Eleanor Finch
In the late 19th century, American sugar planters had a powerful economic grip on Hawaii. In 1893, Queen Liliuokalani, who had ascended to the throne in 1891, proposed a new constitution to strengthen her position and restore voting rights to Native Hawaiians. Fearing they would lose control over the islands, a group of American businessmen, supported by the American diplomatic and military, orchestrated a coup against Queen Liliuokalani. This led to the establishment of a provisional government and, eventually, Hawaii's annexation by the United States in 1898.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Response to the new constitution | Orchestrated a coup against Queen Liliuokalani |
| Coup leader | Sanford B. Dole |
| Coup supporters | U.S. Minister John Stevens, 300 U.S. Marines, armed foreigners and Hawaiian subjects |
| Coup motive | Fear of losing control of the islands, opposition to increased power of the monarchy and restored voting rights for Native Hawaiians |
| Outcome | Annexation of Hawaii by the United States in 1898 |
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What You'll Learn
White planters orchestrated a coup against Queen Liliuokalani
In the late 19th century, American sugar planters held a powerful economic grip on Hawaii. In 1887, a group of influential white sugar planters led by attorneys Lorrin Thurston and Sanford B. Dole took advantage of a spending scandal involving King Kalākaua to demand, at gunpoint, that he sign a new constitution—the Bayonet Constitution—stripping the Hawaiian monarchy of most of its power. The Bayonet Constitution allowed foreign residents to vote and restricted the suffrage rights of Asian workers and those with low incomes or no property.
In 1891, Liliuokalani, sister of the late King Kalākaua, ascended to the throne. She refused to recognise the 1887 constitution and sought to promulgate a new constitution that would increase the power of the monarchy and restore voting rights to Native Hawaiians. In response, white planters, fearing they would lose control of the islands, orchestrated a coup against Queen Liliuokalani. Thurston and an armed group that included foreigners and Hawaiian subjects gathered in view of Liliuokalani's palace and demanded she step down.
The coup, which occurred in January 1893, was organised by a "Committee of Safety" led by Sanford B. Dole, who became president of the new provincial government. It was supported by John L. Stevens, the U.S. minister to Hawaii, and 300 U.S. Marines from the U.S. cruiser Boston, who were called in to allegedly protect American lives. The coup led to the establishment of a provisional government and paved the way for Hawaii's annexation by the United States in 1898.
Queen Liliuokalani spent the rest of her life advocating for Hawaiian sovereignty, even suing the United States. When she died in 1917, she was buried as Hawaiian royalty. Many Indigenous Hawaiians today still protest the United States' colonisation of their islands.
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They were supported by the US military
The response of white planters to Queen Liliuokalani's new constitution was multi-faceted and complex. The queen's efforts to promulgate a new constitution that would increase the power of the monarchy and restore voting rights to Native Hawaiians were met with resistance from American businessmen and sugar planters.
The white planters, who had a powerful economic grip on Hawaii through the sugar industry, feared they would lose control of the islands. Led by Sanford Ballard Dole, they orchestrated a coup in 1893, with the support of American diplomatic and military representatives. This included the presence of 300 U.S. Marines from the U.S. cruiser Boston, who were allegedly called to Hawaii to protect American lives. The coup led to the establishment of a provisional government, with Dole as president, and paved the way for Hawaii's annexation by the United States in 1898.
The US military presence in Hawaii had been established earlier, with the creation of a US naval base at Pearl Harbor in 1887, as part of a new Hawaiian constitution. This base played a strategic role during the Spanish-American War, further convincing Congress to approve the formal annexation of Hawaii. The US military interests in Hawaii, thus, aligned with the economic interests of the white planters, contributing to the support the planters received from the US military during the coup.
