This blog is about Hawaii's status as an independent country under prolonged illegal occupation by the United States, and the history, culture, law & politics of the islands.

By Scott Crawford, Hana, Maui

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Students turn Palace into courtroom for overthrow trial reenactment

Video from KITV.com (about a month old but worth checking out):

Order in the court! The Iolani palace throne room— the very room where former queen Lili’uokalani was put on trial for treason— was turned into a COURT ROOM today— where the overthrow of the Hawaiian government came to life. At first glance… You feel like you have been transported back in time to the trial of Liliuokalani. The palace throne room was set up for the case—- but well over a century later comes a twist: Iolani School history students are putting Lorrin Thurston on trial. He played a prominent role in the overthrow of the hawaiian monarch…

1 comment to Students turn Palace into courtroom for overthrow trial reenactment

  • Lima 'Ula.

    Aloha kakou.
    One wonders was Lorrin Thurston more a liar than a lawyer? On March 29, 1892 he left Hawai’i for Chicago over in the U.S. as part of a special advanced Hawaiian Kingdom delegation for the World Columbian Exposition the following year. He secretly travelled down to Washington D.C. on a pro-annexation crusade. From Thurston’s memoirs he gave the impression the Annexation Club financed the visit, in reality the money came directly from Hawaiian Kingdom coffers.

    Thurston claimed three members of the Queen’s Cabinet threatened to reign if she promulgated the new 1893 Constitution which was untrue. When U.S. troops unlawfully landed on Sovereign Hawaiian soil in January 1893 Thurston followed them up Fort Street in Downtown Honolulu, on the corner of Hotel Street he was confronted by Royalist William Rickard who angrily blamed Thurston for the invasion. Thurston according to his memoirs replied: “I had no more to do with them coming ashore than you did, and I have no more idea of what they are going to do than you have.” More deceit from the spin master of the media press.

    The PG’s even sacked the manager of the Honolulu Water Works Company, John C. White, when he wrote a letter to the “New York Times” condemning U.S. Minister John L. Stevens for his role in the unlawful 1893 overthrow. It is good the keiki and haumana of today are learning of these facts hidden for so long. On the count of treasonous conspiracy, guilty as charged!

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