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On February 14, 1779, Captain Cook, an explorer who traveled to the Hawaiian Islands was killed by the native people of Hawaii. In 1778, he happened to come upon the Hawaiian Islands and was likely the first European to reach the Islands. When the voyagers arrived, they were greeted with kindness and respect. Cook and his team briefly left and headed north in search of the western end of a northwest passages from the North Atlantic to the Pacific but soon returned to Kealakekua Bay after about a year. It is believed that the Hawaiians associated religious significance to the first arrival of the Europeans because Kealakekua Bay, the area where Cook and his team first arrived, was considered sacred land. Because of this, they were treated like gods, but the tides turned when one of the members of Cooks crew died. The Hawaiians initial kindness had shifted to scorn after they felt that they had been betrayed by the Europeans.The Hawaiians began hurling rocks and stole a small cutter vessel from one of their ships. Negotiations for the return of the cutter failed after a Hawaiian chief was shot and killed. This started a catastrophic conflict that resulted in Cooks eventual death by stabbing.

Many of these events could have been avoided if they didn't immediately turn to violence. Negotiations for the stolen vessel could have worked out if it weren't for the chief that was shot to death. If they used their words and refrained from using brute force, the conclusion to this event could have turned out differently.

https://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/captain-cook-killed-in-hawaii

https://www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/education/resources/captain-cook-in-hawaii/

History of Hawaii: Third Edition

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Years Active: Spring, 1795- May 8, 1819

King Kamehameha the Great was first born in 1758 on the island of Hawai'i. His birth was around the time Halley's Comet passed over the island chain, which to the Hawaiians, signified that something great would come. Later on, Kamehameha learned how to battle under Kekuhaupi'o, a renowned warrior. Kamehameha was thought to have been curious, open minded, and perceptive. Kamehameha was also perceived to have valued tradition, however, he sometimes departed from those traditions. For example, like the chiefs before him, he distributed the lands he conquered to chiefs who had supported him in the wars. However, unlike the chiefs before him, he appointed a governor for each island and acted as representatives for Kamehameha. In 1810, he was able to unite all 8 Hawaiian Islands. King Kamehameha the Great died in 1819, he was honorable ruler that his people loved and respected. Although many foreigners came to the Hawaiian Islands in hopes of changing its system of beliefs, King Kamehameha was able to maintain the traditions and practices of the Hawaiian culture while also embracing the newer changes.

I respect the way that Kamehameha the Great was able to stay true to Hawaiis traditions while also embracing change and innovation. Moving past tradition probably didn't sit well with many of the natives of Hawaii, however, he made choices that would help the good of the people. Considering how connected he was to his people and the land, he most likely would have been saddened to see how they were all so gravely mistreated. However, because of his time at the throne, the islands of Hawaii were overall affected positively. He did what no one before him could do, unify all eight Hawaiian islands and without him, Hawaii wouldn't be where it is today.

https://www.britannica.com/biography/Kamehameha-I

https://www.nps.gov/puhe/learn/historyculture/kamehameha.htm

History of Hawaii: Third Edition

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Years Active: May 20, 1819 - July 14, 1824

In November 1797, Iolani Liholiho, Kamehameha II, was born. At the age of five, he became the heir to the throne. After King Kamehameha the Great's death in 1819, his son, Iolani Liholiho assumed the role as the next king. Ka'ahumanu, the late Kamehameha I favorite wife, became the kuhina nui, an official that shared the power of the king, similar to a co-ruler. The first major event during Liholiho's rule was abolishing the kapu system, a system that had helped to keep order and protect the royalty of Hawaii. Kamehameha II was actually conflicted with abolishing the system, however, he was pressured by many of the people around him. Liholiho's cousin, Kekuaokalani, the caretaker to the sacred god of war, actually refused to recognize the abolishment of the kapu system. This disagreement actually led to the Battle of Kuamo'o, that was between Kekuaokalani and his men and Liholiho's warriors. Kekuaokalani actually ended up dying in the battle which officially ended the kapu system. The abolishment of the kapu system left the kingdom with major gaps in the areas of law and religion.
The second major event during Kamehameha II's rule was the arrival of the Christian missionaries in 1820. During this time, many ali'i became converts which pushed the spread of the christianity on the islands. The final major event in Kamehameha II reign was his trip with Queen Kamamalu to England in 1824. Originally, the two went on this trip to seek advice from King George IV and to solidify Hawaii's relationship with England. Unfortunately, however, both Liholiho and the queen caught measles and died and were unable to return to the islands.

