Hello! Hello! Hello! Welcome to episode 30 of We Don’t Talk About P-word! Today, we continue commemorating our 50th state's path to statehood. 

Let’s pick up where we left off. Queen Lili’uokalani was ascending to the throne. The end of the Hawaiian kingdom was hastening. 

Word of the Bayonet Constitution had reached Lili’uokalani while she was in London. She was there for Queen Victoria’s Jubilee celebration but cut her trip short to return to Hawaii. Upon her return, legislators from the Reform Party approached her. They asked if she would accept the throne if her brother was removed. She refused, as she understood the strings attached. She even encouraged Wilcox in his 1889 rebellion attempt. 

On January 29, 1891, Lili’uokalani pledged to uphold the constitution. With that declaration, she became the Queen of Hawaii. She named her niece Ka’iulani as her successor. Her husband was an American that had lived in Hawaii since age five. They had known each other since they were children, and he had served as governor of O’ahu. Sadly, he died seven months into her reign. She felt his loss deeply.

“His death occurred at a time when his long experience in public life, his amiable qualities, and his universal popularity, would have made him an adviser to me for whom no substitute could possibly be found.”

The Reciprocity Treaty of 1875, though renegotiated in 1883, ended abruptly in 1890. The United States passed the McKinley Tariff, eliminating all advantages for Hawaiian exporters. The effects of this were starting to appear early in the Queen's reign. To improve the Hawaiian economy, she pushed new laws through the legislature. These laws would license opium sales and lotteries. This was very unpopular with the white community.

She was in battle with the legislature from the moment she became Queen. She could not appoint a cabinet that was in her best interest. According to the constitution, she could appoint but the legislature could remove. Over her time on the throne, they dismissed four of her cabinets. 

This session of the legislature was a contentious one, dubbed the Longest Legislature. There were four major parties at the time. I’ll simplify them for you. The National Reform Party was pro-Queen, pro-native rights. The Hui Kalai’aina Party was pro-Queen and anti-Bayonet Constitution. The Reform Party was the facilitator of the Bayonet Constitution. They were first known as the Missionary Party, and they considered the Queen too liberal. The National Liberal Party was a moderate voice but considered her too conservative. 

Early on, the two pro-Queen parties petitioned the Queen to rewrite the constitution. This movement had the support of two-thirds of the registered voters. She was never happy about the Bayonet Constitution herself and devised a plan. After one of the dismissals of her cabinet, she waited until the legislature recessed. She then appointed a new cabinet, intending to repeal and replace the Constitution. 

These men were members of the National Reform Party and consisted of 3 Americans and one native. 

The Queen met with her new ministers in Iolani Palace. During the meeting, the leader of the Hui Kalai’aina party entered. He brought with him a newly drafted constitution, and she presented them with her plan. The new constitution would restore power to the monarchy. It would have returned voting rights to many disenfranchised natives. Her ministers did not support her, and they warned her that if she persisted this may be used against her. Even her close friends warned her against it. Knowing this was what her people wanted, she persisted. 

Her opposition, the Missionary Party, was led by two descendants of American missionaries. Both were born in Hawaii. One, Lorrin Thurston, was the primary author of the controversial Bayonet Constitution. In total, their leaders were six Hawaiian citizens, five Americans, and one German. They were outraged. They immediately moved to depose the Queen and seek annexation to the United States. 

In hindsight, the “hostile takeover” of the Hawaiian nation was inevitable. The primary question was never if; it was always when and by who. Throughout this series, I have shown different nations’ hostile intentions. Hawaii’s strategic location made it invaluable to every major power in the world. Its climate provided perfect conditions for many important crops. Many historians marvel that it took this long. In the end, their economy became too reliant on the United States.

This moment was also well prepared for. The Missionary Party had taken advantage of the missteps of the Kalakaua reign. They had highlighted his failed policies to weaken him as a king. They labeled his love of the traditional ways, like hula and chants, as immoral. They used his love of a party to paint him as hedonistic. His sister’s later support of the opium trade contributed to this perception.

