Jonah Patel
The Bayonet Constitution, also known as the 1887 Constitution of the Hawaiian Kingdom, was a legal document drafted by a group of lawyers that stripped King Kalākaua of personal authority and transferred power to a coalition of American, European, and native Hawaiian people. The document was signed under threat of violence, with an armed militia forcing the king to comply with their demands. This event marked the beginning of the decline of the monarchy in Hawaii and the rise of a new cabinet controlled by the Hawaiian League, a group of anti-monarchy elites.
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What You'll Learn
The Bayonet Constitution stripped the Hawaiian monarchy of power
The Bayonet Constitution, also known as the 1887 Constitution of the Hawaiian Kingdom, was a legal document drafted to strip the absolute Hawaiian monarchy of its authority and transfer power to a coalition of American, European, and native Hawaiian people. The constitution was drafted by a group of lawyers, including Lorrin Thurston, Sanford B. Dole, William Ansel Kinney, William Owen Smith, George Norton Wilcox, and Edward Griffin Hitchcock—all of whom were associated with the Hawaiian League, a secret society that aimed to annex Hawaii to the United States.
The Bayonet Constitution replaced the king's absolute veto with one that could be overridden by two-thirds of the legislature. It took away the king's power to act without the consent of his cabinet and gave the legislature the authority to dismiss the cabinet instead of the king. The king was no longer allowed to appoint legislators to any other government post, and the cabinet gained the right to vote in the legislature. The constitution also removed the monarch's power to appoint members of the House of Nobles, making it an elected body. Additionally, it included requirements of income and literacy for voting, disenfranchising many Native Hawaiians, while granting suffrage to white non-citizens who met these requirements and barring Asians from voting entirely.
The Bayonet Constitution was imposed on King Kalākaua by the Honolulu Rifles, an armed militia that served as the military arm of the Hawaiian League, and politicians from the Reform Party of the Hawaiian Kingdom. They demanded the dismissal of his cabinet, led by Walter M. Gibson, who supported the king's authority. King Kalākaua was forced to sign the new constitution under threat of violence and deposition.
The imposition of the Bayonet Constitution marked the beginning of the decline of the Hawaiian monarchy. While it did not depose the king, it severely limited his power and enabled the domination of the legislature by wealthy, anti-monarchy elites. The Native Hawaiian population of the Hawaiian Kingdom sought to restore King Kalākaua's power and authority, but their efforts were unsuccessful. King Kalākaua died in 1891, and his sister, Princess Liliʻuokalani, became queen. She took an oath to "maintain the Constitution of the Kingdom whole and inviolate, and to govern in conformity therewith," but the Bayonet Constitution was never ratified by the Legislative Assembly.
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It was signed under threat of violence
The Bayonet Constitution, also known as the 1887 Constitution of the Hawaiian Kingdom, was a legal document drafted to strip the absolute monarchy of its powers and transfer them to a coalition of American, European, and native Hawaiian people. The document was signed by King Kalākaua under threat of violence and the duress of an armed militia, who forced him to comply with their demands or face being deposed.
The Honolulu Rifles, a group of soldiers that were secretly the military arm of the Hawaiian League, joined forces with politicians from the Reform Party of the Hawaiian Kingdom. Together, they demanded that the King dismiss his Cabinet, which was led by Walter M. Gibson, who supported the king's authority. The King, facing the threat of force, called in US Minister George W. Merrill and other foreign representatives, requesting their help. However, they all advised him to comply with the demands, leaving him with no choice but to acquiesce.
The new constitution significantly curtailed the monarch's authority. It replaced the king's absolute veto with one that could be overridden by two-thirds of the legislature. The king was no longer allowed to act without the consent of his cabinet, and the legislature gained the power to dismiss the cabinet instead of the king. The monarch's power to appoint members of the House of Nobles was removed, making it an elected body. Additionally, the constitution included provisions that disenfranchised many Native Hawaiians through income and literacy requirements, while granting suffrage to white non-citizens who met certain criteria.
The Bayonet Constitution marked the beginning of the insurgency and the decline of the monarchy in Hawaii. It was never ratified by the Legislative Assembly and was met with resistance from Native Hawaiians, who sought to restore King Kalākaua's power. The king's health deteriorated during this tumultuous period, and he died in 1891. His heir, Lili'uokalani, affirmed that he had signed the constitution under threats of violence and that he was warned of consequences should he attempt to undo it.
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It was drafted by anti-monarchists
The Bayonet Constitution, also known as the 1887 Constitution of the Hawaiian Kingdom, was drafted by anti-monarchists to remove power from the absolute monarchy and transfer it to a coalition of American, European, and native Hawaiian people.
The Hawaiian League, a secret society of white businessmen, landowners, and missionary descendants, backed by the Honolulu Rifles militia, forced King Kalākaua to sign the new constitution under threat of violence. The document sharply curtailed the king's authority and transferred power to the new cabinet controlled by the Hawaiian League, which was dominated by wealthy, anti-monarchy elites.