I think if it weren't for the amount of pressure that he was put on, Kamehameha II would not have abolished the kapu system. Furthermore, if they didn't do away with the kapu system, the missionaries who had arrived at the time wouldn't have as much effect. To elaborate, the kapu system had integrated many of Hawaii's religious beliefs. After it was ended, it allowed the missionaries to insert themselves and change religion as a whole in Hawaii. I believe that if Kamehameha II was to have kept the kapu system for a little while longer, Hawaii would be a very different place than it is today due to the absence of Christianity.

https://www.nps.gov/puhe/learn/historyculture/kamehameha2.htm

History of Hawaii Third Edition

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Years Active: June 6, 1825 - December 15, 1854

King Kamehameha III began his rule in 1825 after the untimely death of Iolani Liholiho, King Kamehameha II. One of Kamehameha III first actions as king was to set up the first of several constitutions in Hawaii. A Bill of Rights was put in place in Hawaii in 1839 that set in motion laws that were once a part of the kapu system and dealt with rights, usage, and care of the land and sea and detailed the presence of foreigners who had settled in Hawaii. A couple years later, the Constitution of 1840 was established. Many foreigners played a key role in creating and writing the constitution, and as a result it reflected American and British influence. Soon after in 1843, Hawaii was forcefully put under British rule by British Admiral Lord Paulet. Less than six months later, the Hawaiian Islands were returned to King Kamehameha by British Admiral Thomas. At a thanksgiving service, the king gave a speech and proclaimed that the life of the land had been restored. In 1852, another constitution had been written that only removed more power from the monarchy. King Kamehameha III died at the age of 41 and appointed his nephew, Alexander Liholiho, to become Kamehameha IV.

I believe that the missionaries who came to Hawaii had to much influence at the time of their arrival. They ended up doing things forcefully and changed Hawaii for the worse. Especially events like the ratification of the Constitution of 1840 and the entirety of the Paulet Affair could have been completely avoided if the foreigners didn't believe they were entitled to a say of what happened to land they didn't even own. Considering how fast and forcefully these events occurred, I don't think Kamehameha was given enough of a say in the matter.

https://www.britannica.com/biography/Kamehameha-III

History of Hawaii: Third Edition

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On October 8, 1840, Hawaii's first constitution was introduced by King Kamehameha III and Kekauluohi. The Constitution of 1840, as it is known now, began a new age of constitutional monarchy for the people of Hawaii. The constitution was originally intended with a western style of legal framework in mind and wanted to do away with the more severe punishments like being exiled. The document also included a revised version of the Declaration of Rights that was modeled after the American Declaration of Independence. Although a house of nobles with membership based on monarchy still continued, an elected house of representatives member was added to the board. Furthermore, Hawaii's government began to function as partially separated executive, legislative, and judicial branches. To elaborate, the constitution created a supreme court to examine legal inquiries. And finally, the new constitution included a process for constitutional amendment.

I do believe that the Constitution of 1840 overall positively affected Hawaii. The Constitution further secured the native Hawaiian's rights and implemented a just government. However, I do not believe that the foreigners should have had that much influence in the creation of the document. Although the Constitution did support the people on the islands, I believe that involvement of the foreigners only further established their authority in Hawaii, which negatively hurt the Native Hawaiians later on.

https://www.hawaii-nation.org/constitution-1840.html

History of Hawaii: Third Edition

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The Paulet Affair was the 5 month period between February to July where the Hawaiian Islands were under the rule of George Paulet, a commander of a British ship. In 1843, Admiral George Paulet received complaints from Richard Charlton concerning the mistreatment of British subjects in the Hawaiian Islands. Paulet requested permission from Admiral Thomas to investigate the allegations. After King Kamehameha denied the allegations, Paulet demanded that the Hawaiian Islands be given to Great Britain. To further ensure that the islands were surrendered, he aimed his ships 26 guns at Honolulu. Afraid that this would cost the lives of many, King Kamehameha III surrendered the Hawaiian Islands to Paulet hoping that the British Government would realize their faults and return the Islands to him. In a little over five month months, the British rule over Hawaii ended. British Admiral Thomas arrived in the Islands and quickly restored Hawaii to the kind in the name of Queen Victoria and admitted that Lord Paulet had wronged the people of Hawaii. The weeks after Hawaii had been rightfully restored were of celebration. Thomas Square in Honolulu is named after Admiral Thomas for his role in the return of the kingdom.

