Hawaiian King Forced to Sign New Constitution at Gunpoint: The Bayonet Constitution
The king held the pen while armed militiamen waited outside Iolani Palace. David Kalākaua had no choice on July 6, 1887. The new constitution stripped voting rights from most Native Hawaiians—requiring property ownership and literacy tests—while giving Americans and Europeans who'd never sworn allegiance full voting power. Cabinet positions went to the white-led Reform Party. The king lost his authority to appoint officials or act without cabinet approval. Within six years, these same men would overthrow his successor and end the Hawaiian monarchy entirely. They called it reform. Kalākaua called it what it was: extortion.
July 6, 1887
139 years ago
Key Figures & Places
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