Visiting the Grove Plantation Museum on Kauai in Hawaii

I visited the Grove Farm Sugar Plantation and took the tour. This was the home of George Norton Wilcox. This tour is an interesting case of how the victors write the history books. In this case, our tour group was just a handful of people. Our tour guide could recite an astounding number of numerical facts about the Grove Sugar Plantation, but when I asked about his role in the overthrow of the Hawaiian monarchy, our tour guide said that he had no knowledge on this topic.

Interesting …

George Norton Wilcox was the most successful sugar plantation owner in Kauai. He was also one of the leaders who overthrew the Hawaiian monarchy. This information is readily available on the internet. This is what I found:

“George Norton Wilcox was a well-known businessman and politician both before and after the overthrow of the Kingdom of Hawaii. He was also a member of the Hawaiian League, a secret society with close ties to the group that plotted and successfully executed the takeover of Hawaii. This eventual overthrow of the Hawaiian government was facilitated by a document called the Bayonet Constitution, which drastically weakened the monarchy and linked the right to vote with property ownership, shifting power from indigenous Hawaiians towards white colonists. George Norton Wilcox was among the group that wrote the Bayonet Constitution, along with Sanford B. Dole (son of Daniel Dole) and Lorrin Thurston (grandson of Asa Thurston).”

Source: https://kapunahou.org/1032/opinion/bingham-to-wilcox-telling-the-whole-story/

“The Committee of Safety, formally the Citizens’ Committee of Public Safety, was a 13-member group also known as the Annexation Club; they started in 1887 as the Hawaiian League.

The Hawaiian League came into control of the Honolulu Rifles (made up of about 200 armed men). In June 1887, the Hawaiian League used the Rifles to force King Kalākaua to enact a new constitution. (Kukendall)

The opposition used the threat of violence to force Kalākaua to accept a new constitution (1887) that stripped the monarchy of executive powers and replaced the cabinet with members of the businessmen’s party. (archives-gov)

The new constitution, which effectively disenfranchised most native Hawaiian voters, came to be known as the “Bayonet Constitution” because Kalākaua signed it under duress. (archives-gov)

When King Kalākaua died in 1891, his sister Liliʻuokalani succeeded him; she drafted a new constitution in an attempt to restore native rights and powers. The move was countered by the Annexation Club, a small group of white businessmen and politicians who felt that annexation by the United States, the major importer of Hawaiian agricultural products, would be beneficial for the economy of Hawaiʻi. (archives-gov)

“Queen Liliuokalani attempted on Saturday, Jan. 14, to promulgate a new Constitution, depriving foreigners of the right of franchise and abrogating the existing House of Nobles, at the same time giving her the power of appointing a new House.”

“This was resisted by the foreign element of the community, which at once appointed a committee of safety of thirteen members … That meeting unanimously adopted resolutions condemning the action of the Queen and authorizing the committee to take into consideration whatever was necessary for the public safety.” (New York Times, January 28, 1893)

On January 16, 1893, the Committee of Safety wrote a letter to John L Stevens, American Minister, that stated:

“We, the undersigned citizens and residents of Honolulu, respectfully represent that, in view of recent public events in this Kingdom, culminating in the revolutionary acts of Queen Liliʻuokalani on Saturday last, the public safety is menaced, and lives and property are in peril, and we appeal to you and the United States forces at your command for assistance.”

“The Queen, with the aid of armed force, and accompanied by threats of violence and bloodshed from those with whom she was acting, attempted to proclaim a new constitution; and, while prevented for the time from accomplishing her object, declared publicly that she would only defer her action.”

“This conduct and action were upon an occasion and under circumstances which have created general alarm and terror. “We are unable to protect ourselves without aid, and therefore pray for the protection of the United States forces.”

On the afternoon of January 16, 1893, 162 sailors and Marines aboard the USS Boston in Honolulu Harbor came ashore under orders of neutrality.

To avoid bloodshed, the Queen yielded her throne on January 17, 1893, and temporarily relinquished her throne to “the superior military forces of the United States”. A provisional government was established.”

Source: https://imagesofoldhawaii.com/13-signatories/

Committee of Thirteen:
Joseph B. Atherton
Jonathan Austin
William H. Bailey
William R. Castle
Benjamin F. Dillingham
Sanford B. Dole
Henry F. Glade (1883–1894)
William W. Hall
Peter C. Jones
Thomas May
John H. Paty
Lorrin A. Thurston
George N. Wilcox

Source: https://kids.kiddle.co/Committee_of_Safety_(Hawaii)

Here’s a video of our tour:

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