Eleanor Finch
On July 6, 1887, King Kalākaua, also known as the Merrie Monarch, was forced at gunpoint to sign a new constitution for the Kingdom of Hawai'i. This document, drafted by the Hawaiian League, a group of mostly white, wealthy landowning plantation owners, became known as the Bayonet Constitution due to the presence of guns and the threat of force used to gain Kalākaua's compliance. The new constitution significantly reduced the power of the Hawaiian monarchy and paved the way for the eventual annexation of Hawai'i by the United States.
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What You'll Learn
- The Bayonet Constitution stripped the king of personal authority, empowering the legislature and cabinet
- The 1887 Constitution required an income of $600 or taxable property to vote for the upper house, excluding two-thirds of the population
- The Hawaiian League, a group of white, non-Hawaiian merchants, seized control of the Kingdom of Hawai'i
- The Bayonet Constitution was the first great implement in the decline of the monarchy
- The Honolulu Rifles, a militia made up of white settlers, put King Kalākaua to gunpoint
The Bayonet Constitution stripped the king of personal authority, empowering the legislature and cabinet
The Bayonet Constitution, also known as the 1887 Constitution of the Hawaiian Kingdom, significantly diminished the authority of the king, empowering the legislature and cabinet. This document was signed by King Kalākaua under duress and marked a shift in power dynamics within the kingdom.
The Hawaiian League, a group of predominantly white, wealthy landowning plantation owners and businessmen, played a pivotal role in the events leading to the signing of the Bayonet Constitution. They sought to protect their economic interests and gain control of the Hawaiian Kingdom, with some even harbouring ambitions for its eventual annexation to the United States. The League included Sanford B. Dole, cousin of a nine-year-old (name unclear from sources), and was backed by the armed militia of the Honolulu Rifles.
On June 30, 1887, the Hawaiian League, alongside politicians from the Reform Party of the Hawaiian Kingdom, convened a meeting. They demanded that King Kalākaua dismiss his cabinet, led by Walter M. Gibson, who supported the king's authority. The Hawaiian League's true intentions were laid bare—they aimed to curb the king's power and install their members in positions of influence. Under the threat of violence, the king reluctantly agreed to form a new cabinet made up of League members.
The Bayonet Constitution had far-reaching implications for the distribution of power in the kingdom. It removed the king's absolute veto power, allowing the legislature to override it with a two-thirds majority. 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 influence over appointments was also diminished, as they could no longer appoint legislators to other government posts or select members of the House of Nobles, which became an elected body.
The Bayonet Constitution's impact extended beyond the king's authority. Voter eligibility requirements were instituted, requiring an income of $600 or taxable property worth $3000 to vote for the upper house. These requirements disproportionately affected Native Hawaiians, disenfranchising an estimated two-thirds of the Hawaiian population while favouring white male residents involved in the sugar industry. The Bayonet Constitution also barred Asians from voting, further entrenching the power of a select few.
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The 1887 Constitution required an income of $600 or taxable property to vote for the upper house, excluding two-thirds of the population
The 1887 Constitution of the Hawaiian Kingdom, also known as the Bayonet Constitution, was a legal document drafted by a group of lawyers, including Lorrin Thurston, Sanford Dole, William Ansel Kinney, William Owen Smith, George Norton Wilcox, and Edward Griffin Hitchcock. This document aimed to significantly reduce the power of the absolute Hawaiian monarchy and transfer authority to a coalition comprising Americans, Europeans, and native Hawaiians.
The Bayonet Constitution included a provision that required voters and potential members of the upper house, also known as the House of Nobles, to have an annual income of $600 or own taxable property valued at $3000. This requirement, which was equivalent to demanding an income of US$20,998 or property worth US$104,989 in 2025 values, effectively disenfranchised approximately two-thirds of the Hawaiian population, mostly native Hawaiians. The suffrage was disproportionately retained by white male residents, many of whom had accumulated wealth from the sugar industry.
The income and property requirements for the upper house were part of a broader set of changes introduced by the 1887 Constitution to limit the power of the monarchy and transform the political landscape in Hawaii. The constitution stripped the king of much of his personal authority, empowering the legislature and cabinet of the government instead. It replaced the king's absolute veto with a qualified veto that could be overridden by a two-thirds vote in the legislature. Additionally, the king lost the power to appoint members to the House of Nobles, which was now elected by wealthy landowners to six-year terms, further consolidating power among the economic elite.
The Bayonet Constitution was a pivotal moment in the decline of the monarchy in Hawaii. While it did not directly depose the king, it imposed significant limitations on his authority. The native Hawaiian population of the kingdom sought to restore King Kalākaua's power and authority, highlighting the divisive nature of this constitutional change.
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The Hawaiian League, a group of white, non-Hawaiian merchants, seized control of the Kingdom of Hawai'i
The Kingdom of Hawaii had been a recognised independent state since 1846, when US Secretary of State John C. Calhoun, on behalf of President Tyler, formally acknowledged its independence under the reign of Kamehameha III. Over the following decades, the Hawaiian monarchy continued to strengthen its position, signing treaties with other nations and establishing consulates and legations in various cities and seaports.
However, the influence of the United States in Hawaiian politics and economics had also been growing. American-born plantation owners, many of whom were wealthy from the sugar industry, began to demand fair representation in the Kingdom's politics, citing the significant tax contributions they made to both the Royal family and the national economy. This pressure was felt by the King and chiefs, who were faced with demands for land tenure. In response, Kamehameha III and his chiefs introduced the 1839 Hawaiian Bill of Rights, also known as the 1839 Constitution of Hawaii, which guaranteed that the Hawaiian people would retain their tenured land and provided the foundation for a free enterprise system.