The primarily white business community owned most of the newspapers. They had close ties to the Missionary Party. They attacked the King in print with racist imagery and caricature. Since many natives could not read, the Hawaiian voice in media was almost nonexistent. The business community, for all intents and purposes, owned the narrative.
Early in 1887, Lorrin Thurston helped form a secret society named the Hawaiian League. No official records of the league’s business were ever kept. They later changed the name of their party to the Reform Party. Most preferred annexation over reform. Members referred to it as the Annexation Club amongst themselves. At some point, this club gained control of the Honolulu Rifles. With this control, they were able to force the Bayonet Constitution on the King. Some radical members even favored assassination.

Thurston had traveled to Washington D.C. in 1892 to lobby Congress for annexation. The President, Benjamin Harrison, did not meet with him. But he did let Thurston know that his administration would support it.

On January 14, 1893, the Queen made a presentation introducing the new constitution. The warnings and lack of support from her cabinet derailed it early. Defeated, she announced her intention had not changed but she agreed to postpone it. Claiming she had committed a “revolutionary act,” the Hawaiian League wasted no time. They formed a committee of thirteen that would become known as the Committee of Safety. This group included Hawaiian legislators and even a Supreme Court Justice.

The first thing the committee did was pay a visit to the American minister, John Stevens. He provided Thurston and American businessman Sanford Dole assurances. He let them know that he would not protect the queen. He also said that he would land troops if needed “to protect American lives and property.” His last assurance guaranteed the end: he would recognize the provisional government. If the de facto government controlled the city, the US would recognize the government. This was not a surprise. Stevens was an avid annexationist. In early 1892, he had written to the Secretary of State with a blunt recommendation.

“The Hawaiian pear is now fully ripe, and this is the golden hour for the United States to pluck it.”

He had spoken openly about the Queen’s views on the constitution and foreign business. In response (or perhaps preparation), he requested a military presence. He asked for a US warship permanently stationed in Honolulu harbor. The USS Boston was sent to “protect American interests.” It was a loophole to exploit. Following the unrest in 1887, he received instructions from Washington. If another revolution endangered American commerce, lives, or property he was to provide:

“…assistance …to promote the reign of law and respect for orderly government in Hawaii.” 
The next day, January 15, Thurston told the Queen’s cabinet that they would challenge her. Loyalists formed the Committee of Law and Order to support the Queen. 

On January 16, they gave speeches in the palace square in support of her. The Queen (unsuccessfully) sought Stevens’ assurance to protect the legitimate government against insurrection. Tensions grew, and she issued a statement in an attempt at appeasement. She vowed she would only move to change the constitution through constitutional means. 

Unfortunately by this point, the Rubicon had been crossed. There was no turning back. Peaceful speeches were made in defense of the Queen at the palace. At the same time, incendiary speeches were being made at the armory to "validate" the coup.

That same day, the Marshall of the Queen’s police force became aware of the developing coup. He requested warrants to arrest the committee and to declare martial law. Due to the committee’s ties to Stevens, the Marshall feared escalation. After attempting to negotiate, he gathered troops, prepared to protect the Queen. 

The committee was afraid that the Marshall would stop the coup before it could kickoff. They sent a letter to Minister Stevens requesting troops from the USS Boston. Their reasoning was that “the public safety is menaced, and life and property are in peril.” The time for action had arrived, and Stevens agreed. Late in the afternoon, 162 Marines and sailors came ashore marching past the palace in a show of force. They marched down the main street and secured American buildings, one in sight of the palace. They fired no shots; they didn’t need to. Their purpose was to intimidate. Stevens authorized these actions. and Stevens alone. He had no authority from the President or Congress.

They were not sent ashore to assist in the overthrow nor to protect the government. They came ashore with the mission to prevent fighting of any kind. That sounds reasonable, right? But this ensured that the monarchy could not defend itself. 

