On January 17, the United States government illegally overthrew the Hawaiian government. Under the self-declared Provisional Government, Sanford Dole was installed as President after overthrowing Queen Liliuokalani.
Due to the 1890 McKinley Tariff Act, Hawaii faced economic troubles. On January 14, 1893, Queen Liliuokalani announced her plan to reinstate the Hawaiian constitution after pleas from citizens and political organizations. Upon hearing this news, Loring Thurston gathered a group of people into a Committee of Safety to stage a takeover of the government and to plan annexation by the United States. The Committee of Safety found support from U.S. Minister John L. Stevens in protecting the insurgents with U.S. troops.
On January 17, the group declared itself the provisional government of Hawaii. Sanford Dole, who was born and raised in Honolulu to American parents, became president. Under the constitution, it was within the queen’s authority, in Chapter VI of the Penal Code, to have the insurgents arrested. But because of support from U.S. troops, it was not possible to arrest the insurgents without enacting bloodshed. Queen Liliuokalani protested the coup with the Liluokalani assignment, in which she declared ta emporary transfer of executive authority to the United States.
James Blaine, the provisional government, and Secretary of State, ignored Queen Liluokalani’s pleas and signed a treaty on February 14, 1893, in Washington, D.C., and it was submitted by President Benjamin Harrison to the United States Senate for ratification. The treaty was not supported by the Democrats, who learned that most Hawaiians were opposed to annexation. However, Harrison lost the presidential election to Grover Cleveland, who, after his inauguration, received Queen Liluokalani’s assignment. Shortly after, President Cleveland withdrew the treaty from the Senate and assigned James H. Blount to lead the investigation into the coup.
President Cleveland’s acceptance of the Queen’s assignment meant he and future presidents would have to abide by Article 31 of the Hawaiian constitution and were required to follow Hawaiian law until power was returned to the monarchy. Blount’s investigation found that the United States troops and diplomats were responsible for the overthrow of the Hawaiian government. The case found that the coup violated international laws and rules of territorial sovereignty.
Cleveland sent a new U.S. minister to restore Queen Liloukalani’s power under the 1887 constitution. However, Dole refused to transfer power and declared a Republic of Hawaii. Cleveland did not want to use force to overthrow Dole’s government, and the succeeding president, William McKinley, negotiated a treaty with the Republic.
On January 6th, 1895, hundreds of Native Hawaiians and supporters of the Hawaiian monarchy attempted a revolution to restore the monarchy. However, the attempt failed, and many of the revolutionists were arrested and put in prison. On January 16th, Queen Liluokalani was arrested and taken to her previous Palace to be imprisoned.
After being forced to sign a letter of abdication on January 24, she wrote, “For myself, I would have chosen death rather than to have signed it; but it was represented to me that by my signing this paper all the persons who had been arrested, all my people now in trouble by reason of their love and loyalty toward me, would be immediately released.”
In 1900, Hawaii was recognized as a formal U.S. territory, and by 1959, Hawaii joined the United States as the 50th state.
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