Monday, January 17, 2011

QUEEN LILI'UOKALANI

On January 17, 1893, Hawaii's government was overthrown as a group of businessmen and sugar plantation owners from the United States and Europe, backed by the United States military,  forced Queen Lili'uokalani to abdicate.

The following is the statement she made that day.

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.


— Queen Liliuokalani, Jan 17, 1893

Interestingly, on this same date in 1917, the United States paid Denmark $25 Million for the Virgin Islands.  Buying and selling land and people one cannot really own.
Too examples of imperialism at work
Perhaps we should talk about "illegal aliens" eh.

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