What happened on the kingdom of Hawaii in those 5 months was horrible and an egregious overreach of power. Furthermore, I think it is outrageous that it took more than 5 months to actually resolve the issue, but it shouldn't have happened in the first place. This seems to be a recurring theme, but foreigners continue to believe that they are entitled to a say in what happens on land that they don't own. Theres a strong sense of entitlement and supremacy that they seem to have over the Hawaiian people that is not justified in the slightest.

http://www.hawaiihistory.org/index.cfm?fuseaction=ig.page&PageID=286&returntoname=year%201843&returntopageid=127

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Paulet_affair

History of Hawaii: Third Edition

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British Admiral Thomas or Richard Darton Thomas played a large role in the Paulet Affairs that occurred in 1843. In 1843, Admiral George Paulet received complaints from Richard Charlton concerning the mistreatment of British subjects in the Hawaiian Islands. Paulet requested permission from Admiral Thomas to investigate the claims. After the king had refused to acknowledge the claims, Paulet forced King Kamehameha III to surrender the Hawaiian Islands to  Great Britain. He succeeded and the Hawaiian Islands were under British Rule. Until a little less than 6 months later, when British Admiral Thomas arrived to the islands. He admitted that Paulet had overstepped his bounds of authority. He then restored the Hawaiian Islands to its rightful owner.

Although British Admiral Thomas did restore the Hawaiian Islands to Kamehameha, I do not believe he deserved this much praise for it. Returning the islands to Hawaii should have been a given. However, forcefully taking away the islands in the first place should not have happened at all. I believe that instead of focusing on the return of the islands, we should center our attention on the unfair seizure of the islands.

https://www.crownofhawaii.com/restoration-day#:~:text=On%20the%20twenty%2Dsixth%20day,Kingdom%20government%20to%20Kamehameha%20III.

History of Hawaii: Third Edition

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The Great Mahele was the Hawaiian land redistribution suggested by King Kamehameha III. This new system would affect the way land was owned and divided in Hawaii for generations to come. With the advice given from foreign advisors, the king divided lands that had been previously been held in common and administered by chiefs and their overseers. The original plan was to split the land evenly three ways, between the king, the chiefs and government, and the commoners. However, the land ended up being split unevenly. 23% would be crown lands or land that would belong to the king, 40% would become konohiki lands and would be distributed among the 245 chiefs, and the remaining 37% became government lands. The government lands would be given to commoners around the islands who managed and worked the land as active tenants. A Court of Claims and an an arranged Land Commission would control and regulate the land division.

If it were an ideal situation, the Hawaiian islands would have continued to share the land. However, considering how Hawaii began to shift to a more modern way of living, I don't think the old system of land distribution would've worked. Nevertheless, the land should've been split differently. More land should've been given to the people rather than the monarchs and chiefs of Hawaii.

https://apps.ksbe.edu/olelo/sites/apps.ksbe.edu.olelo/files/Mahele_timeline.pdf

http://www.hawaiihistory.org/index.cfm?fuseaction=ig.page&PageID=288

History of Hawaii: Third Edition

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The Kuleana Act was first enacted in 1850 by the Legislative Council of the sovereign and independent nation of Hawaii, which was ruled by King Kamehameha III. The Kuleana Act created a system that allowed the opportunity to make claims for the land. Tenants were required to document their claims to specific parcels in order to gain a permeant title. The statute was separated into seven different parts. Each part highlighted a certain aspect of the statute. Although the Kuleana Act allowed more people to buy land, this also opened the possibility of foreigners buying land. To add on, some natives ended up losing their land. This was a result of them being unable to to pay their taxes or live on the land which resulted in foreigners buying up the open plots.

