History of Hawaii United States of America

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Sanford Ballard Dole, president of the republic of Hawaii, was born in the Hawaiian Islands; April 23, 1844; son of Daniel and Emily (Ballard) Dole; and grandson of Wigglesworth and Elizabeth (Haskell) Dole. His father's boyhood home was in Skowhegan, Maine, and his mother's home before her marriage was Bath, Maine. He was educated by his father at Kauai, at Oahu college, Oahu, Hawaii, and at Williams college, Massachusetts. He was admitted to the bar in Boston and returned to Hawaii, where he practised law. He was married to Anna Gate of Castine, Maine. He was a member of the legislatures of 1884 and 1886 and was active in promoting the reform movement that led to changes in government in 1887. He was a judge of the supreme court of the kingdom in 1887, and head of the provisional government of 1893, which arrogated the powers and duties theretofore belonging to the sovereign. On June 30, 1894, a constitution was adopted in which he was named as president to hold office till 1901. This constitution was promulgated July 4, 1894. The provisional government sent commissioners to the United States in 1893, who negotiated a treaty of annexation, but President Cleveland withdrew the treaty from the senate and announced his intention of restoring the monarchy, and on Dec. 23, 1893, President Dole, when requested to relinquish to Queen Liliuokalani her constitutional authority, denied the right of the President of the United States to interfere with Hawaiian affairs, and the matter was not pressed by the President. He continued to advocate annexation and in January, 1898, he visited the United States with his wife and was made a guest of the nation. In July, 1898, the U.S. congress passed the act annexing the Hawaiian Islands and the act was signed by the President of the United States, July 7, 1898. The formal transfer of sovereignty took place at Honolulu, Aug. 12, at which time the instructions of President McKinley were announced, substantially Continuing the existing form of government until legislation by congress on the subject should determine the future policy of the government and the existing officials were retained. On June 14, 1900, he was inaugurated the first governor of Hawaii Territory.

From: Twentieth Century Biographical Dictionary of Notable Americans, Johnson, Rossiter, editor

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