent the imperial powers from annexing his kingdom. However, even he knew he could not stop the mass wave of Hawai’ians leaving the islands or the foreigners coming to Hawai'i. Thus, he instituted many reforms to maintain power and prepare for the eventuality of annexation.
Recommended Citation
Coronado, Ernesto, "The Curse Of El Dorado: How The Californnia Gold Rush Shaped The History Of Hawai'i" (2025). Theses and Dissertations. 209.
https://rio.tamiu.edu/etds/209
Included in
Ethnic Studies Commons, Hawaiian Studies Commons, Indigenous Studies Commons, Other American Studies Commons
