Malcolm Rivera
The Bayonet Constitution, also known as the 1887 Constitution of the Hawaiian Kingdom, was a legal document drafted by a group of lawyers and politicians to strip the Hawaiian monarchy of its authority and transfer power to a coalition of American, European, and native Hawaiian people. The document got its name from the fact that King Kalākaua was forced to sign it under the threat of violence and the duress of an armed militia. The constitution disenfranchised many Native Hawaiians through income and literacy requirements and facilitated the domination of the legislature by wealthy, anti-monarchy elites.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Date | 30th June 1887 |
| Other names | 1887 Constitution of the Hawaiian Kingdom |
| Monarch at the time | King Kalākaua |
| Successor to the throne | Lili'uokalani |
| Group responsible | Hawaiian League, Honolulu Rifles |
| Type of document | Legal |
| Purpose | To strip the absolute Hawaiian monarchy of its authority and transfer power to a coalition of American, European, and native Hawaiian people |
| Status | Never ratified by the Legislative Assembly |
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What You'll Learn
The Bayonet Constitution was written in 1887
The Bayonet Constitution got its name because it was signed under the threat of violence. On June 30, 1887, an armed militia called the Honolulu Rifles, along with politicians from the Reform Party of the Hawaiian Kingdom, demanded that King Kalākaua dismiss his cabinet, which supported the king's authority. The king was forced to sign the new constitution or be deposed. The constitution disenfranchised many Native Hawaiians through income and literacy requirements and barred Asians from voting while granting suffrage to white non-citizens who met specific income and landownership requirements.
The 1887 constitution made significant changes to voting requirements, including high property and income qualifications for serving as a noble or representative, effectively stripping almost all native Hawaiians of the ability to serve in the legislature. It also removed the monarch's power to appoint members of the House of Nobles, making it an elected body instead. The constitution further required the king to appoint a Minister of Finance to oversee government spending and submit a budget proposal to the legislature.
The Bayonet Constitution was never ratified by the Legislative Assembly and was considered by the natives as having been illegally forced upon them. It sparked a series of rebellions by Native Hawaiians and marked the beginning of the decline of the monarchy in Hawaii.
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It stripped the Hawaiian monarchy of power
The Bayonet Constitution, also known as the 1887 Constitution of the Hawaiian Kingdom, was a legal document drafted by a group of twenty lawyers and politicians, including Sanford B. Dole and Lorrin Thurston. The document was created with the explicit intention of ending the kingdom and facilitating its annexation by the United States.
The constitution stripped the Hawaiian monarchy of its power by transferring much of the king's authority to the cabinet and legislature. King Kalākaua, who ruled from 1874 to 1891, was forced to sign the constitution under threat of violence. An armed militia, the Honolulu Rifles, demanded the dismissal of his cabinet, which supported the king's authority. The new constitution gave control of the legislature and cabinet to individuals with foreign allegiances, including non-native politicians and businessmen.
The Bayonet Constitution also imposed high property and income requirements for serving in the legislature, effectively disenfranchising many Native Hawaiians. It removed the monarch's power to appoint members of the House of Nobles, instead making it an elected body. The constitution further stipulated that the king appoint a Minister of Finance to oversee spending and submit a budget proposal to the legislature, limiting the monarch's financial authority.
The document was never ratified by the Legislative Assembly and was considered by the natives as having been illegally forced upon them. It marked the beginning of the decline of the monarchy and led to a series of rebellions by Native Hawaiians. The imposition of this constitution and the subsequent overthrow of Queen Lili'uokalani, who succeeded King Kalākaua, were contrary to the will of the native population.
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It was drafted by a group of lawyers
The Bayonet Constitution, officially the 1887 Constitution of the Hawaiian Kingdom, was drafted by a group of lawyers, including Thurston, Dole, William Ansel Kinney, William Owen Smith, George Norton Wilcox, and Edward Griffin Hitchcock. All of them were associated with the Hawaiian League, a non-native, mostly US businessmen's political party that aimed to annex Hawaii and end the kingdom.
The constitution was drafted in a matter of days and was never ratified by the Legislative Assembly. It stripped the Hawaiian monarchy of its authority and transferred power to a coalition of American, European, and native Hawaiian people. The document was signed under the threat of violence, with King Kalākaua forced to sign under duress or be deposed.
