Saturday, November 27, 2010

The Bayonet Constitution

The 1887 Constitution of the Kingdom of Hawaii or also known as the Bayonet Constitution was a legal document written by anti-monarchists aiming to strip the Hawaiian monarchy of most of its power and authority, and transferring power to American, European and native Hawaiian elites. It was also known as the bayonet constitution because of the intimidation used by the militia which essentially forced King Kalakaua to sign it or be deposed.

Like that of the United Kingdom the document created a constitution monarchy, stripping the King of much of his authority and empowering the cabinet and legislature of the government.


Provisions of this document included replacing the previous absolute veto power allowed to the king to one that two-thirds of the legislature of the Hawaiian Kingdom could overrule. It also took the power of the king to act without the consent of the cabinet away, and gave the legislature power to dismiss the cabinet.

This new constitution also made considerable alterations to the requirements needed to vote. For the first time it allowed not just naturalized citizens but also foreign resident aliens the right to vote.



Most importantly it denied Asians including those who were previously allowed to vote, the right to vote. Denying all Asians suffrage.  It also stated that only Hawaiian, American, and European males were granted full rights to vote only if they met certain economic and literacy thresholds. 


Among these thresholds were requiring that a voter have an annual income of at least $75 or approximately $1,775 today or be a land owner with property worth at least $150 or approximately $3,550
The bayonet constitution is seen as a piece of legislature that ultimately paved the way for the eventual removal of the Hawaiian Monarchy in its entirety. 




Posted by David Peterson

1 comment:

  1. In a meeting of the Privy Council that afternoon, Lili‘uokalani took the oath of office, where she swore “in the presence of Almighty God, to maintain the Constitution of the Kingdom whole and inviolate, and to govern in conformity therewith.” Chief Justice Albert F. Judd administered the oath and Lili‘uokalani was thereafter proclaimed Queen. The oath did not state that she maintain the 1887 Bayonet Constitution, but rather “the Constitution.” The Bayonet Constitution was never ratified by the Legislative Assembly, so therefore it was never a constitution to begin with. The 1864 Constitution remained the constitution of the country.

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