Hawaii Statehood, August 21, 1959

Located in the historical records of the U.S. House of Representatives and the U.S. Senate at the Center for Legislative Archives are many documents that illustrate the important role of Congress in the statehood process. Here is a small sampling of the many congressional records that highlight Hawaii's long path to statehood. On August 21, 1959 Hawaii became the 50th state.

Letter from Liliuokalani, Queen of Hawaii to U.S. House of Representatives protesting U.S. assertion of ownership of Hawaii, December 19, 1898

President William McKinley's nomination of Sanford B. Dole to be Governor of the Territory of Hawaii, May 4, 1900

J. Res. 1 of the Legislature of the Territory of Hawaii, August 15, 1903, that petitioned Congress to admit Hawaii as a state

Certificate of Election of Joseph Farrington, November 16, 1942, as Hawaii's Delegate to Congress; Farrington served in Congress until his death in 1954

"Hawaii: 49th State" brochure c.1946, compiled by the Associated Students of the University of Hawaii to outline student support for Hawaiian statehood

Letter from the 8th Grade Social Studies Class, Honokaa High and Elementary School, Hawaii, to the Chairman of the Committee on Interior and Insular Affairs, 1951

Sen. J. Res. 8 of the Legislature of the State of California, relative to granting the Territory of Hawaii statehood in the United States, March 12, 1953

Res. 84 of the Board of Supervisors of the County of Maui, November 21, 1958; various legislative petitions, such as this one, were submitted to Congress regularly

Resolution of the Republican County Committee, County of Hawaii, January 15, 1959, sent to Congress urging statehood for Hawaii

S. 50, A Bill to provide for the admission of the State of Hawaii into the Union, March 11, 1959

S. Res. 13 of the Associated Students of the University of Hawaii sent to express gratitude to Congress for allowing Hawaii to become a state

Certificate of Election for Representative Daniel K. Inouye, August 21, 1959, as Hawaii's first voting member of the U.S. House of Representatives

More Information: Visit the Eisenhower Presidential Library to see Executive documents related to Hawaii's statehood.

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