The Bayonet Constitution made significant changes to voting requirements, disenfranchising many Native Hawaiians through income and literacy requirements. It also barred Asians from voting while granting suffrage to white non-citizens who met specific income and landownership criteria. The constitution further removed the monarch's power to appoint members of the House of Nobles, making it an elected body with strict property and income requirements for candidates.
The imposition of the Bayonet Constitution led to a series of rebellions by Native Hawaiians, who considered it an illegal document forced upon the nation without their consent. The document facilitated the domination of the legislature by wealthy, anti-monarchy elites and enabled the planter business interests to cede Pearl Harbor to the US, further tying Hawaii's sugar economy to that of the US.
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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 by a group of twenty lawyers and politicians, including Sanford B. Dole and Lorrin Thurston, who were associated with the Hawaiian League. The Hawaiian League was a non-native, mostly U.S. businessmen's political party that aimed to annex Hawaii and end the monarchy.
The Bayonet Constitution was written to strip the absolute Hawaiian monarchy of its authority and transfer power to a coalition of American, European, and native Hawaiian people. It required high property and income requirements to serve as a noble or representative, effectively disenfranchising many Native Hawaiians, while granting suffrage to white non-citizens who met these requirements. The constitution also removed the monarch's power to appoint members of the House of Nobles, instead making it an elected body.
While King Kalākaua was forced to sign the Bayonet Constitution under threat of violence, it was never ratified by the Legislative Assembly and therefore was never a legitimate constitution. The Legislative Assembly was comprised of native members who presented resolutions calling for a Constitutional Convention, but these were ruled out or voted down by those in power. The 1864 Constitution remained the official constitution of the country.
The imposition of the Bayonet Constitution sparked a series of rebellions by Native Hawaiians, who viewed it as an illegal document forced upon them without their consent. The document's name, the Bayonet Constitution, reflects the nature in which the King's signature was obtained, with Queen Liliuokalani asserting that "He signed that constitution under absolute compulsion." The Bayonet Constitution was a significant step in the decline of the Hawaiian monarchy and the eventual annexation of the Hawaiian Islands by the United States in 1898.
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It was signed under threat of violence
The Bayonet Constitution was a legal document drafted in 1887 to strip the Hawaiian monarchy of its authority and transfer power to a coalition of American, European, and native Hawaiian people. It was dubbed the "Bayonet Constitution" because it was signed under threat of violence—King Kalākaua was forced to sign it at gunpoint or be deposed.
On June 30, 1887, a meeting was called by a group of residents, including the armed militia of the Honolulu Rifles (a front for the military arm of the Hawaiian League), and politicians from the Reform Party of the Hawaiian Kingdom. They demanded that King Kalākaua dismiss his cabinet, led by Walter M. Gibson, who supported the king's authority. The king was threatened with deposition if he did not comply, and so he signed the new constitution, which was drafted by a group of lawyers, many of whom were also associated with the Hawaiian League.
The Bayonet Constitution had significant consequences for the Hawaiian monarchy and the native Hawaiian population. It transferred much of the king's power to a new cabinet controlled by the Hawaiian League, which was dominated by wealthy, anti-monarchy elites. It also disenfranchised many Native Hawaiians through income and literacy requirements, while granting suffrage to white non-citizens who met certain income and landownership criteria. Additionally, it facilitated the cession of Pearl Harbor to the United States, further tying Hawaii's sugar economy to that of the US.
The imposition of the Bayonet Constitution was considered an outrage by the natives, who viewed it as having been illegally forced upon them without their consent. It sparked a series of rebellions by Native Hawaiians, who sought to restore King Kalākaua's power and authority. The Bayonet Constitution was also never ratified by the Legislative Assembly, further adding to its controversial nature.
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Frequently asked questions
The Bayonet Constitution was written in 1887.
The Bayonet Constitution was a revised constitution that stripped the Hawaiian monarchy of its power and placed it in the hands of the legislative assembly.
The Bayonet Constitution was drafted by a group of lawyers, including Thurston, Dole, William Ansel Kinney, William Owen Smith, George Norton Wilcox, and Edward Griffin Hitchcock. All were associated with the Hawaiian League, a non-native mostly US businessmen's political party opposed to the king.
The constitution was dubbed the Bayonet Constitution because it was signed under the threat of violence. King Kalākaua was forced to sign the constitution at gunpoint, under duress, or face being deposed.
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