The next morning, January 17, the overthrow kicked off unexpectedly. A police officer attempted to detain a wagon of weapons bound for the Honolulu Rifles and was shot. This would be the only bloodshed in the coup, but it sped up the overthrow. The Rifles seized control of government buildings across from the palace. Here, they read a proclamation ending the monarchy and announcing a provisional government.

Word was delivered to the Queen that they expected her to relinquish her throne. Understanding her situation and wanting to prevent bloodshed, she did. She relinquished the throne under protest. She addressed her people in words both defiant and hopeful. 
Bear with me this is a long quote, but it deserves a highlight.

“I, Lili`uokalani, by the grace of God and under the constitution of the Hawaiian Kingdom, Queen, do hereby solemnly protest against any and all acts done against myself and the constitutional government of the Hawaiian Kingdom by certain persons claiming to have established a Provisional Government of and for this Kingdom.

That I yield to the superior force of the United States of America, whose Minister Plenipotentiary, His Excellency John L. Stevens, has caused United States troops to be landed at Honolulu and declared that he would support the said Provisional Government.

Now, to avoid any collision of armed forces and perhaps loss of life, I do, under this protest, and impelled by said forces, yield my authority until such time as the Government of the United States shall, upon the facts being presented to it, undo the action of its representative and reinstate me in the authority which I claim as the constitutional sovereign of the Hawaiian Islands.”

Lili’uokalani turned her throne over to the United States, expecting this to be temporary. She did not turn it over to the provisional government. She believed that the United States, once apprised of the events, would side with her. She was wrong.

Sanford Dole became president of the provisional government. Like Thurston, he was a “missionary boy” as they were often called. (He is also the cousin of John Dole who would later start the Dole Pineapple Company in Hawaii.) He had been a more conservative voice on the Committee of Safety. Rather than abolishing the throne, he favored holding it in regency until the Princess was of age. This was why he was chosen over the firebrand Thurston. Still, when the time came, he readily accepted the role of president.

The new government took control of the palace and declared martial law. Stevens declared Hawaii a temporary protectorate of the United States. They raised the US flag over the government buildings. Within forty-eight hours, the provisional government was legitimized. Every government with a diplomatic presence in Hawaii acknowledged them.

Both the Queen and the provisional government sent envoys to Washington immediately. In a show of pettiness, the provisional government had chartered a steamer to travel to the US. They refused passage to the Queen’s envoy, which allowed them to make it to Washington first.

In Washington, Thurston met with President Benjamin Harrison. Harrison was an enthusiastic supporter of the proposed annexation treaty. By the time the Queen’s envoy arrived, he had already sent the treaty to the Senate for ratification. Before it could be, though, an old political adage reared its head. Elections have consequences. Grover Cleveland did not favor annexation, and once his term began, he withdrew the treaty.

And now, entering stage right… American politics. 

From here on out when I refer to people in US politics for the first time, I will also note their political party. This was the early stages of the political parties we see today. Following the Civil War, the two parties had divided largely along north-south lines. 
Republicans largely controlled the north and west. They were still flying high on their success in saving the union. This led to them mostly dominating the government. 

Republicans of the time championed:

•	Business interests
•	Expansionism
•	Social programs 
•	Voter enfranchisement 
•	Expansion of public colleges

Democrats were favored in the south and New Jersey. They also had a strong presence in states like New York and Indiana. 

Democrats of the time:

•	Championed business interest (both forever and always) 
•	Opposed imperialism 
•	Opposed the political corruption of the boss system

Besides expansionism and geography, they weren’t that different. What separated them was religion, but not in the way you think. The Republicans were primarily protestants, while the Democrats were Catholics. The Republicans favored prohibition and other moral legislation. The Democrats believed that the government should stay out of moral issues. The two were also divided along lines of racial politics. Republicans favored greater civil rights for all. Southern democrats were taking control of the Jim Crowe era. 

