overthrow of the Hawaiian Kingdom

overthrow of the Hawaiian Kingdom was a coup d'état on January 17, 1893, in which the Kingdom of Hawaii's monarch, Queen Liliʻuokalani, was deposed by a group of American and European businessmen and sugar planters, supported by the United States Marine Corps. The conspirators established a Provisional Government of Hawaii, which sought immediate annexation by the United States. This event led to the end of over a century of indigenous sovereignty and culminated in the Newlands Resolution for annexation in 1898.

Background and causes

The origins of the overthrow are rooted in the increasing economic and political influence of foreign residents, primarily American businessmen and missionaries, in the Kingdom of Hawaii during the 19th century. The Reciprocity Treaty of 1875 between the kingdom and the United States greatly boosted the sugar plantation economy but also made Hawaii economically dependent on American markets. A subsequent treaty in 1887, the Bayonet Constitution, was forced upon King Kalākaua by the Honolulu Rifles, a militia of the Reform Party (Hawaii), stripping the monarchy of much of its authority and disenfranchising many Native Hawaiians and Asian laborers. When Liliʻuokalani ascended the throne in 1891, she sought to promulgate a new constitution to restore royal power and voting rights, which alarmed the powerful foreign oligarchy known as the Committee of Safety, led by figures like Lorrin A. Thurston and Sanford B. Dole. The strategic importance of Pearl Harbor, secured for the United States Navy by the 1887 treaty, and the economic philosophy of Manifest Destiny further motivated American expansionists.

The overthrow of 1893

On January 14, 1893, Queen Liliʻuokalani attempted to introduce a new constitution, prompting the Committee of Safety, with the clandestine support of United States Minister John L. Stevens, to initiate plans for her removal. On January 16, Stevens ordered the landing of armed forces from the USS Boston—marines and sailors—who took up positions near ʻIolani Palace under the pretext of protecting American lives and property. The next day, the Committee declared the monarchy abolished and proclaimed a Provisional Government of Hawaii, with Sanford B. Dole as its president. Faced with the threat of bloodshed and the implied force of American troops, Liliʻuokalani yielded her authority under protest, stating she surrendered "to the superior force of the United States."

Aftermath and annexation

The Provisional Government of Hawaii immediately sought a treaty of annexation from President Benjamin Harrison. However, his successor, Grover Cleveland, upon receiving the investigative report by Commissioner James Henderson Blount, denounced the overthrow as an "act of war" and demanded the restoration of Liliʻuokalani. The Provisional Government refused, reconstituting itself as the Republic of Hawaii in 1894 with Sanford B. Dole as president. An unsuccessful counter-revolution in 1895 led to the queen's arrest and imprisonment in ʻIolani Palace. With the election of expansionist President William McKinley and the strategic impetus of the Spanish–American War, the United States Congress passed the Newlands Resolution in July 1898, annexing Hawaii as a U.S. territory, a move opposed by the vast majority of Native Hawaiians.

Legal and historical debates

The legality and morality of the overthrow have been subjects of intense historical and legal scrutiny. The Blount Report of 1893 and the later Morgan Report presented conflicting conclusions regarding the involvement of U.S. forces. In 1993, the U.S. Congress passed the Apology Resolution, signed by President Bill Clinton, which formally apologized for the role of American agents and acknowledged the overthrow was illegal under international law. Scholars debate the primacy of economic motives versus geopolitical strategy, and the event is central to discussions of American imperialism and indigenous sovereignty movements. The status of the Kingdom of Hawaii under international law at the time of the overthrow remains a point of contention in modern Native Hawaiian activism.

Legacy and commemoration

The overthrow remains a pivotal and painful event in Hawaiian history, forming the foundation for the modern Hawaiian sovereignty movement. It is commemorated annually on January 17 as Lā Kuʻokoʻa (Independence Day) by sovereignty advocates. The event is interpreted at historical sites like ʻIolani Palace and the Bishop Museum. Its legacy directly influences contemporary political discussions regarding federal recognition, reparations, and self-determination for Native Hawaiians, as seen in efforts like the Native Hawaiian Government Reorganization Act and the work of the Office of Hawaiian Affairs. The overthrow is also critically examined in works by historians such as Ralph S. Kuykendall and Noenoe K. Silva.

Category:1893 in Hawaii Category:Coups d'état Category:History of Hawaii Category:January 1893 events