Queen Liliuokalani Crowned: Last Ruler of Hawaii
Queen Liliuokalani was the last sovereign ruler of the Hawaiian Kingdom, ascending to the throne on January 29, 1891, after the death of her brother King Kalakaua. She immediately sought to restore power that had been stripped from the monarchy by the 1887 'Bayonet Constitution,' which American and European businessmen had forced Kalakaua to sign at gunpoint. Her attempt to promulgate a new constitution in January 1893 gave the sugar planters the pretext they needed. A group calling itself the Committee of Safety, supported by US Minister John L. Stevens and 162 armed US Marines from the USS Boston, overthrew her government. Liliuokalani surrendered to avoid bloodshed. President Grover Cleveland investigated and concluded the overthrow was illegal but lacked the political will to restore her. Hawaii was annexed by the United States in 1898. Congress formally apologized in 1993.
January 29, 1891
135 years ago
Key Figures & Places
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