In theory, I think the concept of buying and selling land could've worked. However, the system they had set up, only made things more complicated and difficult. It almost seems like the Kuleana Act was designed to see Hawaiians fail. Although it may not have been obvious at the time, in hindsight it was clear that if they opened buying land to foreigners it could only go their way. They already had more experience with buying and selling and were more wealthy than the Hawaiian people.

https://core.ac.uk/download/pdf/267978445.pdf

http://www.hoakaleifoundation.org/documents/kuleana-act-1850

History of Hawaii: Third Edition

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Years Active: January 11, 1855 - November 30, 1863

Alexander Liholiho, the adopted son of Kamehameha III and grandson of Kamehameha the Great, stepped up to the thrown in January of 1855. As the death rate of the Hawaiian people began to rise, Kamehameha IV and his wife began to worry about the future of Hawaii and as a result began going door to door collecting donations that would go towards building Queen's Hospital, a hospital that would provide free medical care for disadvantaged Hawaiians. The Constitution of 1852, that was previously established in Kamehameha III time of rule prevented the king from being able to do everything except sign laws without the approval of the Privy Council, a powerful group of officials. Many events led up to Kamehameha IV early death. First of which was in 1859, when the king shot his secretary, Henry A. Neilson, after suspecting him of having a love affair with his wife. When he found out his suspicions were false, he was so overcome with guilt and remorse that he considered giving up his seat as king. Neilson never recovered from the gun shot and eventually died two and half years later. Then within the next few months, their only child, Prince Albert Kauikeaoili died at the age of four. After his only child's death, his health began to quickly dwindle and he died in 1863.

It's very heartbreaking to hear how low the Native Hawaiian population was getting at this point in time. However, I really respect Kamehameha IV and his wife's determination and resolve to help their people. I think that if it weren't for his early death, Kamehameha could've have done a lot to help his people. It is extremely unfortunate to see all the misfortune that led him to his death.

https://www.history.com/topics/us-states/kamehameha-iv

History of Hawaii: Third Edition

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Years Active: November 30, 1863 - December 11, 1872

Lot Kapuaiwa, Kamehameha IV brother took the role as king as Kamehameha V after his death in 1863. When he became king, he declined to follow the 1852 constitution and instead wrote his own constitution, the Constitution of 1864. This new constitution proposed by Kamehameha V became the law of the land for the next 23 years. The Constitution of 1864 gave back some of their power, abolished the role of the kuhina nui, and combined the House of Representative and the House of Nobles, calling it the Legislative Assembly. Furthermore, it necessitated that a man own property to be allowed to vote and that voters born after the year 1840 be able to read and write and be literate in either English or Hawaiian. Kamehameha V never married and was the last of the Kamehameha to rule the Hawaiian Kingdom. He did ask Princess Bernice Pauahi Bishop, the granddaughter of Kamehameha I to become his successor, but she declined. King Kamehameha V died in 1872 at the age of 43 without leaving a successor to the throne.

I admire how Kamehameha V tried to steer further away from the previously written Constitution of 1852. I do think one mistake made was only allowing men who owned property to vote. As established previously, the Kuleana Act greatly limited the number of native Hawaiians that owned property and only boosted the number of foreigners who owned property. By adding the voting clause to the newly written constitution, they were only further decreasing the political influence of the Hawaiian population.

https://www.britannica.com/biography/Kamehameha-V

http://www.hawaiihistory.org/index.cfm?fuseaction=ig.page&PageID=402

History of Hawaii: Third Edition

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Years Active: January 8, 1873 - February 3, 1874

Since Kamehameha V did not leave a successor, the legislature set three candidates for the position. Those candidates were William Lunalilo, Bernice Pauahi Bishop, and David Kalakaua, however, Bernice Pauahi Bishop declined to pursue the position. Although the legislature had the final say, it was obvious who the citizens of Hawaii wanted as their new leader. They held an informal vote and Lunalilo received 12,531 votes while Kalakaua only received 51 votes.  The decision was finalized by the Legislature and Lunalilo became king in 1873. Lunalilo believed in democracy and that the power should be given to the people and because of this, during his time of rule he appointed new cabinet members and tried to make amendments to the Constitution of 1864. However, his efforts had failed and his amendments to the constitution were swiftly dismissed and never came into law. In 1874 only a year into his reign, William Charles Lunalilo had died due to tuberculosis and years of drinking at the age of 39. He left most of his estate for a home for poor, aged, and infirm Hawaiians and chose to be buried among the people who had elected him to the throne rather than at Mauna'ala, the Royal Mausoleum in Nu'uanu Valley.

