Hawaii—a U.S. territory since 1898—became the 50th state in August, 1959, following a referendum in Hawaii in which more than 93% of the voters approved the proposition that the territory should be admitted as a state. There were many Hawaiian petitions for statehood during the first half of the 20th century.

Why is Hawaii a US state?

In 1898, a wave of nationalism was caused by the Spanish-American War. Because of these nationalistic views, President William McKinley annexed Hawaii from the United States. It took 60 years from the time Hawaii became a United States territory until it was declared a state on August 21st, 1959.

Why did Alaska and Hawaii became states?

Like Hawaii, Alaska became a state only after World War II. The Democrats, out of power and looking for an advantage, wanted to acquire the two senate seats that would be awarded to Alaska if it became a state. They were successful, and Alaska became the 49th state on January 3, 1959.

The 1959 referendum did not have an option for independence from the United States. Following Hawaii’s admission as a state, the United Nations removed Hawaii from its list of non-self-governing territories (a list of territories that are subject to the decolonization process).