Overthrow of the Hawaiian Kingdom

The Overthrow of the Hawaiian Kingdom
Part of the Hawaiian Rebellions (1887–95)
The USS Boston's landing force on duty at the Arlington Hotel, Honolulu, at the time of the overthrow of the Hawaiian monarchy, January 1893. Lieutenant Lucien Young, USN, commanded the detachment, and is presumably the officer at right.[1]
Date January 17, 1893; 131 years ago (1893-01-17) Location Honolulu, Hawaii Result Hawaiian League / United States victory Surrender of the Hawaiian Kingdom Queen Liliʻuokalani relinquishes power Provisional Government, later renamed a Republic, established Hawaii organized into a territory, then a state of the United States
Belligerents
Committee of Safety  United States	Hawaiian Kingdom
Commanders and leaders
Lorrin A. Thurston John L. Stevens	Queen Liliʻuokalani Samuel Nowlein Charles B. Wilson
Strength
United States 1 cruiser, USS Boston 162 US Navy and USMC personnel	496 troops[2] (several) Volunteers 85–110 Police 322–337 Royal Guard 50–65 at ʻIolani Palace 272 at ʻIolani Barracks[3] 8–14 artillery pieces 1 Gatling gun
Casualties and losses
None	1 wounded

Part of a series on the
Hawaiian sovereignty movement
The inverted Hawaiian flag represents the Hawaiian Kingdom in distress and is the main symbol of the Hawaiian sovereignty movement.
Main issues
Overthrow of the Hawaiian Kingdom Opposition to the overthrow Legal status of Hawaii US federal recognition of Native Hawaiians
Governments
Chiefdom Kingdom Provisional Government Government in Exile Republic Territory State
Historical conflicts
Hawaiian rebellions (1887–1895) Wilcox rebellion of 1889 Leper War on Kauaʻi Black Week (Hawaii) 1895 Wilcox rebellion
Modern events
Hawaiian Renaissance 2008 occupation of Iolani Palace 125th anniversary of the overthrow
Parties and organizations
Aloha ʻĀina Party Home Rule Party of Hawaii Office of Hawaiian Affairs
Documents and ideas
Sovereignty Restoration Day Blount Report Morgan Report Bayonet Constitution Proposed 1893 Constitution Kūʻē Petitions Newlands Resolution Hawaiian Organic Act Apology Resolution Akaka Bill
Books
Hawaii's Story by Hawaii's Queen Kaua Kuloko 1895[4]
v t e

The overthrow of the Hawaiian Kingdom was a coup d'état against Queen Liliʻuokalani, which took place on January 17, 1893, on the island of Oʻahu and led by the Committee of Safety, composed of seven foreign residents and six Hawaiian Kingdom subjects of American descent in Honolulu.^[5][6] The Committee prevailed upon American minister John L. Stevens to call in the U.S. Marines to protect the national interest of the United States of America. The insurgents established the Republic of Hawaii, but their ultimate goal was the annexation of the islands to the United States, which occurred in 1898.

The 1993 Apology Resolution by the U.S. Congress concedes that "the overthrow of the Kingdom of Hawaii occurred with the active participation of agents and citizens of the United States and [...] the Native Hawaiian people never directly relinquished to the United States their claims to their inherent sovereignty as a people over their national lands, either through the Kingdom of Hawaii or through a plebiscite or referendum". Debates regarding the event play an important role in the Hawaiian sovereignty movement.