I believe that if Lunalilo lived longer he would've made a very good king. He was someone with good morals that believed in listening to the voices of the people. I think he would've tried his best to give the native Hawaiians more control and restore their previous influence. However, considering the fact even when he was still alive his efforts to change the constitution only ended in failure and the many laws preventing him from doing much as king, there wasn't much left he could do.

http://www.hawaiihistory.org/index.cfm?fuseaction=ig.page&PageID=403

History of Hawaii: Third Edition

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Years Active: February 12, 1874 - January 20, 1891

Once again after Lunalilo's death, Kalakaua was a candidate for the throne. This time however, his opponent was Queen Emma, widow of the late Kamehameha IV. Queen Emma was favored by the people of Hawaii and had strong ties to England and to the Anglican Church. However, Kalakaua was popular with the Americans living in Hawaii. Nine days after Lunalilo's death, the Legislature convened and came to the conclusion that Kalakaua would become the next king of the Hawaiian Islands. One major event in Kalakaua's time of rule was his signing of the Reciprocity Treaty with the United States, which would result in the growth of the sugar industry in Hawaii. As time moved forward, the increasingly powerful haole businessmen began to criticize the kings decisions in order to belittle his power. They realized that many of the choices Kalakaua was making was not in favor of them and could possibly lead to the downfall of their sugar plantations. The conflict between the parties came to a peak in 1887, when the king was accused of accepting a bribe in return for a license to sell opium. This accusation and the fact that he was held at gunpoint  forced Kalakaua into signing a new constitution called the Bayonet Constitution. The new constitution limited the kings power greatly and made it so he was only a figurehead. To add on, it only hurt the Hawaiian population and gave the vote to foreign men and reduced the power of Hawaiians in the political arena. Kalakaua died in San Francisco in 1891, a few years after he was stripped of his power.

In my opinion, it was during Kalakaua's reign that the Hawaiians really lost all hope of regaining their power. At this point, the king had been forcefully stripped of most, if not all of his power. To add as a result of the Reciprocity Treaty, the Hawaiian islands and the United States only relied on each other more. The Reciprocity Treaty had a great effect on the eventual annexation of the islands only a few years later.

https://www.britannica.com/biography/Kalakaua

History of Hawaii: Third Edition

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In 1873, the United States Secretary of War W. Belknap sent two spies Major General John Schofield and Brigadier General B.S. Alexander to map Pearl Harbor. While they were there they also were asked to asses the harbors military and commercial value and advantages. The two spies arrived to Hawaii with the explanation that were visiting Hawaii for a two month vacation. During their stay, they wrote a report detailing the naval and commercial benefits of the Harbor. Furthermore, they even suggested that that Hawaii should give Pearl River to the United States in exchange for the Reciprocity Treaty. The report they wrote, now called the Schofield Report, was kept under wraps for the 25 years. It wasn't until The United States Congress considered annexation in 1897, when they finally revealed the report. Today, the United States has dedicated  the Army Camp, Schofield Barracks, to the two spies in honor of their work.

I find it really strange that the United States would reward people for spying on other lands. Spying is one thing, but then going as far as honoring them by naming an Army Camp after them is even worse. To look at this event as anything but negative would be harmful and disrespectful to the people of Hawaii.

Stolen Kingdom Document

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The Reciprocity Treaty was signed by King Kalakaua in 1875. The treaty made it so that sugar produced in Hawaii could enter the United States tax-free in exchange for for certain American products to be admitted to Hawaii tax-free. The treaty helped grow the sugar industry and was a big part of the eventual annexation of the Hawaiian islands. Throughout the 19th century countries such as Great Britain, France, and the United States made advances to claim the Hawaiian islands. One of the more interesting aspects of the islands was the booming sugar industry. Due to the Civil War at the time, the prices of sugar greatly increased in the United States. This situation urged the needs for more sugar and  as result pushed members of the US government to establish a treaty between Hawaii and the United States. After multiple failed attempts to create a treaty, the final version of the Reciprocity Treaty of 1875 was signed and was enforced on September 9, 1876.

I believe that the Reciprocity Treaty was one of the biggest events that led to the annexation of Hawaii. The treaty between the two only strengthened the dependency on for each other. This dependency only further encouraged the United States to overthrow and claim the Hawaiian islands.

https://www.britannica.com/event/Reciprocity-Treaty-of-1875

https://www.dartmouth.edu/~hist32/History/S26%20-%20Reciprocity%20Treaty%20of%201875.htm

History of Hawaii: Third Edition

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On June 6, 1887, King Kalakaua was forced to sign a new constitution at gun point. The group of men that held Kalakaua at gunpoint were a militia nicknamed the Honolulu Rifles and was made up settlers that came from America. This new constitution would greatly reduce the power of the king. He would no longer had absolute veto power, he could not be overridden by a 2/3 vote of the legislature. To put it simply, the constitution made it so that the kings position was lessened to that of a figurehead. Furthermore, the constitution also extended suffrage to male residents of the kingdom, not only male subjects. A property qualification was also added to vote for member of the House of Nobles and many Hawaiians were not able to meet it. The Bayonet Constitution greatly hurt the Hawaiian population and gave the vote to foreign men and reduced the power of Hawaiians in the political arena.

