Provisional Government of Hawaii

The Provisional Government of Hawaii was proclaimed on January 17, 1893 by the 13 member Committee of Safety under the leadership of Lorrin A. Thurston and Sanford B. Dole. It governed the Kingdom of Hawaii after the overthrow of Queen Liliuokalani until the Republic of Hawaii was established on July 4, 1894.

Following the overthrow of the Hawaiian Kingdom and the establishment of the Provisional Government in Hawaii, Lorrin A. Thurston actively lobbied for annexation to the United States, negotiating a treaty with President Benjamin Harrison that was sent to the Senate for approval. At the same time Princess Victoria Kaiulani was in Washington D.C. to state that the overthrow of the Hawaiian monarchy was illegal.

President Grover Cleveland opposed the idea of annexation, being an anti-imperialist himself, and withdrew the treaty negotiated by President Benjamin Harrison upon taking office. After commissioning the secret Blount Report, he stated that the U.S. had inappropriately used military force and called for the reinstatement of Queen Liliuokalani. The matter was referred by Cleveland to Congress after Sanford Dole refused Cleveland's demands, and the U.S. Senate held a further investigation, culminating in the Morgan Report , which completely rejected that there had been any U.S. involvement in the overthrow. After the findings of this committee were submitted, Cleveland reversed his position, and accepted the Provisional Government as legitimate, and rebuffed further requests from the queen to interfere in the matter.

Following the Morgan Report, and the Turpie Resolution which stated a policy of non-interference in Hawaiian affairs by the U.S., Lorrin A. Thurston and the Provisional Government of Hawaii convened a constitutional convention and established the Republic of Hawaii. This government maintained power until the U.S. annexed Hawaii in 1898.

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Last updated on Tuesday March 04, 2008 at 03:04:11 PST (GMT -0800)
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