History
The Apology Resolution: U.S. Acknowledgment of Hawaii's Overthrow
In 1993, the U.S. Congress formally apologized for the 1893 overthrow of the Hawaiian Kingdom. This guide explains what the resolution says, what it means, and what it did not do.
On November 23, 1993, President Bill Clinton signed Public Law 103-150, a joint resolution of the U.S. Congress known as the Apology Resolution. It formally acknowledged that the 1893 overthrow of the Hawaiian Kingdom was illegal, that it was carried out with the active participation of U.S. government agents, and that the Native Hawaiian people never relinquished their sovereignty. It offered an apology on behalf of the United States. It was the first time the U.S. government formally admitted that the annexation of Hawaii was accomplished through illegal means.
What the Apology Resolution is
Public Law 103-150 is a joint resolution, not a treaty or a statute with binding legal effect on property rights or sovereign status. It was passed in the context of the centennial of the 1893 overthrow, which prompted significant reflection and political action in Hawaii. Senator Daniel Akaka of Hawaii and Representative Patsy Takemoto Mink led the legislative effort. The Office of Hawaiian Affairs (OHA) was a primary advocate for the resolution.
Primary source
The full text of Public Law 103-150 is available through the U.S. Government Publishing Office and at capitol.hawaii.gov. It is approximately 4,500 words and includes an extensive historical recitation of the events of 1893.What it says
The resolution contains an extensive factual recitation of the events of January 1893, establishing that: U.S. Minister John Stevens conspired with a small group of sugar planters and businessmen; U.S. Marines landed and took up positions in support of the conspirators; Queen Liliʻuokalani surrendered under protest to avoid bloodshed; the Provisional Government that replaced her was not recognized by the queen or the Hawaiian people as legitimate; and President Grover Cleveland subsequently acknowledged that the overthrow was unlawful and requested that Congress restore the queen to the throne (Congress refused).
The resolution concludes with the formal apology: "the Congress, on behalf of the United States, apologizes to Native Hawaiians on behalf of the people of the United States for the overthrow of the Kingdom of Hawaii on January 17, 1893 with the participation of agents and citizens of the United States, and the deprivation of the rights of Native Hawaiians to self-determination."
Significance and limitations
For Native Hawaiians and Hawaiian sovereignty advocates, the Apology Resolution was a significant official acknowledgment: the U.S. government had finally admitted in writing that the overthrow was illegal and that Hawaiians had never consented to annexation. This provided political and moral weight to sovereignty claims. The resolution also explicitly acknowledged that Native Hawaiians never directly relinquished their claims to inherent sovereignty.
The resolution's limitations are equally significant. It explicitly states: "nothing in this Joint Resolution is intended to serve as a settlement of any claims against the United States." It does not restore sovereignty, return land, or create any legal rights. The U.S. Supreme Court affirmed this in Hawaii v. Office of Hawaiian Affairs (2009), ruling that the Apology Resolution could not be used as a basis for restricting Hawaii's authority over ceded lands.
What happened after
The Apology Resolution spurred continued legislative efforts toward a formal government-to-government relationship between the U.S. and Native Hawaiians. The Native Hawaiian Government Reorganization Act (the Akaka Bill) was introduced repeatedly in Congress from 2000 through 2012 without passing. In 2016, the U.S. Department of the Interior promulgated a rule establishing a process by which Native Hawaiians could reorganize a governing entity and seek a formal relationship with the federal government. That process and its legal status remain contested.
The Hawaiian sovereignty movement continues to use the Apology Resolution as a key document establishing the illegality of the overthrow. Different factions within the movement seek different outcomes: from federal recognition similar to tribal status, to full independence as a restored nation-state. The resolution is cited in all of these contexts as the U.S. government's own acknowledgment of what happened in 1893.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the Apology Resolution?
Did the Apology Resolution restore Hawaiian sovereignty?
Was the overthrow of Hawaii illegal?
We research each guide against primary sources: the Hawaii Tourism Authority and Mālama Hawaii, the National Park Service, the State of Hawaii and its Division of State Parks, the National Weather Service, and the U.S. Census. For culture, language, and history we lean on the Office of Hawaiian Affairs, the Bishop Museum, and the scholarship of Mary Kawena Pukui. We send readers to those sources rather than speaking over them. When rules, prices, or conditions change, we update the page.