7. The Push for a New Constitution
In early 1893, Queen Liliʻuokalani drafted a new constitution designed to restore power to the throne and return political rights to native Hawaiians. Her bold move was met with fierce opposition from American and European settlers, who feared the loss of their privileged status and economic control. Alarmed by this challenge to their influence, a group of foreign residents and business leaders began plotting to remove the queen. The stage was set for a dramatic confrontation. Read the proposed constitution.
