Queen Overthrown: Hawaii Seized by American Planters
A bloodless coup, but not bloodless in spirit. Lorrin Thurston—a white plantation owner with powerful American business connections—staged a precise military takeover that stripped Hawaii's last monarch of her throne. Backed by armed businessmen and supported by U.S. Marines, they simply walked into the palace and declared the kingdom dissolved. Queen Liliuokalani, who had attempted to create a new constitution restoring Native Hawaiian rights, was placed under house arrest. And just like that, an independent kingdom became an American territory—all without firing a single shot.
January 17, 1893
133 years ago
Key Figures & Places
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