United States Minister to Hawaii
Encyclopedia
The Minister to Hawaii was an office of the United States Department of State
to the Kingdom of Hawaii
during the period of 1810 to 1898. Appointed by the President of the United States
with the consent of Congress
, the Minister to Hawaii was equivalent in rank to the present-day ambassador of the United States to foreign governments. As principal envoy of the United States government to the monarch of Hawaii, the Minister to Hawaii often dealt in affairs relating to economic, military
and political matters affecting both nations. The Minister to Hawaii also represented the interests of American citizens residing and working in Hawaii, conveying their concerns over United States foreign policy
to the President of the United States.
Two Ministers to Hawaii became paramount figures in the history of Hawaiian Islands
. John L. Stevens
, appointed by President Benjamin Harrison
, was accused of being a conspirator in the overthrow of the monarchy of Queen Liliuokalani. James Henderson Blount
, appointed by President Grover Cleveland
, investigated the overthrow, submitting a report on July 17, 1893, resulting in the dismissal of Stevens from his foreign service career and the recommendation by Cleveland to restore the monarchy. Following Blount's report, and the refusal of the Provisional Government to abide by Cleveland's wishes, a Senate committee appointed by Cleveland to further investigate the matter exonerated Stevens and the U.S. peacekeepers from any role in the Hawaiian Revolution, submitting the Morgan Report
on February 26, 1894. Following that final investigation on the matter, Cleveland rebuffed further requests from the queen for interference, and engaged in normal diplomatic relations with both the Provisional Government and the Republic of Hawaii
.
In 1850 Charles Bunker was added as a consul in Lahaina.
) to the Kingdom of Hawaii from 1863 to 1893.
United States Department of State
The United States Department of State , is the United States federal executive department responsible for international relations of the United States, equivalent to the foreign ministries of other countries...
to the Kingdom of Hawaii
Kingdom of Hawaii
The Kingdom of Hawaii was established during the years 1795 to 1810 with the subjugation of the smaller independent chiefdoms of Oahu, Maui, Molokai, Lānai, Kauai and Niihau by the chiefdom of Hawaii into one unified government...
during the period of 1810 to 1898. Appointed by the President of the United States
President of the United States
The President of the United States of America is the head of state and head of government of the United States. The president leads the executive branch of the federal government and is the commander-in-chief of the United States Armed Forces....
with the consent of Congress
United States Congress
The United States Congress is the bicameral legislature of the federal government of the United States, consisting of the Senate and the House of Representatives. The Congress meets in the United States Capitol in Washington, D.C....
, the Minister to Hawaii was equivalent in rank to the present-day ambassador of the United States to foreign governments. As principal envoy of the United States government to the monarch of Hawaii, the Minister to Hawaii often dealt in affairs relating to economic, military
Military
A military is an organization authorized by its greater society to use lethal force, usually including use of weapons, in defending its country by combating actual or perceived threats. The military may have additional functions of use to its greater society, such as advancing a political agenda e.g...
and political matters affecting both nations. The Minister to Hawaii also represented the interests of American citizens residing and working in Hawaii, conveying their concerns over United States foreign policy
Foreign policy
A country's foreign policy, also called the foreign relations policy, consists of self-interest strategies chosen by the state to safeguard its national interests and to achieve its goals within international relations milieu. The approaches are strategically employed to interact with other countries...
to the President of the United States.
Two Ministers to Hawaii became paramount figures in the history of Hawaiian Islands
Hawaiian Islands
The Hawaiian Islands are an archipelago of eight major islands, several atolls, numerous smaller islets, and undersea seamounts in the North Pacific Ocean, extending some 1,500 miles from the island of Hawaii in the south to northernmost Kure Atoll...
. John L. Stevens
John L. Stevens
John Leavitt Stevens was the United States Department of State Minister to the Kingdom of Hawaii in 1893 when he was accused of conspiring to overthrow Queen Liliuokalani in association with the Committee of Safety, led by Lorrin A. Thurston and Sanford B...
, appointed by President Benjamin Harrison
Benjamin Harrison
Benjamin Harrison was the 23rd President of the United States . Harrison, a grandson of President William Henry Harrison, was born in North Bend, Ohio, and moved to Indianapolis, Indiana at age 21, eventually becoming a prominent politician there...
, was accused of being a conspirator in the overthrow of the monarchy of Queen Liliuokalani. James Henderson Blount
James Henderson Blount
James Henderson Blount was an American statesman, soldier and congressman from Georgia. He opposed the annexation of Hawaii in 1893 in his investigation into the alleged American involvement in the political revolution in the Kingdom of Hawai'i...
, appointed by President Grover Cleveland
Grover Cleveland
Stephen Grover Cleveland was the 22nd and 24th president of the United States. Cleveland is the only president to serve two non-consecutive terms and therefore is the only individual to be counted twice in the numbering of the presidents...
, investigated the overthrow, submitting a report on July 17, 1893, resulting in the dismissal of Stevens from his foreign service career and the recommendation by Cleveland to restore the monarchy. Following Blount's report, and the refusal of the Provisional Government to abide by Cleveland's wishes, a Senate committee appointed by Cleveland to further investigate the matter exonerated Stevens and the U.S. peacekeepers from any role in the Hawaiian Revolution, submitting the Morgan Report
Morgan Report
The Morgan Report was an 1894 report concluding an official U.S. Congressional investigation into the events surrounding the overthrow of the Hawaiian Kingdom, including the alleged role of U.S. military troops in the overthrow of Queen Liliuokalani...
on February 26, 1894. Following that final investigation on the matter, Cleveland rebuffed further requests from the queen for interference, and engaged in normal diplomatic relations with both the Provisional Government and the Republic of Hawaii
Republic of Hawaii
The Republic of Hawaii was the formal name of the government that controlled Hawaii from 1894 to 1898 when it was run as a republic. The republic period occurred between the administration of the Provisional Government of Hawaii which ended on July 4, 1894 and the adoption of the Newlands...
