Black Week (Hawaii)

Black Week (Hawaii)

Black Week
Part of Hawaiian Rebellions (18871895)

USRC Thomas Corwin, whose unexpected arrival caused the incident

Date

December 14, 1893 January 11, 1894

Location Honolulu, Hawaii

Result

U.S. political victory

Republic of Hawaii established.

Annexation of Hawaii postponed.

Belligerents
United States
Empire of Japan
United Kingdom

P.G. of Hawaii

Commanders and leaders

Albert S. Willis
John Irwin

Sanford B. Dole

Strength
United States 1 Screw sloop
1 Cruiser
Japan
1 Cruiser
United Kingdom
1 Screw corvette

1000 Militiamen

Casualties and losses

0

The Black Week was a crisis in Honolulu, Hawaii that nearly caused a war between the Provisional Government
there and United States.

Black Week (Hawaii)

Background
President Grover Cleveland of the United States denounced the Overthrow of the Hawaiian Kingdom. Cleveland
vowed to reverse the damage done and restore the Kingdom. Following the Overthrow, Cleveland launched an
investigation headed by James Blount as United States Minister to Hawaii, known as the Blount Report. After the
investigation, Blount was replaced by Albert Willis , who began negotiations between ex-queen Liliuokalani for a
US led invasion to restore the monarchy. However, the agreements collapsed.

Crisis
On December 14, 1893, Albert Willis arrived in Honolulu aboard the USRC
Corwin unannounced, bringing an anticipation of an American invasion to
restore the monarchy. With the hysteria of a military assault, he stimulated
fears by staging a mock invasion with the USS Adams and USS Philadelphia,
directing their guns toward the capital. Willis' goal was to maintain fear of the
United States to pressure the Provisional Government into forfeiting the
cruiser Naniwa
island back to the queen or at least to maintain a US invasion as a possible
reality, carrying out this to the limit of the Navy remaining officially neutral. He stated there were more than 1,000
men of military age in the city the Provisional Government was arming. Willis ordered Rear Admiral John Irwin to
organize a landing operation using troops on the two American ships. He made no attempt to conceal preparations of
the operation, as men readied equipment on deck. The next shipment of mail, news, and information was yet to
arrive aboard the Alameda, so until then the public was uninformed of the relations between Hawaii and the U.S.
Sanford B. Dole, President of Hawaii attempted to quell the anxiety by assuring the public there would be no
invasion. On January 3, 1894 public anxiety became critical which gave the incident its name, the Black Week. As
the anticipation of a conflict intensified in Honolulu Irwin became concerned for American citizens and property in
the city, considering he may actually have to land troops to protect them if violence erupted in retaliation for the
crisis. The Commanders of the Japanese HIJMS Naniwa and the British HMS Champion asked to join the landing
operation, like Irwin, to protect lives and property of their respective nationalities. On January 11, 1894, Willis
revealed to Dole the invasion to be a hoax.[1][2]

Aftermath
Though Willis did not restore the monarchy, he was able to incite
doubt in the Hawaiian public over the Provisional Government and
communicate that the US was capable of going to war with them. This
was one of the factors resulting in the formation of the Republic of
Hawaii. To Cleveland this was an improvement; avoiding annexation
left the potential to restore the monarchy and was more favorable in
keeping Hawaii an independent country than as a territory of the
United States.

References

An 1893 editorial cartoon with Willis, Queen

Liliuokalani, and President Sanford B. Dole by
the newspaper The Morning Call

[1] Report Committee Foreign Relations, United States Senate, Accompanying

Testimony, Executive Documents transmitted Congress January 1, 1893, March 10,
1891, p 2144
[2] History of later years of the Hawaiian Monarchy and the revolution of 1893 By William De Witt Alexander, p 103

Article Sources and Contributors

Article Sources and Contributors

Black Week (Hawaii) Source: http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?oldid=589720267 Contributors: Alicekim53, Charles Essie, Denniss, Hawaii Samurai, Jim.henderson, KAVEBEAR,
Mdnavman, Resident Mario, Senjuto, Tim!, Viriditas, 21 anonymous edits

Image Sources, Licenses and Contributors

image:USRC Thomas Corwin (1876) engraving 1887.jpg Source: http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=File:USRC_Thomas_Corwin_(1876)_engraving_1887.jpg License: Public Domain
Contributors: Moss Eng Co., NY. probably after an I.W. Taber photograph
File:US flag 44 stars.svg Source: http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=File:US_flag_44_stars.svg License: Public Domain Contributors: Abjiklam, Cycn, Homo lupus, Jacobolus, SiBr4,
Zscout370
File:Merchant flag of Japan (1870).svg Source: http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=File:Merchant_flag_of_Japan_(1870).svg License: Public Domain Contributors: kahusi - (Talk)
File:Flag of the United Kingdom.svg Source: http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=File:Flag_of_the_United_Kingdom.svg License: Public Domain Contributors: Anomie, Good
Olfactory, MSGJ, Mifter
File:Flag of Hawaii.svg Source: http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=File:Flag_of_Hawaii.svg License: Public Domain Contributors: Anime Addict AA, Awg1010, Cycn, Dbenbenn,
Denelson83, Dzordzm, Editor at Large, F. F. Fjodor, Fry1989, Homo lupus, Hydrargyrum, Idh0854, Jianhui67, KAVEBEAR, Kalathalan, Ludger1961, Manuelt15, Mattes, Nagy, Nightstallion,
Ricordisamoa, Serinde, SiBr4, Sinnamon, Svgalbertian, Telim tor, Vonvon, Yaddah, Zscout370, 21 anonymous edits
Image:Japanese cruiser Naniwa in 1887.jpg Source: http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=File:Japanese_cruiser_Naniwa_in_1887.jpg License: Public Domain Contributors: Denniss,
MChew, Rcbutcher, SnowCloudInSummer, Takabeg, 1 anonymous edits
File:Willis Cartoon.jpg Source: http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=File:Willis_Cartoon.jpg License: Public Domain Contributors: Alicekim53, Lx 121, Mate2code

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