On Jan. 16, 1893, the U.S. Minister to Hawaii, John L. Stevens, ordered about 160 armed troops from the USS Boston to come ashore and camp near Iolani Palace in 1893.
Queen Lili’uokalani gave up her throne the next day.
“Now, to avoid any collision of armed forces—and perhaps the loss of life—I do under this protest and impelled by said forces, yield my authority,” she wrote.
She died in 1917 at age 79.
See our related magazine feature story: Native Hawaiians wage an ongoing battle to organize into a sovereign nation
Attribution: Gallery created by Brenan Sharp and Andy Lefkowitz. Photos from Wikimedia Commons.