Title: Jan. 17, 1893 | Hawaiian Monarchy Overthrown by America-Backed Businessmen - The New York Times
Headings: Jan. 17, 1893 | Hawaiian Monarchy Overthrown by America-Backed Businessmen
Jan. 17, 1893 | Hawaiian Monarchy Overthrown by America-Backed Businessmen
By The Learning Network
Historic Headlines
Connect to Today:
Comments are no longer being accepted.
Weekly Newsletter

Content: James Cook. In the 19th century, traders and missionaries came to the islands from Europe and the United States. They often opposed the Hawaiian monarchy,  favoring instead a British-style constitutional monarchy where the monarch held little power. In 1874, David Kalakaua became king and sought to reduce the power of the white Missionary Party (later Reform Party) in the government. In 1887, angered by King Kalakaua’s extravagant spending and his attempts  to dilute their power, a small group of Missionary Party members, known as the Hawaiian League, struck back against the king. Led by Lorrin A. Thurston and Sanford B. Dole, the Hawaiian League drafted a new constitution that reduced the power of the king and increased the power of the cabinet and Legislature. It also extended voting rights to wealthy noncitizens, while excluding Asians and restricting access for native Hawaiians through land-owning and literacy provisions. Backed by a militia, the group used the threat  of violence to force King Kalakaua to sign the constitution, which became known as the Bayonet Constitution. King Kalakaua died in 1891 and was succeeded by his sister, Liliuokalani, who proposed a new constitution that would restore powers of the monarchy and extend voting rights for native Hawaiians. The queen’s actions  angered many of Hawaii’s white businessmen, who formed a 13-member Committee of Safety with the goal of overthrowing the monarchy and seeking annexation by the United States.