The US government's position on the coup was complex. Initially, President Grover Cleveland attempted to restore Queen Liliuokalani to the throne under the 1887 constitution. However, Dole refused to step aside and proclaimed the independent Republic of Hawaii. Cleveland's successor, President William McKinley, negotiated a treaty with the Republic of Hawaii in 1897, and formal annexation occurred in 1898.
The coup and subsequent annexation had lasting impacts on Hawaii and its people. The white planters' actions, supported by the US military, led to the overthrow of Hawaii's last reigning monarch and the end of the Hawaiian monarchy. Despite Queen Liliuokalani's persistent efforts, including suing the United States, Hawaii became a US territory and, later, a state. To this day, many Indigenous Hawaiians continue to protest the United States' colonization of their islands.
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The coup led to the establishment of a provisional government
In 1893, a coup against Queen Liliuokalani, orchestrated by a group of American businessmen and sugar planters, led to the establishment of a provisional government. The coup was a response to Queen Liliuokalani's proposal of a new constitution to strengthen her position and restore power to native Hawaiians. The provisional government was led by Sanford B. Dole, who became the president of the newly established provincial government. The coup occurred with the support of John L. Stevens, the U.S. minister to Hawaii, and 300 U.S. Marines from the U.S. cruiser Boston, who were called in to allegedly protect American lives.
The establishment of the provisional government marked a shift in power and was a significant step towards the annexation of Hawaii by the United States. The provisional government, led by Dole, refused to step aside despite efforts by President Grover Cleveland to restore Queen Liliuokalani to the throne under the 1887 constitution. Instead, Dole proclaimed the independent Republic of Hawaii, further distancing itself from the monarchy.
The coup and the subsequent establishment of the provisional government were influenced by economic and political factors. American sugar planters had a powerful economic grip on Hawaii, and the McKinley Tariff of 1890 raised duties on sugar, causing financial strain for American plantation owners. They sought annexation to avoid tariffs and maintain their profits. Additionally, the increasing population of Europeans and Americans on the islands led to a shift in social structures and voting rights. The Bayonet Constitution of 1887, imposed on King Kalākaua at gunpoint, stripped the Hawaiian monarchy of its power and allowed foreign residents to vote while restricting the suffrage rights of Native Hawaiians.
The provisional government, led by Dole, established a new provincial government that further solidified the control of American sugar planters and businessmen over Hawaiian affairs. The coup and the establishment of the provisional government ultimately paved the way for Hawaii's annexation by the United States in 1898. The strategic use of the naval base at Pearl Harbor during the Spanish-American War convinced Congress to approve formal annexation, and Hawaii officially became a U.S. territory.
The overthrow of Queen Liliuokalani and the establishment of the provisional government had lasting impacts on Hawaii. It marked the end of the Hawaiian monarchy and the beginning of Hawaiian annexation into the United States. Despite protests by Indigenous Hawaiians against the colonization of their islands, Hawaii became a state in 1959, fully integrating it into the United States politically and geographically.
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Hawaii was annexed by the US in 1898
Hawaii officially became a US territory on July 7, 1898, when President McKinley signed the Newlands Resolution, a joint resolution to annex the Hawaiian islands. The annexation marked the end of a long internal power struggle between native Hawaiians and non-native American businessmen.
The US had been interested in Hawaii since the 1820s when American and British missionaries first arrived to convert Hawaiians to Christianity. They reported back on the ideal climate for growing sugar cane, attracting business investors. These investors acquired large tracts of land and replaced traditional Hawaiian agricultural practices with a capitalist plantation economy. By 1874, Hawaii was exporting nearly 25 million pounds of sugar to the US.
In 1887, a group of powerful white sugar planters, led by attorneys Lorrin Thurston and Sanford B. Dole, took advantage of a spending scandal involving King Kalākaua to demand that he sign a new constitution stripping the monarchy of most of its power. This document, known as the Bayonet Constitution, allowed foreign residents to vote while restricting the suffrage rights of Asian workers, low-income individuals, and those who did not own property. As a result, three out of four Native Hawaiians lost their voting rights, and the white planters effectively controlled the islands.
