Provisional Government of Hawaii - Provisional Government

Provisional Government

Following the overthrow of the Hawaiian Kingdom and the establishment of the Provisional Government in Hawaiʻi, a commission including 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 Kaʻiulani was in Washington DC 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 Liliʻuokalani. 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.