Description
Book SynopsisWith Imperial Maine and Hawai''i author Paul Burlin attempts to analyze and elucidate some of the major themes, issues, and currents that formed 19th century American expansion in the Pacific. While the method used is a discussion of the lives and activities of individual Maine residents who were either living in Hawai''i or simply dealing regularly with the archipelago, the book is not a mere work of state history. Rather, the individual players are used as a proxy to discuss the larger issues involved with American imperialism. Burlin explores the shared relationship between Maine and Hawai''i between 1830 and annexation in 1898, devoting chapters to subjects such as religion, commerce, politics, and policy, both foreign and domestic. Using the personal histories of different players in the formation of the state, this study analyzes the major issues involved in American expansion during the period. Questions of self-interest, ideology, geopolitics, and economic forces are brought to the surface and scrutinized. Through his careful consideration, Burlin exposes the complexity and ambiguity of motive and action as the American relationship with Hawai''i evolved over the last two-thirds of the century.
Trade ReviewA refreshing interpretation of the connection between Maine imperialists and Hawai'i, and its larger meaning for Americans today. * The Hawaiian Journal Of History, December 2008 *
Table of Contents1 Introduction 2 An Imperialism of the Spirit 3 Peter Allen Brinsmande and the Tragic Pursuit of a Pious Capitalism 4 Elias Bond and Daniel Dole: Laboring for Christ in Hawai'i 5 Luther Severance: Whig Ideologue as Diplomat 6 Elisha Hunt Allen and the Search for a "Competency" 7 James G. Blaine, John L. Stevens, and Visions of Imperial Grandeur 8 Sanford Ballard Dole and the "New State of Things" 9 Harold Marsh Sewall and Imperial Consummation 10 Conclusion: Heirs to Empire 11 Bibliography
