Proposed 1893 Constitution of the Hawaiian Kingdom

While it never became anything more than a draft, the constitution had a profound impact on Hawaiʻi's history: it set off a chain of events that eventually resulted in the overthrow of the Hawaiian Kingdom.

[2] Liliʻuokalani was assisted by Hawaiian legislators Joseph Nāwahī and William Pūnohu White and the captain of the Household Guards Samuel Nowlein with the drafting of the new constitution.

The Queen then called meetings at Muʻolaulani Palace to have a chance to hear everyone’s thoughts regarding constitutional reform.

They were and had already been actively informing the Queen's political enemies of her plans, and were more than aware of the unnecessary turmoil that their actions were soon to ignite.

However, after her meeting with her cabinet, Liliʻuokalani instead went outside onto the palace balcony and told the crowd that a new constitution would have to wait and that they should peacefully return to their homes.

A plan of action was created by the group, including the creation of a Committee of Safety, the overthrow of the monarchy, the establishment of a provisional government, and the petitioning for annexation to the United States.

A group of men mostly drawn from the ranks of the Reform Party of the Hawaiian Kingdom formed the Committee of Safety and asked the United States Minister, John L. Stevens, to land troops from the U.S.S.

U.S. peacekeepers were at the time stationed at Arion Hall, the U.S. Consulate, and the U.S. Legation, under orders of strict neutrality and out of any potential line of fire between the Provisional Government and Royalist forces.

Convicted of having knowledge of a royalist plot, Liliʻuokalani was fined $5000 and sentenced to five years in prison and hard labor.

After her release from ʻIolani Palace, the queen remained under house arrest for five months at her private home, Washington Place.