Queen Liliuokalani
Queen Liliuokalani
• 1892 she is made
Queen of Hawaii
• Sister of King
Kalakaua
• Also believed in
restoring Hawaiian
power and rights to
their own kingdom
Queen Liliuokalani
• Wanted to get rid of Bayonet
Constitution since it was illegal
and unfair to the Hawaiian
people
• Wanted a new constitution
which said:
– Don’t need land to vote
– Must be a citizen of Hawaii to
vote
– King/Queen can elect
whomever they choose for
their government
– King/Queen regains power to
make decisions
Committee of Public Safety
formed…
• Made up of Annexation club
and foreigners upset with
Queen’s plans to do away
with Bayonet Constitution
• Planned to get rid of Queen
– Set up a provisional
(temporary) government
– Push for annexation of
Hawaiian Kingdom to U.S.
Queen Liliuokalani
• Once she found out a
Committee of Public
Safety had formed
Queen Liliuokalani
decided that she
would not try to get a
new constitution
written so no fighting
occurred.
Overthrow of the Hawaiian Kingdom
• Committee of Public
Safety felt it was too
late.
• They asked the U.S.
minister to Hawaii
John L. Stevens for
protection
Overthrow of the Hawaiian Kingdom
• Minister Stevens had
about 160 U.S.
Marines:
– land in Hawaii
– march up to Iolani
Palace
– protect all Americans
living in Hawaii in case
any war or fighting
broke out.
Overthrow of the Hawaiian Kingdom
• Committee of Public
Safety went to Iolani
Palace and
proclaimed the end of
the Hawaiian
monarchy
• Queen Liliuokalani did
not want her people
to get hurt and so she
surrendered and went
to Washington Place.
Overthrow of the Hawaiian Kingdom
• Queen Liliuokalani
hoped the U.S. would
stop the illegal
overthrow and return
Hawaii to her.
Provisional Government
• The Committee of Public
Safety set up a provisional or
temporary government to rule
the Hawaiian Kingdom until
annexation to the U.S.
• Sanford Dole is nominated as
president of the government
Provisional Government
• The provisional government
said that all people must
pledge an oath of loyalty to
them, but many Hawaiians
refused
• The provisional government
sent a request for annexation
to President Harrison of the
U.S.
• At the same time Queen
Liliuokalani sent a request
asking for her kingdom back
and for U.S. to help stop this
illegal overthrow
Provisional Government
• Queen’s request was
blocked by the
Provisional
government and so
President Harrison
only heard their side.
• He said the overthrow
was ok and that
annexation of Hawaii
will happen.
Annexation of Hawaii
• Before President Harrison was
able to sign an annexation
treaty with Hawaii he is
replaced by President Grover
Cleveland.
• President Cleveland
conducted an investigation
–
found that the overthrow was
illegal
– so he chose to not allow the
annexation of Hawaii
– demanded that Hawaii be
returned to Queen Liliuokalani
Annexation of Hawaii
• The Provisional government
was not happy with this and so
they refused to listen to
President Cleveland.
• Instead they planned on
waiting until a president who is
willing to annex Hawaii is
elected.
• While they waited they used
Iolani Palace as their new
headquarters.
• They created the first Hawaiian
fire department and National
Guard
Hawaii Becomes a Republic
• Sanford Dole and Lorrin
Thurston created a new
constitution
– All voters must be able to read
and write either in English or
Hawaiian
– All voters must have:
• money
• land
• they must promise not to help the
Queen or the Hawaiian people
(oath of loyalty to the new
Republic of Hawaii)
– Also no hula dancing and
music must be European
music
Hawaii Becomes a Republic
• 1894 this new
constitution was
approved by the
Provisional
Government and
those who can vote.
• Hawaii became a
republic.
• They were led by
Sanford Dole.
Wilcox Attempts Another Revolt
• Robert Wilcox and the people
of Hawaii were really upset at
what happened with their
Queen, etc…
• So Wilcox planned another
revolt.
• He and his men bought guns
from San Francisco and buried
them by Diamond Head
• The plan was to attack the
Provisional Government on
January 7, 1895
Wilcox Attempts Another Revolt
• Government forces
found out about the
attack and ambushed
Wicox and his men at
Waikiki
• Fighting lasted for 2
weeks until Wilcox
and his men
surrendered.
Punishment for Wilcox’s Revolt
• Upset at what Wilcox did, the
Provisional Government had
Queen Liliuokalani, Prince
Jonah Kuhio Kalanianaole,
Prince David Kawananakoa,
along with 200 other
Hawaiians locked up and put
on trial.
• Nearly all are found guilty of
treason.
• Some were sentenced to
death, but eventually
sentences were changed to life
in jail.
President McKinley and Annexation
•
•
•
•
1896 President McKinley became
president of the U.S. and he agreed
that annexation should occur because
Hawaii is a perfect refueling spot for
U.S. Navy in times of war.
1898 Spanish American War started
and U.S. used Hawaii as a base to
refuel their battleships as they fought
Spain in the Philippines
Afraid of losing control of Hawaii
President McKinley officially annexed
Hawaii in that same year.
Hawaii was now a part of America and
the Hawaiian Kingdom was officially
over.
Questions (Use Reading, textbook
pages 155-162, and Notes)
1. Why did the Committee of Safety overthrow the Hawaiian Kingdom?
•
2. On page 160 in your textbook, a man named James Blount played an important role in
trying to restore Queen Liliuokalani to the position of leader of Hawaii.
– Who was James Blount?
– What did he do? Did it work? Explain why or why not.
•
3. After the overthrow the provisional government changed Hawaii into a republic. Yet on
page 162 it says that Hawaii really wasn’t a true republic. Explain why.
•
4. What changes did Sanford Dole and Lorrin Thurston add to the constitution of the
Republic of Hawaii?
•
5. Explain what Robert Wilcox did to try to restore power to the Hawaiian Kingdom after the
Republic of Hawaii was created?
•
6. Whether you agree with the overthrow and annexation of the Hawaiian Kingdom or not,
state your opinion about the whole event.
Questions Continued
• 7. What was life like under the Republic of Hawaii for
both Americans and Hawaiians? Explain.
• 8. What role did the Spanish American War play in
America’s decision to annex Hawaii?
• 9. Think. There are many positives that happened for
Hawaii once we became part of the U.S. Explain a few of
them. What are some of the negatives?
• 10. Do you think annexation has been positive or
negative for Hawaii and it’s people?