Mannix Hawaii's Path to Overthrow (1778-1898) by Mannix Nonaka

January 18, 1778: Captain James Cook Arrives

1531600272 — 2025-02-21 18:49:20 UTC

British explorer Captain James Cook becomes the first documented European to reach the Hawaiian Islands, naming them the 'Sandwich Islands.' This marked the beginning of Western influence in Hawaii and would dramatically change the course of Hawaiian history.

1810: Kamehameha I Unifies Hawaii

1531600272 — 2025-02-21 18:49:20 UTC

King Kamehameha I completes his conquest of all Hawaiian islands, establishing the Kingdom of Hawaii. This unification brought stability and created a single Hawaiian monarchy that would rule for nearly a century.

1819: Kapu System Abolished

1531600272 — 2025-02-21 18:49:20 UTC

King Kamehameha II (Liholiho) and Queen Ka'ahumanu abolish the traditional kapu system of religious laws. This significant cultural shift created a spiritual vacuum that would later be filled by Christian missionaries.

1820: First American Missionaries Arrive

1531600272 — 2025-02-21 18:49:20 UTC

The first company of American Protestant missionaries arrives in Hawaii, beginning a long-term influence on Hawaiian culture, religion, and politics. They established schools, introduced written Hawaiian language, and gained significant political influence.

1848: The Great Mahele

1531600272 — 2025-02-21 18:49:20 UTC

King Kamehameha III institutes the Great Mahele, a land division that introduced private property ownership to Hawaii. This dramatic change in land tenure would eventually enable foreigners to acquire large portions of Hawaiian land.

1849: Hawaii US Treaty

1531600272 — 2025-03-05 07:58:53 UTC

After France became hostile and began to take control of other Pacific states King Kamehameha III was concerned that Hawaii was next. The US protection was considered by the king thinking this was the best to ensure stability to Hawaii and safeguard the independence of the islands. As a step to this end the king made an agreement with the US that ensured permanent peace between the two states to include protection to his descendants and successors. Even though that like the agreement was successful to ensure Hawaii's independence for the time being the hostility of the French soon compelled the king to move to American statehood. The agreement was a landmark milestone to the growing political and economic relationship between Hawaii and the US culminating to the annexation of Hawaii.

1887: Kalakaua's Targeted

1531600272 — 2025-03-05 08:00:09 UTC

A group of white dudes (businessmen) began to conspire against the King Kalakaua and began an underground movement called the Hawaiian League to be opposed to him. The League soon gained momentum expanding to 400 mid-year. Another group soon began to emerge made up of the whites themselves calling themselves the Reform Party. The two groups' aims were quite similar to changing the system of government under the monarchy and highly endorsed the movement of the annexation. This was the dawn of a new era in the political life of Hawaii where the necessity to transform the system of government was becoming pretty fricken stronger.

1887: Revised constitution

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In July 1887 the Honolulu Rifles affiliated themselves to the underground Hawaiian League. The Honolulu rifles and colonel asshford also purchased a shipment of arms under the misimpression that it was to be used by the monarch. With the new arms the reformists mobilized and approached Kalakaua. They presented him with a new Constitution that was written by Thurston. Kalakaua was given 24 hours to sign the new constitution which he reluctantly did. the new constitution made extensive reforms to the government removing the power away from the monarchy to the reformists. the monarch was left to a ceremonial role having virtually no powers becoming a mere puppet to the will of reformists.

1889 to 1892: Annexation struggles

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John Stevens the new American minister to Hawai'i was like a completebig supporter of annexation. Stevens used to regularly taunt Queen Liliuokalani and King Kalakaua and made a backhand agreement to take Hawai'i over as a state. Stevens wrote a lot of letters to Secretary of State James Blaine who like made Stevens the minister. Stevens andBlaine used to write back to each other regularly that annexation was like the best possible option both for Hawai'i and the US. Stevens didn't mend his ways even after Blaine resigned. Stevens continued to writevery forcefully worded letters to Blaine's successor John Foster to buy Hawai'i for like $100,000 and then ratify. Stevens' attitude was like a bigcontributing factor to the final annexation of Hawai'i despite the fact that it was kinda underhand.

1893: Overthrow

1531600272 — 2025-03-05 08:12:09 UTC

After the 1892 february election there was a group of dudes (businessmen) thatcame together to favor like annexation. They thought that it wouldn’t be an easy sell to the U.S. so there was a devious scheme created by Thurston. After meeting the officials he learned that if they deposedand proposed annexation theyd be given what they wanted. thurston was like totally ecstatic. He wrote to Blaine proposing that they take itusing force. Queen Lili'uokalani was struggling to take away the Bayonet Constitution but this didn’t succeed. On January 16 1893 over a hundred Marines marched to Iolani Palace. This tactic worked becausethe Queen's soldiers didn’t succeed to block the Americans. The next day the Provisional Government was created and the Queen was told to relinquish office. She protested but eventually made concessionsrealizing the U.S. was simply too powerful. Later she declared that she resigned to avoid bloodshed because the US was justsimply too powerful.