| The storm that had
been gathering broke on Jan. 17, 1893, when the Hawaiian
monarchy ended in a day of bloodless revolution.
Armed insurrection by a relatively small group of men,
most of them American by birth or heritage, succeeded
in wresting control of the Islands with the backing
of American troops sent ashore from a warship in Honolulu
Harbor. To this "superior force of the United
States of America," Queen Lili`uokalani yielded her
throne, under protest, in order to avoid bloodshed,
trusting that the United States government would right
the wrong that had been done to her and the Hawaiian
people.
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For
readers new to Hawaii's history, Pat Pitzer's article The
Overthrow of the Monarchy, is an excellent introduction,
although it covers events in the middle of a very long time-line.
If you have found this page first in your search for information,
please read the introduction to the History
of Hawai`i.
Those
who believe the republican form of government of the United
States to be the best we have yet devised often find it difficult
to understand the issues of sovereignty. Very often
race is tossed into the discussion when it really isn't about
race, or even culture, it's about nationality.
If the concept of sovereignty is new to you, the following
may help to understand it better. Suppose that
some long lost relatives showed up at your house and wanted
to stay with you. Suppose you welcomed them, shared
everything you had and were interested in what interesting
things they had. In time, they started to call your
home theirs and make more and more demands about the food
they wanted to eat, the colors of paint in the rooms, the
type of furniture and how it's arranged. Finally one
day they tell you that you have to stay in the garage, or
the basement, or even the yard, because they now own your
home and you don't have any right to it any longer.
The
"Black's Law Dictionary" definition of sovereignty
is accurate, of course, but rather long and involved, so as
I read discussions here and there, I use a simple definition
of self-determination to keep my thoughts grounded
on the root of the issue, and perhaps, for other U.S. citizens,
these words from the Declaration
of Independence will also assist in understanding:
| "We hold these truths
to be self-evident, that all men are created equal,
that they are endowed by their Creator with certain
unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty
and the pursuit of Happiness. -- That to secure these
rights, Governments are instituted among Men, deriving
their just powers from the consent of the governed,
..." |
So
with that, begin or continue your journey with these Sovereignty
Resources specific to the overthrow of the Kingdom of Hawai`i
in 1893:
'Apology'
Resolution
Full text of Public Law 103-150, 103d Congress Joint Resolution
19, November 23, 1993: "To acknowledge the 100th anniversary
of the January 17, 1893 overthrow of the Kingdom of Hawaii,
and to offer an apology to Native Hawaiians on behalf of the
United States for the overthrow of the Kingdom of Hawaii."
Also see Senate
Congressional Record and House
Congressional Record.
Gresham's
Letter
Summarizes the Blount Report and concludes: "Can the
United States consistently insist that other nations shall
respect the independence of Hawaii while not respecting it
ourselves? Our Government was the first to recognize the independence
of the Islands, and it should be the last to acquire sovereignty
over them by force and fraud."
President
Cleveland's Message to Congress
"By an act of war, committed with the participation of a diplomatic
representative of the United States and without authority
of Congress, the Government of a feeble but friendly and confiding
people has been overthrown. A substantial wrong has thus been
done which a due regard for our national character as well
as the rights of the injured people requires we should endeavor
to repair."
Treaties,
Conventions and other International Agreements
Index of international documents, with links to those that
have been placed online, from the Nation of Hawai`i.
Also see: Kingdom
of Hawai`i Documents, an index to the constitutions in
effect during the monarchy.
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