Hawaii Colonial Records

History
European contact with the people of the Hawaii islands is believed to have first occurred with Captain James Cook in 1778. During the mid-19th century, American Protestant missionaries came to the islands and many of the people converted to Christianity. Some of these missionaries and their descendants became trusted counselors to the monarchy which led to conflict between the monarchy and some of the American subjects. Great Britain and the United States landed troops in Hawaii to help restore order in 1874 when riots broke out over who should be the next monarch. In 1887, a constitution was instituted limiting the power of the monarch, and who could vote. When plans for a new constitution were announced in 1893, Queen Liliʻuokalani was overthrown by the Committee of Safety, who were mainly Euro-white businessmen, and a provisional government was put in place. Hawaii was annexed to the United States as the Territory of Hawaii in 1898.