Similar to the Reciprocity Treaty, the Bayonet Constitution was one of the final, and most impactful events that led to the eventual overthrow of the Hawaiian Kingdom. The Bayonet Constitution, took the more power away from the king than any constitution of bill that came before it. Because the kings position was only left to a figurehead, that left all the power to the foreigners. In a span of about a 100 years, the foreigners managed to forcefully strip the power of an island entirely.

https://www.nationalgeographic.org/thisday/jul6/bayonet-constitution/

https://hawaiiankingdom.org/blog/the-1887-bayonet-constitution-the-beginning-of-the-insurgency/

History of Hawaii: Third Edition

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Years Active: January 29, 1891 - January 17, 1893

Queen Liliuokalani or Lydia Kamakeha was the first and only reigning queen and the last Hawaiian monarch to rule the islands. After her brothers death in January of 1891, Liliuokalani stepped up the to the throne. During her time of rule, Liliuokalani tried to regain some of the power the monarchy had lost during Kalakaua's reign. She opposed the renewed Reciprocity Treaty of 1887, granting privileged commercial concessions to the United States and ceding to them the port of Pearl Harbor. This move only further estranged her from the haole in Hawaii, which after her succession to the throne, attempted to limit her authority as queen. In 1893, the Missionary Party, led by Sanford Dole, asked for the queens resignation and announced a provisional government pending annexation by the United States. Although she did surrender, she appealed to President Cleveland for a reinstating. Cleveland rejected the treaty of annexation and ordered that the queen be reinstated. Dole, however, went against the President and stated that he did not have the authority to interfere with the annexation. Liliuokalani was kept under house arrest on charges of treason and eventually on January 24, 1895, agreed to sign a formal abdication in order to win pardons for her supporters who had been jailed. Although many attempts were made to prevent the overthrow, in July 1898, Hawaii was officially was under United States rule.

What happened during Liliuokalani reign was devastating. She really did all she could do with the power she held. At that point, she either had to give up the kingdom or let her people die. She was trapped and really no longer had much of a choice either than surrendering  her kingdom to the United States and stepping down as queen.

https://www.britannica.com/biography/Liliuokalani

Stolen Kingdom Document

History of Hawaii: Third Edition

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Sanford B. Dole was the son of American Protestant missionaries who had settles in Hawaii and played a large role in the eventual overthrow of the Hawaiian islands. Dole was a Honolulu lawyer and was twice elected to the Hawaiian legislature. Dole was also a leader of the reform movement that brought forth the adoption of a constitution in 1887. In January of 1893, Dole worked as the leader of the committee that represented the Hawaiian sugar interests. One of their goals was to overthrow Queen Liliuokalani and to annex the Hawaii islands. In the same month, the committee dethroned the queen and set up a provisional government with Dole as their president. However, President Grover Cleveland rejected their treaty of annexation and ordered that the queen be restored to the throne. Dole went against the president and refused to recognize the presidents authority. A few years later, in 1898, Hawaii was officially overthrown and was under the rule of the United States.

To even go as far as going against the president's say really is telling of the kind of person Sanford Dole was. He put so much effort into doing something that he knew would hurt many people just for his own gain. I'm curious to know whether he thought he was doing the right thing for the people.

https://www.britannica.com/biography/Sanford-Ballard-Dole

History of Hawaii: Third Edition

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Lorrin Thurston was an American lawyer and politician born on July 31, 1858. Thurton was born and raised in Hawaii and played a crucial role in the overthrow of the Kingdom of Hawaii. He was a leader of the Hawaians who opposed the monarchy and worked alongside Stanford Dole in the U.S. annexation of Hawaii. Thurston’s involvement in politics started in 1886, when he was elected to the Hawaiian legislature. To support the idea of reformation and reduction of the monarchy and annexation of Hawaii, he formed a society in secret in 1887, the Hawaiian League, challenging Kalakaua. In July of the same year, he helped draft the new constitution, the Bayonet Constitution and later joined the reform Cabinet as a minister of the interior. As native Hawaiians rallied around King Kalakaua in 1890, Thurston and other reformers were forced out of office but later retained his seat in the legislature up till 1892. In the same year, he formed another secret group called the Annexation Club that would later combine with the Committee of Safety. Thurston then returned to the U.S. to gain support to prevent Queen Liliuokalani’s plan of proclaiming a new constitution for Hawaii that would favor a monarchy government, leading to the provisional government in 1993. He also contributed to help draft and declare the constitution of the Republic of Hawaii in 1894.