The Bayonet Constitution was drafted by a group of lawyers, including Lorrin Thurston, Sanford B. Dole, William Ansel Kinney, William Owen Smith, George Norton Wilcox, and Edward Griffin Hitchcock. All were also associated with the Hawaiian League and had explicitly wanted the end of the kingdom and its annexation by the United States. The constitution stripped the king of his personal authority, empowering the legislature and cabinet of the government.
The new constitution replaced the king's absolute veto with one that could be overridden by two-thirds of the legislature. It took away the king's power to act without the consent of his cabinet and gave the legislature the authority to dismiss the cabinet instead of the king. It also removed language implying that the king was above the law, requiring him to obey the laws just like his subjects. The constitution further reduced the king's influence by prohibiting him from appointing legislators to any other government post.
The Bayonet Constitution also had significant impacts on the voting rights of different groups. It disenfranchised many Native Hawaiians through income and literacy requirements, barred Asians from voting entirely, and granted suffrage to white non-citizens who met income and landownership requirements.
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It was the beginning of the insurgency
The 1887 Bayonet Constitution was a pivotal moment in the history of Hawaii, marking the beginning of a tumultuous period of insurgency and power struggles.
The Bayonet Constitution was a legal document that significantly curtailed the powers of the Hawaiian monarchy, King Kalākaua. It was drafted and forced upon the king by a coalition of forces, including the Hawaiian League, a secret society of white businessmen, landowners, and missionary descendants, and the Honolulu Rifles, an armed militia that served as the Hawaiian League's military arm.
The Hawaiian League's explicit goal was the annexation of Hawaii by the United States, and the Bayonet Constitution was a means to that end. It stripped King Kalākaua of his personal authority, empowering the legislature and cabinet, which were now controlled by the Hawaiian League and its supporters. The constitution also included provisions that disenfranchised many Native Hawaiians through income and literacy requirements, while granting suffrage to white non-citizens who met certain criteria.
The imposition of the Bayonet Constitution sparked outrage among the Native Hawaiian population, who sought to restore the king's powers. The king himself had signed the constitution under duress and the threat of violence. Queen Liliuokalani, who later succeeded King Kalākaua, affirmed that he had been coerced into accepting the new constitution.
The Bayonet Constitution was never ratified by the Legislative Assembly, and it was the catalyst for a period of political instability and insurgency in Hawaii. The Hawaiian Kingdom was in a state of flux, with foreign nationals and a minority of subjects seeking to seize control of the government. This eventually led to the decline of the monarchy and set the stage for further political upheavals in the islands.
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It was never ratified by the Legislative Assembly
The Bayonet Constitution, also known as the 1887 Constitution of the Hawaiian Kingdom, was a legal document drafted to strip the Hawaiian monarchy of its authority and transfer power to a coalition of American, European, and native Hawaiian people. The constitution got its nickname from the threat of force used to make King Kalākaua sign it. While the king did sign the constitution, it was never ratified by the Legislative Assembly.
The Legislative Assembly's failure to ratify the Bayonet Constitution highlights the controversial and disputed nature of the document. The constitution was drafted by a group of lawyers, many of whom were associated with the Hawaiian League, a secret society that aimed to annex Hawaii to the United States. The Hawaiian League, along with the Honolulu Rifles militia, forced King Kalākaua to sign the constitution under duress, threatening to depose him if he refused.
The Bayonet Constitution significantly limited the king's power and transferred much of it to the cabinet and legislature. It replaced the king's absolute veto with one that could be overridden by two-thirds of the legislature. It also required the king to obtain the consent of his cabinet for his actions and gave the legislature the power to dismiss the cabinet. Additionally, the constitution removed the monarch's power to appoint members of the House of Nobles, making it an elected body.
The failure of the Legislative Assembly to ratify the Bayonet Constitution underscores the illegitimacy of the document and the process by which it was imposed. The constitution was drafted and implemented without the approval or input of the Legislative Assembly, further emphasizing the undemocratic nature of the power transfer.
The Bayonet Constitution was a pivotal moment in the decline of the Hawaiian monarchy and the rise of foreign influence in the country. Despite never being ratified, the constitution had a significant impact on the political landscape of Hawaii, setting the stage for further instability and ultimately contributing to the end of the monarchy. The fact that it was never ratified by the Legislative Assembly is a crucial aspect of understanding the complex and tumultuous history of Hawaii during this period.
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Frequently asked questions
The Bayonet Constitution was a legal document drafted in 1887 that stripped the Hawaiian monarchy of much of its authority, transferring power to a coalition of American, European, and native Hawaiian people.
The document was signed under the threat of an armed militia, who forced King Kalākaua to sign it or be deposed.
The Bayonet Constitution removed the king's personal authority, empowering the legislature and cabinet of the government. It also removed the monarch's power to appoint members of the House of Nobles, instead making it an elected body.
No, the Bayonet Constitution was never ratified by the Legislative Assembly and so was never valid.
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