In 1893, the United States overthrew the Kingdom of Hawaii and later forced the last sovereign of the islands to abdicate. Five years later in 1898, the US formally annexed the Hawaiian Islands. The overthrow of the Kingdom of Hawaii and annexation of the territory remains a contentious issue in American history.
In 1993, the United States Senate passed the Apology Resolution, which effectively declared that the native Hawaiian people never directly relinquished to the United States their claims to their inherent sovereignty as a people over their national lands. Indeed, calls for Hawaiian independence from American rule are still voiced today.
So, what exactly led to the overthrow of the monarchy? Click through this gallery and find out more about the islands' royal legacy and the events that saw Hawaii become a republic.