.
Agents and Consuls
The first representatives were given the unpaid title of Agent for Commerce and Seamen and in 1844 given the title of Consul. There are gaps and overlaps in the dates due to the six-month journey from the eastern Unitest States to Hawaii at the time.- John Coffin Jones Jr.John Coffin JonesJohn Coffin Jones Jr. was the first United States Consular Agent to the Kingdom of Hawaii.-Life:John Coffin Jones Jr. was born in 1796 in Massachusetts.His father was John Coffin Jones, Sr...
1820–1839 - Peter A. Brinsmade April 1839 – July 1844
- Alexander G. Abell July 1844 – June 1846
- Joel TurrillJoel TurrillJoel Turrill was a judge, politician, and diplomat from New York.-Life:Joel Turrill was born February 22, 1794 in Shoreham, Vermont and attended the common school. He later graduated from Middlebury College in 1816. He studied law in Newburgh, New York and later moved to Oswego, New York to...
1846–1850 - Elisha Hunt AllenElisha Hunt AllenElisha Hunt Allen was an American congressman, lawyer, diplomat, and judge and diplomat for the Kingdom of Hawaii.-Life:Elisha Hunt Allen was born January 28, 1804 in New Salem, Massachusetts. His father was Massachusetts minister, lawyer, and politician Samuel Clesson Allen and mother was Mary...
1850–1853 - Benjamin Franklin AngelBenjamin Franklin AngelBenjamin Franklin Angel was an American lawyer, politician and diplomat.-Life:...
1853–1854? - Darius A. OgdenDarius A. OgdenDarius Adams Ogden was an American lawyer and politician from New York.-Life:...
1854–1857 - Abner Pratt 1857—1859
In 1850 Charles Bunker was added as a consul in Lahaina.
Commissioners
In 1843 the diplomatic representative was called Commissioner.- George Brown March 1843–1846
- Anthony Ten Eyke 1846–1849
- Charles Eames January 12, 1849 – October 29, 1849
- Luther SeveranceLuther SeveranceLuther Severance was a United States Representative and diplomat from Maine.-Life:He was born in Montague, Massachusetts on October 26, 1797. He moved with his parents to Cazenovia, New York in 1799. He attended the common schools, and learned the printer's trade in Peterboro, New York.He...
June 7, 1850–1853 - David L. Gregg 1853–1859
- James W. BordenJames W. BordenJames Wallace Borden was an American jurist in Indiana and diplomat.-Life:James Wallace Borden was born near Beaufort, North Carolina on February 5, 1810.His father was Joseph Borden and mother Esther Wallace ....
1859–1861 - Thomas J. DryerThomas J. DryerThomas Jefferson Dryer was a newspaper publisher, Freemason, mountain climber, and politician in the Western United States.He was born on January 10, 1808, in Ulster County, New York. Dryer founded the Weekly Oregonian, which has survived as the daily Oregonian, and served as its publisher...
June 15, 1861 – June 20, 1863
List of Ministers
This is a list of American Ministers (replacing the rank of Commissioner, similar to current rank of AmbassadorAmbassador
An ambassador is the highest ranking diplomat who represents a nation and is usually accredited to a foreign sovereign or government, or to an international organization....
) to the Kingdom of Hawaii from 1863 to 1893.
- James McBrideJames McBride (politician)James McBride was an American politician, educator, and patriarch of a political family in the state of Oregon. A native of Tennessee, he served in the Oregon Territorial Legislature and as United States Minister to Hawaii, as well as one of the founders of the Oregon Republican Party...
- 1863 to 1866 - Edward M. McCook - 1866 to 1868
- Henry A. PeirceHenry A. PeirceHenry Augustus Peirce was an American businessman and diplomat. Some sources spell his last name as Pierce.-Early life and business:...
- 1869 to 1877 - James M. ComlyJames M. ComlyJames Munroe Stuart Comly was a brigadier general in the Union Army during the American Civil War, as well as a journalist, attorney, newspaper editor and owner, historian and diplomat. He was instrumental in advancing the political career of his friend Rutherford B...
- 1877 to 1882 - Rollin M. DaggettRollin M. DaggettRollin Mallory Daggett was a 19th-century American politician and diplomat. Daggett served a single term as a United States Representative from Nevada. Later he was the United States Minister Resident to the Kingdom of Hawaii from 1882 to 1885.-References:...
- 1882 to 1885 - George W. MerrillGeorge W. MerrillGeorge W. Merrill was and American politician of the 19th century.Merrill was District Attorney of Nye County, Nevada from 1864 to 1868....
- 1885 to 1889 - John L. StevensJohn L. StevensJohn Leavitt Stevens was the United States Department of State Minister to the Kingdom of Hawaii in 1893 when he was accused of conspiring to overthrow Queen Liliuokalani in association with the Committee of Safety, led by Lorrin A. Thurston and Sanford B...
- 1889 to 1893 - James H. Blount - 1893 to 1893
- Albert Sydney Willis - 1893 to 1897
- Harold M. SewallHarold M. SewallHarold Marsh Sewall was an American politician and diplomat.Sewall was born in Bath, Sagadahoc County, Maine, on January 3, 1860. He was a member of the Maine state house of representatives, 1896, 1903–07; and delegate to Republican National Convention from Maine, 1896...
- 1897 to August 12, 1898