Republic of Hawaii

As United States Marines marched past ‘Iolani Palace on their way to their peacekeeping stations, they dipped their U.S. flag while passing by, as a sign of respect to the Queen. The 152 sailors never entered the Palace grounds, never fired a shot, and did not participate in the takeover of any buildings.

Lili‘uokalani's Trial

The deposed queen was forced to defend herself in a trial. The prosecution proved that Lili‘uokalani had committed "misprision of treason," because she knew that guns and bombs for the Wilcox attempted counter-revolution had been hidden in the flower bed of her personal residence at Washington Place. She was sentenced to 5 years imprisonment at hard labor and a fine of $10,000. But the imprisonment was actually served in a large bedroom at 'Iolani Palace where she had a full-time maid-servant, and her "hard labor" consisted of composing songs and sewing a protest quilt containing symbols of the monarchy. After 8 months she was parolled to her Washington Place home by President Sanford B. Dole. A year later she was granted a full pardon, including the right to travel; and President Dole gave her a passport to travel to Washington D.C. "to visit friends." However, she used that opportunity to lobby the U.S. Senate in 1897 against annexation.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~