Question

to his excellency william mckinley, president, and the senate, of the united states of america... we, the undersigned, native hawaiian citizens... who are members of the hawaiian patriotic league of the hawaiian islands, and others who are in sympathy with the said league, earnestly protest against the... addition of the said hawaiian islands to the said united states of america in any form or shape. - petition, 1897 what were these hawaiian citizens protesting? the colonization of the islands by political refugees from the united states the forced annexation of the islands as a u.s. territory after the overthrow of the hawaiian monarchy the granting of u.s. statehood to the islands after they were purchased from the hawaiian monarch

Explanation:

The Hawaiian Patriotic League and native Hawaiian citizens protested against the annexation of the Hawaiian Islands to the United States in 1897. The main form of protest was through petitions. The other options - colonization as political refugees, forced annexation as a territory after overthrowing the monarchy, and granting state - hood - are not what the protest was about.

Answer:

The forced annexation of the islands as a U.S. territory after the overthrow of the Hawaiian monarchy.