AHC: Independent Hawaii

Ok, so basically just allow for an independent Hawaii (by 1900) without significant butterflies to the rest of the world. Bonus points if it controls a lot of territory (perhaps a major chunk of Polynesia?). More bonus points if it lasts beyond 1920.
 
Japanese go overboard and invade Hawaii during the initial coup so everyone freaks out and agrees to support a neutral Hawaii.
 
Japanese go overboard and invade Hawaii during the initial coup so everyone freaks out and agrees to support a neutral Hawaii.

Teddy Roosevelt wouldn't like that at all...

In seriousness, perhaps if Cleveland had been a remarkably popular president and had been elected a third time?
 
Ok, so basically just allow for an independent Hawaii (by 1900) without significant butterflies to the rest of the world. Bonus points if it controls a lot of territory (perhaps a major chunk of Polynesia?). More bonus points if it lasts beyond 1920.

As far as an independent Hawaii owning any more of Polynesia than the Hawaiian islands? Not very likely. Maybe some of the Line Islands, but it's highly doubtful. The British are going to want to take them in the late 1880s for telegraph cables or some shit. At that point it is pretty much might makes right, because they're uninhabited until British settlers show up (although I think they were inhabited centuries or millennia prior).

Other than that, they're simply too far away from the closest island groups to control in the face of European exploration/colonization.
 
This wouldn't actually have meant full independence for the whole period, but if one of the 19th-century kings had requested and received British protection (as did the King of Tonga, for example) before American influence there became too great then it might be an independent kingdom again (like Tonga, again) by now...
 
This wouldn't actually have meant full independence for the whole period, but if one of the 19th-century kings had requested and received British protection (as did the King of Tonga, for example) before American influence there became too great then it might be an independent kingdom again (like Tonga, again) by now...

I dunno, I can imagine Hawaii being made a crown colony after a while. With Tonga, there wasn't much to gain other than some land for growing vanilla beans and shit. With Hawaii, there's a lot more to gain.
But I could be wrong.
 
I dunno, I can imagine Hawaii being made a crown colony after a while. With Tonga, there wasn't much to gain other than some land for growing vanilla beans and shit. With Hawaii, there's a lot more to gain.
But I could be wrong.
Britain tended not to turn protectorates into crown colonies, because (apart from any other factors) that would have meant breaking the treaties involved. We're not talking about the possible relationship between the USA and an 'Indian' tribe, here, after all... ;)

We might want to lease a suitable site for setting up a quite large naval base in those islands, as a part of the deal, of course.
 
Britain tended not to turn protectorates into crown colonies, because (apart from any other factors) that would have meant breaking the treaties involved. We're not talking about the possible relationship between the USA and an 'Indian' tribe, here, after all... ;)

We might want to lease a suitable site for setting up a quite large naval base in those islands, as a part of the deal, of course.

Makes sense.
 
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