In his mind he may have thought that he was on the right side. He found a way to justify doing something horrible to people that should've had a right to their own land. However, he failed consider the many people of Hawaii who had ancestors that lived and were the life blood of the land.

https://www.britannica.com/biography/Lorrin-A-Thurston

History of Hawaii: Third Edition

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John Stevens was the United States Minister to the Hawaiian islands. In 1893, he was accused of plotting to overthrow the ruler of Hawaii at the time, Queen Liliuokalani. At the time, John Stevens was working with the Committee of Safety. The Committee of Safety included members such as Lorrin Thurston and Sanford Dole. John Stevens was also a journalist, author, and newspaper publisher. He frequently criticized Kalakaua and Queen Liliuokalani and belittled their authority. He also was a supporter of the annexation of the Hawaiian islands. Furthermore, he played a large role in getting the islands annexed in 1898.

Although it is unquestionably everyones rights to disagree with the monarchy, it is unacceptable to go against the presidents order and overthrow the government. Nobody apart of the Safety Committee should have had the authority to overthrow a government. It shouldn't have been up to John Stevens and others that weren't even native to land to forcefully take the Hawaiian islands away from their people.

https://www.raabcollection.com/american-history-autographs/john-stevens-hawaii

History of Hawaii: Third Edition

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On January 17, 1893, an organization by the name of the Committee of Safety organized a coup. The group was was angry with Queen Liliuokalani's persistence in adopting a new constitution. United States soldiers stormed the Hawaiian Kingdom in the hopes of pressuring the queen into stepping down as queen and signing over the islands. Pressured, Liliuokalani acquiesced. She hoped that President Cleveland would restore the kingdom afterwards. Although President Cleveland ordered that the queen be reinstated, the Provisional Government went around the president and reused to back down. Soon after, they announced themselves the Republic of Hawaii. By 1898, Hawaii received status as a United States Territory.

The fact that even after the president ordered the queen to be reinstated shows how much of an overreach of power this is. No member of the Committee of Safety should have or actually had the authority to overthrow Hawaii. Considering that they actually got away with overthrowing the Hawaiian Kingdom shows how little the United States actually cared about the Hawaii people. If they had any conscious, they would've immediately restored the islands to their rightful owner after the Committee of Safety had gone against the president.

http://www.hawaiihistory.org/index.cfm?fuseaction=ig.page&PageID=312

https://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/americans-overthrow-hawaiian-monarchy

https://www.nvlchawaii.org/hawaiian-monarchy-overthrown-territory-hawaii

History of Hawaii: Third Edition

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1897 - Petition Against the Annexation of Hawaii

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1897 - Petition Against the Annexation of Hawaii

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In 1897, President William McKinley signed a treaty to annex Hawaii and submitted it to the Senate for ratification. However, many Hawaiians native to the land strongly opposed the treaty. They gathered more than 21,000 signatures declaring their objection and contempt towards the annexation. This petition was called the Ku'e Petitions, also known as the Anti-Annexation Petitions. They included the signatures of men woman, and children all across the islands. The signatures were collected by three Hui. Those three Hui were the Hui Aloha Aina for Women, the Hui Aloha Aina for Men, and the Hui Kalaiaina. The three groups went to each island holding town meetings about the annexation. They held these meetings in the hopes of getting signatures from individuals that opposed the annexation of the Hawaiian Islands.

I find it very admiral that the people of Hawaii fought till the very end to attempt to regain their land. Although it didn't work out, it is amazing to see how strongly they cared for each other and the land. Even years after their annexation, the Hawaiian population had managed to keep their tradition and culture alive even through all this adversity

https://www.visitthecapitol.gov/exhibitions/artifact/petition-against-annexation-womens-hawaiian-patriotic-league-hawaiian-islands

https://library.wcc.hawaii.edu/hwst115/records/kue

History of Hawaii: Third Edition