Bayonet Constitution

The 1887 constitution of the Kingdom of Hawaii curtailed King Kalākaua’s authority and restricted voting rights, strengthening the influence of foreign residents and wealthy property owners.

Hawaiian League: A political organization of mostly white businessmen and professionals that sought to limit the Hawaiian monarchy’s power. Its members organized the pressure campaign that forced Kalākaua to accept the constitution.
Constitutional monarchy: A system in which a monarch’s powers are limited by a constitution and political institutions. The constitution sharply shifted Hawaii’s monarchy toward rule constrained by elected institutions.
1889 Wilcox rebellion: An armed uprising in Hawaii led by Robert Wilcox that sought to replace the 1887 constitution. The rebellion directly challenged the constitution but failed to restore Kalākaua’s authority.
Constitution of 1840: The first written constitution of the Hawaiian Kingdom, issued under Kamehameha III in 1840. It established a constitutional framework that the later 1887 charter substantially altered.
Honolulu Rifles: A volunteer militia in 1880s Hawaii, composed largely of white residents and aligned with the Hawaiian League. Its armed presence in Honolulu made the demand for a new constitution coercive.
Cabinet of the Kingdom of Hawaii: The executive ministers who administered government under the Hawaiian Kingdom’s constitutional system. The constitution made the cabinet answerable to the legislature rather than solely to the king.
Liliʻuokalani: The last monarch of the Hawaiian Kingdom, who succeeded her brother Kalākaua in 1891. She sought to replace the constitution, a move that precipitated the 1893 overthrow.
Constitution of 1852: A constitution of the Hawaiian Kingdom that broadened political participation and defined government institutions. Its broader suffrage provisions contrast with the property and income qualifications of 1887.
Lorrin A. Thurston: A Hawaiian-born lawyer and politician who became a leading figure in the movement against the monarchy. He helped draft and advance the constitution on behalf of the Hawaiian League.
Legislature of the Hawaiian Kingdom: The bicameral legislature that made laws for the Hawaiian Kingdom under its successive constitutions. The constitution strengthened the legislature relative to the monarch and changed its political composition.

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