Simone Lawson
The Bayonet Constitution of 1887 was a legal document that stripped the Hawaiian monarchy of its authority and initiated a transfer of power to a coalition of American, European, and native Hawaiian people. It was enacted on July 6, 1887, during a time of significant political and social upheaval in Hawaii, and resulted in profound consequences for the monarchy, eventually leading to its overthrow in 1893 and the transition to a republic and later a US territory. The constitution was drafted by the Hawaiian League, consisting primarily of American and European businessmen, and forced upon King David Kalākaua at gunpoint, with threats of assassination if he refused. It limited the king's authority, making him more of a figurehead, and reduced the voting rights of native Hawaiians while expanding those of wealthy foreigners, particularly Americans. The Bayonet Constitution was never ratified by the Legislative Assembly and did not depose the king, but it placed significant limitations on his power and marked the beginning of the decline of the monarchy in Hawaii.
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What You'll Learn
The monarchy was undermined
The Bayonet Constitution of 1887, also known as the 1887 Constitution of the Hawaiian Kingdom, significantly undermined the monarchy. This document was prepared by anti-monarchists to reduce the power of the absolute Hawaiian monarchy and transfer authority to a coalition of American, European, and native Hawaiian individuals.
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 them were associated with the Hawaiian League, which sought the end of the kingdom and its annexation by the United States.
The Bayonet Constitution stripped the king of much of his personal authority, empowering the legislature and cabinet of the government. It replaced the king's absolute veto with one that required two-thirds of the legislature to override. The king could no longer 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, and this body became elected by wealthy landowners, further consolidating the power of non-native elites.
The constitution also instituted high property and income requirements for serving in the legislature, disenfranchising most of the native Hawaiian population. This ensured that the Nobles would be non-natives and control the elected Representatives. The voting requirements disproportionately favoured white male residents, particularly those wealthy from the sugar industry, who retained suffrage under the new constitution.
The Bayonet Constitution was enacted under the threat of force, with King Kalākaua being compelled to sign it or face deposition or even assassination. While Thurston and Dole denied the use of coercion, Queen Liliuokalani affirmed that the king's life was threatened, and he signed "under absolute compulsion." The constitution was never ratified by the Legislative Assembly, and the Native Hawaiian population sought to restore the king's power after its adoption.
The Bayonet Constitution marked a significant shift in power away from the monarchy and towards a coalition of foreign and native Hawaiian elites, setting the stage for further instability and the eventual annexation of Hawaii by the United States.
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The king became a figurehead
The Bayonet Constitution of 1887 was a legal document that stripped the Hawaiian monarchy of its authority and reduced the king to a figurehead. The constitution was prepared by anti-monarchists and forced upon King Kalākaua by an armed militia, who threatened to depose him if he did not sign. This event marked a transfer of power to a coalition of American, European, and native Hawaiian people.
The new constitution significantly limited the king's power, removing his ability to act without the consent of his cabinet and giving the legislature the authority to override his veto with a two-thirds majority. The king was also no longer allowed to appoint legislators to any government post and lost his power to appoint members of the House of Nobles, which became an elected body of wealthy landowners. The constitution further stipulated that the king was required to appoint a Minister of Finance to oversee government spending and submit an annual budget proposal to the legislature.
The Bayonet Constitution also made significant changes to voting requirements, setting high income and property thresholds for voting or serving in the upper house. This disproportionately benefited white male residents in the sugar industry, while disenfranchising around two-thirds of the native Hawaiian population. The Hawaiian League, a group of reformists, seized complete control over the Hawaiian Kingdom by allocating the government's power to the Cabinet and then appointing their members to it.
The Bayonet Constitution was never ratified by the Legislative Assembly and was met with resistance from the Native Hawaiian population, who sought to restore the king's power. The constitution was the first great implement in the decline of the monarchy, marking a shift towards a more modern, liberal political system in Hawaii.
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Voting rights of native Hawaiians were limited
The 1887 Constitution of the Hawaiian Kingdom, also known as the Bayonet Constitution, was a legal document drafted by anti-monarchists to curb the powers of the Hawaiian monarchy. It was signed by King Kalākaua under duress, as he was threatened with deposition or even assassination if he refused. The constitution significantly altered the voting requirements, limiting the voting rights of native Hawaiians.
The Bayonet Constitution introduced income and property requirements to vote for the upper house, which disproportionately affected native Hawaiians. To be eligible to vote for the upper house or serve in it, individuals needed an income of $600 (equivalent to US$20,998 in 2025) or taxable property worth US$3000 (equivalent to US$104,989 in 2025). These requirements excluded approximately two-thirds of the Hawaiian population, primarily native Hawaiians, from the political process.
The voting rights of native Hawaiians were further restricted by the Bayonet Constitution's provision that only Hawaiian, American, and European men could exercise full voting rights if they met the economic and literacy thresholds. This effectively disenfranchised Asians, including those who had previously enjoyed the right to vote. The new voting requirements also favoured white male residents, particularly those enriched by the sugar industry, who were more likely to meet the income and property qualifications.