Despite this attempt to appease foreign interests, tensions continued to rise. In 1854, Kamehameha III proposed a policy of reciprocity between the two countries to reduce import tariffs on sugar, but this proposal was rejected by the US Senate. Meanwhile, the sugar industry continued to grow, with sugar completely altering Hawaii's economy within thirty years.
It was against this backdrop that a group of white, non-Hawaiian merchants and businessmen, calling themselves the Hawaiian League, formed with the stated goal of protecting haole (white foreigner) property and economic interests. They sought to seize power and take control of the Kingdom of Hawaii. In 1887, they forced King Kalākaua, through the threat of force, to sign a new constitution drafted by American lawyers and plantation owners, including Sanford Dole, the largest sugarcane plantation owner. This document became known as the "Bayonet Constitution" due to the coercion used to obtain the King's signature. While the authors of the constitution, including Dole, denied the use of threats, Queen Liliuokalani asserted that Kalākaua's life was threatened, stating that he "signed that constitution under absolute compulsion".
The Bayonet Constitution stripped the king of much of his personal authority, significantly limiting his power and empowering the legislature and cabinet of the government. It also imposed voting requirements that disproportionately affected Native Hawaiians, requiring an income of $600 (equivalent to US$20998 in 2025) or taxable property of US$3000 (equivalent to $104989 in 2025) to vote for or serve in the upper house. This resulted in the disenfranchisement of an estimated two-thirds of the Hawaiian population, primarily Native Hawaiians, while disproportionately benefiting white male residents involved in the sugar industry.
The Hawaiian League had thus successfully seized control of the Hawaiian Kingdom, allocating government power to the Cabinet and then appointing their members to these positions. The Bayonet Constitution marked a significant decline in the monarchy's power and influence, and the Kingdom would continue to face further upheaval in the coming years.
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The Bayonet Constitution was the first great implement in the decline of the monarchy
The Bayonet Constitution, also known as the 1887 Constitution of the Hawaiian Kingdom, was a pivotal moment in the decline of the monarchy. This document stripped the king of his personal authority and transferred power to a coalition of American, European, and native Hawaiian individuals. The constitution was drafted by a group of lawyers, including those with ties to the Hawaiian League, an organisation that sought the end of the kingdom and its annexation by the United States.
The Bayonet Constitution was signed under the threat of force, with an armed militia group, the Honolulu Rifles, forcing King Kalākaua to comply. The new constitution gave control of the legislature and cabinet to individuals with foreign allegiances, disenfranchising many native Hawaiians through income and literacy requirements. It also took away the power of the king to act independently of his cabinet and gave the legislature the authority to dismiss the cabinet. The king was also required to appoint a Minister of Finance to oversee government spending and submit a budget proposal to the legislature.
The Hawaiian League, composed of mostly white, wealthy, non-Hawaiian landowners, seized control of the kingdom. They took away native Hawaiian land rights and gave voting rights to foreign landowners, ensuring that power was consolidated in the hands of those who opposed the monarchy. This constitution was never ratified in the Hawaiian Kingdom's legislature, and the native Hawaiian population immediately sought to restore the king's power.
The Bayonet Constitution was a significant step towards the decline of the monarchy in Hawaii. It limited the king's authority, empowered a cabinet and legislature controlled by anti-monarchy elites, and disenfranchised native Hawaiians. The transfer of power from the king to a coalition that included foreign interests set in motion a process that would ultimately lead to the end of the absolute monarchy in Hawaii and its annexation by the United States.
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The Honolulu Rifles, a militia made up of white settlers, put King Kalākaua to gunpoint
On July 6, 1887, King Kalākaua, also known as the "Merrie Monarch," was forced to sign a new constitution for the Kingdom of Hawai'i at gunpoint. The guns surrounding the king belonged to a militia called the Honolulu Rifles, which was made up predominantly of white settlers. The Honolulu Rifles were affiliated with a group of largely white, wealthy landowning plantation owners called the Hawaiian League, which aimed to seize control of the Kingdom of Hawai'i, strip the king of his powers, and transfer power to a more settler-friendly legislature.
The new constitution, drafted by American lawyers and plantation owners, including the largest sugarcane plantation owner, Sanford Dole, became known as the "Bayonet Constitution" due to the threat of force used to gain King Kalākaua's compliance. The document stripped the king of most of his personal authority, empowering the legislature and cabinet of the government instead. It replaced the king's absolute veto with one that two-thirds of the legislature could override and required his consent to act, effectively placing considerable limitations on his power.
The Bayonet Constitution also took away Native Hawaiian land rights and gave the vote to foreign landowners, disproportionately affecting Native Hawaiians. Voter eligibility requirements, such as income, property ownership, English literacy, and proficiency standards, excluded the majority of Native Hawaiians from voting, while benefiting white male residents involved in the sugar industry. The Hawaiian League thus secured control over the Hawaiian Kingdom, paving the way for the eventual decline of the monarchy and the annexation of Hawai'i by the United States.
Queen Liliuokalani, King Kalākaua's successor, later asserted that her brother had signed the constitution under compulsion and that his life had been threatened. She speculated that he would have been killed had he refused to sign the document.
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Frequently asked questions
The militia group Honolulu Rifles, made up of mostly white settlers, put King Kalākaua to gunpoint to sign the Bayonet Constitution.
The Bayonet Constitution was a new constitution drafted by the Hawaiian League, a group of white, American non-Hawaiian merchants and businessmen, that gave them complete control over the Hawaiian Kingdom. It stripped the king of his personal authority and transferred power to a more settler-friendly legislature.
The Bayonet Constitution was the first great implement in the decline of the Hawaiian monarchy. It did not depose the King but placed considerable limitations on his power. The constitution also disenfranchised Native Hawaiians by imposing voting eligibility requirements that disproportionately excluded them.