When Queen Liliuokalani, who ascended to the throne in 1891, attempted to replace the Bayonet Constitution with one that would restore power to the monarchy and native Hawaiians, Thurston and an armed group, including foreigners and Hawaiian subjects, demanded that she step down. She was placed under house arrest in 1895 for allegedly having knowledge of treasonous activity against the regime of Sanford Dole, who became the first Governor of the Territory of Hawaii.
Between 1893 and 1898, there was fierce debate in the US about the annexation of Hawaii. Pro-annexationists argued that Hawaii's location was ideal as a gateway to Eastern markets and that Pearl Harbor could serve as a military outpost and coaling station in the Pacific. Despite initial opposition in the Senate due to petitions by native Hawaiians, the Spanish-American War of 1898 ultimately tipped the balance in favor of annexation. President McKinley lobbied Congress to pass the joint resolution, claiming that the US military would benefit from using Hawaii as a coaling station and naval base during the war.
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Liliuokalani spent the rest of her life advocating for Hawaiian sovereignty
In 1893, Queen Liliuokalani of Hawaii was overthrown in a coup led by a group of American businessmen and supported by US military representatives. The coup was a response to her proposal of a new constitution that would restore power to the Hawaiian monarchy and native Hawaiians, while stripping resident aliens of their voting privileges. This new constitution was seen as a threat to the interests of the white planters and foreign landowners, who had gained significant economic and political influence in Hawaii, especially through the sugar industry.
After the coup, Liliuokalani continued to advocate for the Indigenous Hawaiian government and her position as the legitimate leader of Hawaii. She even petitioned the US government to intercede and restore her to power, but her efforts were ultimately unsuccessful. In 1898, the United States annexed Hawaii, and despite this setback, Liliuokalani remained committed to her cause. She became the leader of the "Stand Firm" (Oni pa'a) movement, steadfastly opposing US annexation and advocating for Hawaiian sovereignty. She travelled to Washington with her niece and heir, Kaiulani, to meet President Grover Cleveland and request the restoration of the Hawaiian monarchy, but this appeal also proved futile.
Liliuokalani's advocacy extended beyond political negotiations. She filed an official protest against the "Treaty for the Annexation for the Hawaiian Islands" and even sued the United States under the Fifth Amendment, seeking the return of the Hawaiian Crown Lands. Although her legal pursuits were largely unsuccessful, she continued to seek recompense from the US government for seized land. Her tireless efforts to uphold Hawaiian sovereignty were recognised, and she became a symbol of traditional Hawaiian culture and society.
Even in her later years, Liliuokalani did not waver in her commitment to Hawaiian sovereignty. She spent time in Washington, seeking indemnity from legislators, and her persistence was noted in a 1903 article by the Pacific Commercial Advertiser. In 1911, she was granted a lifetime pension by the Territory, and she continued her advocacy until her death in 1917. Liliuokalani's legacy is honoured in Hawaii, with the naming of the "Queen Liliuokalani Center for Student Services" at the University of Hawaii, and through documentaries and auctions of her artifacts.
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Frequently asked questions
In 1893, a group of white planters, led by Sanford Ballard Dole, responded to Queen Liliuokalani's new constitution by overthrowing her in a coup. They established a new provincial government with Dole as president.
Queen Liliuokalani's new constitution aimed to restore power to the monarchy and re-establish voting rights for Native Hawaiians. She was urged to do so by her native Hawaiian subjects, who presented her with numerous petitions from all parts of the Kingdom.
The coup led by Sanford Ballard Dole resulted in the establishment of a provisional government and the eventual annexation of Hawaii by the United States in 1898.
The coup occurred with the foreknowledge and support of John L. Stevens, the U.S. minister to Hawaii. 300 U.S. Marines from the U.S. cruiser Boston were also called to Hawaii, allegedly to protect American lives.
