The Annexation of Hawaiʻi

The Annexation of Hawaiʻi

Author: History Hit January 29, 2026 Duration: 54:59

How did Hawaiʻi - once an independent, internationally recognised kingdom - become America's 50th state? It's a tale of economic pressure, political manoeuvring, and ruthless military might. We’ll explore how a sovereign nation was overthrown, how annexation followed without consent, and why this history still matters today.


Our guest today is Noah Dolim, Assistant Professor at the University of Hawai’i at Manoa. Noah primarily focuses on the history of nineteenth-century Hawai’i.


Edited by Aidan Lonergan. Produced by Tom Delargy. Senior Producer is Freddy Chick.


Sign up to History Hit for hundreds of hours of original documentaries, with a new release every week and ad-free podcasts. Sign up at https://www.historyhit.com/subscribe.  


All music from Epidemic Sounds.


American History Hit is a History Hit podcast.


Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.


Tune in twice a week as host Don Wildman digs into the stories that shaped a nation. American History Hit moves beyond textbook dates to explore the people, conflicts, and surprising events that define the American experience. Each episode is a deep dive into a different moment, whether it's the tense war preparations of Chief Powhatan, the clandestine work of codebreakers at Midway, or even the unexpected political accusations hurled by Walt Disney. You'll find that the past is never truly buried, as the series also uncovers the hidden layers beneath landmarks like New York's Central Park. This isn't just a chronicle of what happened; it's an investigation into how these echoes from pre-colonial times onward continue to resonate today. For anyone curious about the complex tapestry of the United States, this podcast from History Hit serves as an engaging and thoughtful guide, turning historical inquiry into a compelling narrative journey.
Author: Language: English Episodes: 100

American History Hit
Podcast Episodes
King Phillip's War [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 47:58
This is one of the deadliest conflicts in North American History. But who was King Philip? What started the war? And how did it change history?Don is joined by Professor David Silverman from George Washington University…
Annexation of Alaska [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 45:24
In 1867, the United States purchased Alaska from Russia in a deal that reshaped the map of North America... but what did that moment mean for the people already living there? In this episode, we explore Alaska before Eur…
The Quaker Who Put Penn in Pennsylvania [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 54:59
From being locked up in the Tower of London to founding the 5th most populous state in the country, and the city at the heart of the Revolution, today we are charting the unlikely rise of William Penn and the founding on…
Stonewall Jackson's Last Battle: Chancellorsville [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 42:02
It was Robert E. Lee's greatest strategic triumph but it came at a heavy cost - the loss of his talismanic leader and friend Stonewall Jackson among thousands of Confederate casualties. Guiding Don Wildman through what h…
A Day in the Life of a Puritan [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 53:36
What if we told you that puritans were actually sex-crazed? Well maybe not crazed but definitely not opposed to it.What if we told you that, actually, the entire mainstream belief of puritans being bound to strict moral…
George Washington's Spies [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 38:13
During the Revolutionary War a vital web of intelligence was established, with General Washington at its head. Operating through coded letters, hidden signals, and a chain of ordinary civilians turned spies, their secrec…
Geronimo's Rebellion and the Apache Wars [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 38:01
Geronimo's name is famous across the world: the Apache warrior who led a resistance movement against the United States out in the South West for years...But what happened to Geronimo (or Goyaałé) that led to his campaign…
The Astors, The Gilded Age & The Building of New York [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 37:29
From fur traders to rulers of the New York social scene - how did the Astors rise to the top? What did it mean to be 'Old Money' in the Gilded Age? And where did that power go?Don is joined by New York Times best-selling…
Shays' Rebellion: An Honorable Rebellion? [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 45:44
Shays’ Rebellion has long been taught as a dangerous uprising, one that risked shaking the newly founded United States of America. But by tracing the events from mounting grievances to the march on the Springfield Armory…
How to Escape Alcatraz [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 46:51
What was it like to live on Alcatraz? And was it possible to escape? In this episode, Don speaks to a historian with the unique experience of growing up there.Jolene Babyak's father worked on Alcatraz during its 29 years…