The McKinley Tariff played a major role in American politics as well. It was wildly unpopular and became the largest contributor to President Harrison’s (R) loss in 1892. President Cleveland (D) and the Democrats were able to use it against the Republicans to win reelection. This election created two unique historical events, at least so far. Grover Cleveland became the first president reelected to non-successive terms. Also, Benjamin Harrison became the first president whose predecessor was also his successor.

Harrison had received a letter from the Queen but ignored it. When Cleveland took office, he also received a letter. In stark contrast to Harrison, he welcomed the Queen’s envoy to plead her case. Cleveland had concerns about the United States’ involvement in the coup. He appointed James Blount as commissioner to investigate the overthrow of Hawaii. In 1893, Blount was a private citizen. Prior, he had served as a Democrat representative for Georgia for twenty years. 

Blount found that improper US backing was responsible for the successful overthrow. It is important to note that Blount only spoke to pro-monarchy witnesses. He never spoke to any member of the Committee of Safety. It's also important to note that he had no subpoena power. All responses were from voluntary respondents. Take from those facts what you will. The report has been admonished as predetermined to support the Queen.
 
President Cleveland dismissed Minister Stevens for his role in the coup. He concluded that the provisional government did not have popular support. However, he still needed to protect American business interests. The President would support the Queen’s return to the throne. This support rested on the Queen granting amnesty to the members of the Committee of Safety. It took some time, but she eventually agreed to this in December. It was not until after he addressed Congress, but as we will soon see, it wouldn't have made a difference. 

The new US minister to Hawaii ordered Dole to dissolve the government and return power to the Queen. President Dole refused. He asserted that his government was not subject to the authority of the United States. He also laid the blame on US troops. He claimed that if US troops acted illegally, his government was not responsible.

The series of events left Cleveland little choice. He addressed Congress on the matter.

“This military demonstration upon the soil of Honolulu was of itself an act of war… the military occupation of Honolulu… was wholly without justification… But for the notorious predilections of the United States Minister for annexation, the Committee of Safety… would have never existed… but for the lawless occupation of Honolulu under false pretexts by the United States forces… the Queen and her government would never have yielded...”

With Dole’s refusal, Cleveland turned the issue over to Congress. He made it known that he planned to work toward the return of the Queen to the throne. Democrats controlled Congress at the time. Though he was one of them, they were not happy that Cleveland had attempted to fix this without their input. The Senate Foreign Relations Committee began to hold public hearings on the situation. This included an investigation into the overthrow but also into the Blount appointment. The Senate claimed it was improper without Senate confirmation.

John Morgan (D-AL) chaired this committee investigation. Morgan was a Democrat, but strongly supported annexation. I could tell you several other things about Morgan. Of those, the most positive would be that he served as a General in the Confederate Army. Do with that information what you will. In the interest of full disclosure, Blount was also a typical Southern Democrat of the time. My meaning is neither man was a positive contributor to American democracy. 

This committee held hearings and interviews in Washington but never went to Hawaii. Nine senators sat on the committee; seven of those supported annexation. In the end, the Morgan Report would come to the opposite conclusion of the Blount Report. The members found unanimously that the military actions were neutral. The other findings were not unanimous. Morgan and the four Democrats found Blount’s appointment to be constitutional. On the other side of the aisle, Morgan and the four Republicans found Steven’s actions justified. With a consensus unreachable, only Morgan signed the final report in February of 1894.

As a result of this report, the Senate passed the Turpie Resolution. There were three declarations made with this resolution: 

•	The government of Hawaii should be decided by its people. 
•	The US should not interfere in the political affairs of the island nation. 
•	Foreign interference would be considered an unfriendly act by the United States. 

This effectively ended any effort to restore the Queen to the throne. It also ensured the protection of US interests in Hawaii, but it meant Annexation would have to wait… for now.

With no other choice, the provisional government organized a constitutional convention. They limited it to Hawaiians and taxpayers of American or European dissent. It excluded Asians. From here, the Republic of Hawaii was born.