Hawaiian Annexation and Queen Lili'uokalani

Hawaiian Annexation and Queen Lili'uokalani

• In January 1895, Queen Lili'uokalani, ruler of Hawaii, was arrested and imprisoned.
• This followed a power grab by a group that seized her diaries, ransacked her home, and claimed her lands.
• American missionaries arrived decades earlier in Hawaii, and quickly gained influence. They established businesses and claimed arable land, converting it into plantations.
• The ali'i (Hawaiian nobility) had worked with the missionaries, and they helped establish Hawaii as a kingdom with a constitutional monarchy.
• Later, some descendants viewed potential sugar exports to the U.S. as their next big business opportunity, and they shifted their position, forming the Missionary Party.
• The Missionary Party plotted to annex Hawaii, effectively bringing it under US control.
• Queen Lili'uokalani’s brother, Kalākaua was the prior ruler; thirteen years into his reign, the Missionary Party's growing threat became evident. Forced to sign a new constitution (later the "Bayonet Constitution"), it diminished the monarchy’s power, taking away rights from Native Hawaiians.
• When Kalākaua died, Lili’uokalani assumed the throne, determined to restore power to her people.
• In 1893, a coup d'état took place. The "Committee of Safety" (primarily Missionary Party members), claiming that Lili'uokalani's new constitution endangered American lives/property, staged a coup.
• Over 160 US Marines, supporting the coup, removed Lili'uokalani from office.
• The coup resulted in protest from many Hawaiians.
• Hawaii was declared a Republic the following year.
• Lili'uokalani was subsequently placed under house arrest, and then imprisoned in the palace, eventually signing a document relinquishing her throne.
• Despite imprisonment, she maintained strong ties with her people, expressing her love through songs and quilting.
• She travelled to Washington DC to attempt to convince Congress to halt the annexation treaty. Her efforts were, initially, successful.
• However, the Spanish-American War began, and President William McKinley declared Hawaii a US Territory in 1898, violating international law, to be used as a military base.
• Lili'uokalani spent her remaining years campaigning for the restoration of her lands and the rights of Native Hawaiians.
• She died in 1917, with her aims unfulfilled. A key figure in the annexation, however, had wished in the past to “obliterate the past” of the situation.
• Despite these efforts, Lili'uokalani left a enduring legacy for her people.

Key Figures and Events

• Queen Lili'uokalani: Queen of Hawaii, imprisoned for resisting US annexation
• Kalākaua: Queen Lili'uokalani's brother and previous king
• Missionary Party: The political group advocating for Hawaii's annexation
• Bayonet Constitution: Legislation imposed by the Missionary party stripping rights from Native Hawaiians
• Committee of Safety: Plotters involved in the coup.
• Coup of 1893: The overthrow of Lili'uokalani's government
• Annexation of Hawaii (1898): Hawaii formally became a U.S. territory
• Spanish-American War: Triggered the US to take Hawaii as a military base

Key Concepts

• Ali'i: Hawaiian nobility
• Aloha ʻĀina: Love of the nation, Hawaiian concept.
• Nationalism: Strong loyalty to one's nation