The 1874 Honolulu Courthouse riot exposed deep tensions between Native Hawaiian sovereignty and growing American political influence in the Hawaiian Kingdom.
Key Facts
- Date
- February 12, 1874
- U.S. troops deployed
- 150 troops
- British forces deployed
- 70 troops
- Total arrests made
- Over 70 arrests
- Guilty pleas
- 20 persons
- King elected
- David Kalākaua
By the Numbers
Location
Cause → Event → Consequence
The Hawaiian legislature elected David Kalākaua as King over Queen Emma, ignoring widespread Native Hawaiian public sentiment that favored Emma. Supporters of Queen Emma, known as Emmaites, were further angered by the growing influence of American businessmen and legislators in Hawaiian sovereign affairs, which they felt undermined the will of the Native Hawaiian people.
On the afternoon of February 12, 1874, Emmaite demonstrators stormed the Honolulu Courthouse after the legislature announced Kalākaua's election as King. The unrest continued until late afternoon, when 150 U.S. troops from the USS Tuscarora and USS Portsmouth, alongside 70 British forces deployed by the British Consul General, suppressed the riot.
Kalākaua took the oath of office the following day without opposition. The Hawaiian Kingdom made over 70 arrests in the subsequent month, though only half were fully charged. The episode deepened Native Hawaiian alienation from political power and foreshadowed further erosions of sovereignty, including the 1887 Bayonet Constitution and the eventual illegal overthrow of the Hawaiian Kingdom.
Political Outcome
Kalākaua's election as King was upheld; riot suppressed by U.S. and British forces; over 70 arrested, 20 pled guilty.
Contested succession between Queen Emma's supporters and Kalākaua's American-backed faction
Kalākaua confirmed as King, with increased American influence over Hawaiian Kingdom affairs