The Bayonet Constitution also altered the composition of the House of Nobles, the upper house of the legislature. Instead of being appointed by the monarch, the members of the House of Nobles were now elected by wealthy landowners, further entrenching the influence of non-native elites. The high property and income requirements to serve as a noble or representative effectively prevented almost all native Hawaiians from holding legislative office.
The Bayonet Constitution's voting requirements contributed to the decline of the monarchy and the rise of a government controlled by non-native elites, particularly wealthy American and European businessmen. The disenfranchisement of native Hawaiians and the subsequent overthrow of Queen Liliuokalani in 1893 sparked a series of rebellions by native Hawaiians, who sought to restore the power and authority of the monarchy. Ultimately, the Hawaiian islands were annexed by the United States in 1898, bringing an end to the monarchy and the internal struggle between native Hawaiians and non-native interests for control of the government.
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Wealthy foreigners gained voting rights
The 1887 Constitution of the Hawaiian Kingdom, also known as the Bayonet Constitution, was a legal document prepared by anti-monarchists to curb the powers of the absolute Hawaiian monarchy. It was signed by King Kalākaua under duress, with guns pointed at him and the threat of harm to him and his people. The Bayonet Constitution made significant changes to voting requirements, allowing foreign resident aliens to vote, not just naturalized citizens. This meant that wealthy foreigners gained voting rights in Hawaii.
Prior to the Bayonet Constitution, the 1864 constitution required voters to generate an annual income of at least $75 (equivalent to $1508 in 2025) or own private property worth at least $150 (equivalent to $3016 in 2025). During the short reign of Lunalilo in 1874, these wealth requirements were removed, extending voter eligibility to many more Hawaiians. However, with the introduction of the Bayonet Constitution, income and property requirements were reinstated and raised significantly. The 1887 constitution required an income of $600 (equivalent to $20,998 in 2025) or taxable property of $3000 (equivalent to $104,989 in 2025) to vote for the upper house or serve in it.
These new requirements disproportionately impacted the native Hawaiian population, with an estimated two-thirds of them being excluded from voting. On the other hand, it was predominantly white male residents, wealthy from the sugar industry, who retained suffrage under the Bayonet Constitution. The high income and property requirements ensured that the nobles elected to the House of Nobles were non-natives, as they could more easily meet these requirements. This transfer of power to a coalition of Americans, Europeans, and native Hawaiians reflected the agenda of the Hawaiian League, a group of wealthy businessmen and landowners who sought to limit the power of the native vote and seize control of the government.
The Bayonet Constitution was never ratified by the Legislative Assembly and faced significant opposition from the native Hawaiian population, who sought to restore King Kalākaua's power. The constitution's impact on voting rights highlighted the coercive nature of the new political order, enforcing its agenda through intimidation and undermining indigenous sovereignty to serve the capitalist interests of wealthy foreigners.
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The Hawaiian League seized control
The Hawaiian League, also known as the Hawaiian Patriotic League, was a group of mostly non-Hawaiians. They were armed local men who fought under the command of annexationist Volney V. Ashford. The Hawaiian League seized control of the Honolulu Rifles, a group of soldiers that was the Hawaiian League's military arm.
On June 30, 1887, the Hawaiian League, along with politicians from the Reform Party of the Hawaiian Kingdom, demanded that King Kalākaua dismiss his cabinet, which was headed by Walter M. Gibson. Gibson supported the king's authority, which was a concern for the Hawaiian League. The Hawaiian League used the threat of force to gain King Kalākaua's cooperation. They forced him to enact the Bayonet Constitution, which limited his power and stripped him of his personal authority. The Bayonet Constitution was drafted on July 6, 1887, by Lorrin Thurston, the Hawaiian Minister of the Interior. It was never ratified in the Hawaiian Kingdom's legislature.
The Bayonet Constitution allowed the monarch to appoint cabinet ministers, but he could no longer dismiss them without approval from the Legislature. It also removed the monarch's power to appoint members of the House of Nobles, which became an elected body. The constitution required an income of $600 or taxable property of $3000 to vote for the upper house, which excluded two-thirds of the Hawaiian population. It took away native Hawaiian land rights and gave the vote to foreign landowners.
The Hawaiian League's actions led to the decline of the monarchy and the eventual overthrow of the Hawaiian Kingdom in 1893. The conspirators' goals were to depose the queen, overthrow the monarchy, and seek Hawaii's annexation to the United States, which occurred in 1898.
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Frequently asked questions
The Bayonet Constitution was a legal document drafted by anti-monarchists to reduce the authority of the Hawaiian monarchy and transfer power to a coalition of American, European, and native Hawaiian elites.
The Bayonet Constitution severely curtailed the monarchy's power, making the king more of a figurehead. It also limited the voting rights of native Hawaiians while expanding those of wealthy foreigners, particularly Americans.
Yes, the Bayonet Constitution led to the eventual overthrow of the monarchy in 1893 and the establishment of a provisional government. Hawaii transitioned from a monarchy to a republic and later became a U.S. territory.
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