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
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Content: Jan. 17, 1893 | Hawaiian Monarchy Overthrown by America-Backed Businessmen - The New York Times
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Jan. 17, 1893 | Hawaiian Monarchy Overthrown by America-Backed Businessmen
By The Learning Network
January 17, 2012 4:01 am
January 17, 2012 4:01 am
Queen Liliuokalani, the last monarch of the Kingdom of Hawaii, is shown in this uncredited portrait taken around 1890. Historic Headlines
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On Jan. 17, 1893, Hawaii’s monarchy was overthrown when a group of businessmen and sugar planters forced Queen Liliuokalani to abdicate. The coup led to the dissolving of the Kingdom of Hawaii two years later,  its annexation as a U.S. territory and eventual admission as the 50th state in the union. The first European contact with Hawaii was made in 1778 by Capt. 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.