Life — July 22, 1897 — page 1: what you’re looking at

What you’re looking at

# "The Reluctant Bridegroom" This 1897 *Life* magazine cartoon satirizes American reluctance regarding the annexation of Hawaii. The image shows a wedding ceremony where a man (representing the United States) is being pressured into marriage with a woman labeled "Hawaii." The clergy and witnesses appear to be pushing the union forward despite the groom's apparent hesitation. The satire critiques the imperialist expansion debate of the 1890s. Many Americans opposed Hawaii's annexation as an overreach of federal power and colonial ambition, while expansionists promoted it. The "reluctant bridegroom" metaphor suggests the U.S. government was being coerced into territorial acquisition against public sentiment—depicting annexation as an unwanted obligation rather than a willing engagement.