The Overthrow of the Hawaiian Monarchy
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| Queen Lili'uokalani |
In 1887 a small group of businessmen calling themselves the Hawaiian League made it their goal to bring about a “decent and honest government in Hawaii” Later Renaming themselves the Committee of Safety on January 14, 1893 they sought to overthrow the Hawaiian Kingdom, depose the Queen, and seek annexation to the United States.
Aiming to reverse much of what had been imposed by the bayonet constitution in a few years prior. The Queen proposed a new constitution in January of 1893, that would strengthen the Monarchy’s power in relation to the Euro-American business elites, and as she did so the men took this as an opportunity to overthrow the Queen.
On January 17th, 1893 Queen Lili’uokalani the last monarch of the Kingdom of Hawaii was deposed in a coup d’etat. The coup let by Lorrin A. Thurston and aided by the United States government was successful in overthrowing the Hawaiian Monarchy.
The day of the coup four boats full of Marines 162 in total landed ashore, docked in the Honolulu Harbor, and proceeded to march through the streets to the Queen’s palace.
Queen Lili’uokalani was certain that resistance would cost many lives and that fighting would be futile. And within the following day she surrendered to the new provisional government.
With very little bloodshed the coup was relatively nonviolent, due to the Queen’s desire “to avoid any collision of armed forces, and perhaps the loss of life” for her people. The Queen ordered her subjects to surrender.
100 years after the fall of the Hawaiian Kingdom congress passed the Apology Resolution signed by Bill Clinton on November 23, 1993. The resolution apologized for the United States role in the 1893 overthrow of the Kingdom of Hawaii.
Posted by David Peterson
Hawaiʻi is not now and never has been part of the United States, but is under an illegal and prolonged occupation!
ReplyDeleteOn January 14, 1893, the Queen proclaimed her intent to reinstate the lawful constitution in response to calls by the people and political organizations, in particular the Hui Kalai‘aina (Hawaiian Political Association).
In reaction, Lorrin Thurston organized a small group of insurgents into a Committee of Safety to plan for the ultimate takeover of the government and to secure annexation to the United States. The so-called Committee of Safety sought support from U.S. Minister John L. Stevens on January 16, 1893 to order the landing of U.S. troops to protect the insurgents while they prepared for the annexation of the Hawaiian Islands to the United States by a voluntary treaty of cession.
The Republic of Hawai‘i, who the United States Congress in its Apology resolution in 1993 called “self-declared,” was comprised of insurgents that committed the high crime of treason. After completing a presidential investigation into the overthrow of the Hawaiian Kingdom government by United States forces, President Cleveland secured an executive agreement with Queen Lili‘uokalani to grant amnesty after the Hawaiian Kingdom government was restored under the 1893 Agreement of restoration.
The Presidential investigation a.k.a The Blount report concluded that the United States diplomat and troops were directly responsible for the illegal overthrow of the Hawaiian government with the ultimate goal of transferring the Hawaiian Islands to the United States. Blount reported that, “in pursuance of a prearranged plan, the Government thus established hastened off commissioners to Washington to make a treaty for the purpose of annexing the Hawaiian Islands to the United States.” The report also detailed United States government actions that violated international laws as well as Hawaiian territorial sovereignty.
Queen Liliʻuokalani never surrendered to the Provisional government or to the United States. She yielded her authority to the U.S.
I, Lili‘uokalani, by the grace of God and under the constitution of the Hawaiian Kingdom, Queen, do hereby solemnly protest against any and all acts done against myself and the constitutional Government of the Hawaiian Kingdom by certain persons claiming to have established a provisional government of and for this Kingdom.
That I yield to the superior force of the United States of America whose Minister Plenipotentiary, His Excellency John L. Stevens, has caused United States troops to be landed at Honolulu and declared that he would support the provisional government.
Now to avoid any collision of armed forces, and perhaps the loss of life, I do this under protest and impelled by said force yield my authority until such time as the Government of the United States shall, upon facts being presented to it, undo the action of its representatives and reinstate me in the authority which I claim as the Constitutional Sovereign of the Hawaiian Islands.
Queen Lili'uokalani made an agreement with President Cleveland, that she would grant amnesty to those individuals, after the government is restored before US troops were illegally landed on January 16, 1893.
-The Cleveland Lili'uokalani Agreement: December 18, 1893
+The Lili'uokalani assignment binds the President and his successors to administer Hawaiian Kingdom law.
+The Restoration agreement binds the U.S. president and his successors to restore the Hawaiian Kingdom government and the Queen to grant a pardon.
+The failure of the President to carry out the Agreement of restoration, being an international treaty, is what allowed the insurgency to increase its unlawful power and control over the Hawaiian Islands.
1898 Newlands Resolution - A Joint resolution is merely a law, an act of Congress. It does not have any power to acquire the territory of a foreign, sovereign state.
Delete1959 Statehood vote - As for the vote for statehood, more importantly who orchestrated the vote called the U.S. congress.
The U.S. congress is limited to U.S. territory, meaning it does not matter who voted. And anything that was voted upon is still limited to U.S. territory.
Hawaiʻi is a sovereign and independent state under an illegal occupation!