Hawaii's 50th Anniversary as America's 50th State
A commentary by Don Hooser
Good News magazine writer, Bellingham WA
Posted September 10, 2009
 Fifty
years ago on August 21, 1959 the Territory of Hawaii became the 50th
state of the United States of America. Earlier that same year, on January
3, the Territory of Alaska had become the 49th state. Both were immense
additions to the nation's wealth and blessings.
The history of America's territorial expansion is fascinating. For each
addition, the cost was relatively low or none at all.
The source of America's blessings
Looking back on its history, some say America has been amazingly "lucky!" Others
say that the evidence strongly points to divine intervention—that
God was handing the nation's pioneers a new promised land!
Time after time enormous portions of land seemingly fell into America's
lap! One enormous asset of the United States is its abundance of fruitful land in
ideal and strategic locations.
But if God has time and again so blessed America, what was His purpose?
Before addressing that question let's consider a simplified summary
of the territorial expansion of the United States.
U.S. acquisitions
The Revolutionary War that officially began in 1776 concluded with
the Treaty of Paris in 1783. That treaty gave the United States far
more land than the colonies along the Atlantic coast. It defined the
nation's territory as all the land between British Canada to the
north, Spanish Florida to the south and the Mississippi River to the
west!
Then in 1803 the size of the country virtually doubled with the massive
Louisiana Purchase from France! The cost was $15 million, about $18
per square mile.
With a treaty in 1819, the United States acquired more prime real estate
when Spain ceded Florida to the U.S. for about $5 million.
The Republic of Texas, having gained independence from Mexico in 1836,
was annexed in 1845. At that time, the territory included not only the
present state of Texas but also territory that now is part of Colorado,
Kansas, Oklahoma, New Mexico and Wyoming.
From coast to coast
Beginning in 1818 "Oregon Country" from the Rockies to
the Pacific was jointly controlled by the United States and the United
Kingdom. A treaty in 1846 divided the territory at the 49th parallel,
giving the United States the area that now includes Oregon, Washington
and Idaho.
At the conclusion of the Mexican-American War in 1848, Mexico ceded
an enormous area to the U.S. for about $18 million. The region includes
all of the present-day states of California, Nevada and Utah, and portions
of Arizona, Colorado, New Mexico and Wyoming—completing the nation's
expansion from the Atlantic Ocean to the Pacific Ocean.
Three more acquisitions
With the Gadsden Purchase of 1853, the U.S. purchased from Mexico a
strip of land now in New Mexico and Arizona for $10 million.
Alaska was purchased from the Russian Empire in 1867 for $7,200,000—about
1.9 cents per acre. Some Americans thought this was a wasteful purchase—that
Alaska was just a big icebox!
Hawaii, a republic since 1894, was annexed in 1898. Although there
are eight main islands, Hawaii actually has hundreds of islands spread
over 1500 miles. Other islands around the world have also become territorial
possessions of the United States through a variety of circumstances.
Is God responsible?
Now to the fundamental question: Did God plan and announce long in
advance the blessings and mushrooming expansion of the United States?
Both the historical and biblical evidence emphatically say yes!
That is not to say that America's earliest settlers personally earned
or deserved these blessings. Instead, it's a result of
God fulfilling His specific territorial promises to Abraham, Isaac
and Jacob. There is ample historical evidence that the earliest settlers
in America came mostly from peoples in Britain who descended from
the biblical tribes of Ephraim and Manasseh, direct descendants of
Jacob's son Joseph.
God promised the biblical patriarchs that because of their obedience
and steadfast faith, He would greatly bless their descendants and someday
make great nations of them. And He did as He promised.
But He also warned that He would withdraw His blessings from
them or any nation or people if they turned their backs on Him. Both
the British and American people are rapidly abandoning their biblical
roots. What will their future be?
 Learn the complete story. It is fully
explained in a free booklet that we offer to all of our viewers and
readers. Simply request, download or read online this thoroughly documented,
free booklet: The United States
and Britain in Prophecy.
Related Resources
America's
Astounding Destiny: Was It Foretold in the Bible?
The rise of the United States of America from British colony to superpower is
an incredible story worth retelling. Equally incredible is the fact that the
rise of the United States and the British Empire was foretold thousands of years
ago.
America's
Astounding Destiny Rise To Greatness
In part 1 of this series we noted America's unlikely break from Britain to chart
a new and independent course—in fulfillment of Bible prophecy. Now we
examine the foretelling of the United States' rise to greatness and its dramatic
fulfillment.
America's
Astounding Destiny: A Nation Losing Its Way
In parts 1 and 2 of this series we saw the birth and expansion of the United
States fulfilling Bible prophecy. We end with a look at America's replacement
of Britain as global protector and how a nation's turning its back on God threatens
its existence.
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