List of conflicts in Hawaii

This is a list of wars, bloodless wars, battles, conspiracies, rebellions, revolutions, nonviolent revolutions, massacres, and terrorist attacks in the Hawaiian Islands.

Ancient Warfare

There were many ancient Hawaiian battles and wars through 1782, some of which might be mythical.

Oahu

Unification of Hawaiʻi (1782–1810)

This list is incomplete; you can help by expanding it.

Kingdom of Hawaii

King Kamehameha I united the islands under his rule, establishing the Kingdom of Hawaii. He survived 9 year after the annexation of Kauaʻi and Niʻihau islands from Kaumualiʻi, the last of the eight main Hawaiian Islands.

Kekuaokalani, nephew of Kamehameha I, killed during his rebellion against Liholiho.
Son of Kaumualiʻi failed to take back Kauaʻi island.
Military intervention by Captain Laplace of the French Navy to end religious persecution promoted by protestant missionaries in Hawaii.
Rogue Captain George Paulet of the HMS Carysfort forced Kamehameha III to cede Hawaii to the United Kingdom; Admiral Richard Darton Thomas restored the Kingdom.
Captain Louis Tromelin attempted to reduce trade limits on French imports and end remaining persecution of Roman Catholics. The invasion resulted in $100,000 of damages in failure to meet the demands.
Members of the Hawaiian Army rebel against their officers and seize ʻIolani Barracks. The mutineers end the revolt after agreeing to an offer of full amnesty for their actions.

Hawaiian Revolutions (1887–1895)

Descendents of protestant missionaries known as the Missionary Party force King Kalākaua to ratify Bayonet Constitution under threat of assassination.
Princess Liliʻuokalani plotted to overthrow King David Kalākaua in a military Coup d'état, but the plot was exposed.
Duke Robert William Wilcox fails to annul Bayonet Constitution and restore the prior Constitution
Members of the Missionary Party in the Legislature overthrow the monarchy.

Provisional Government of Hawaii

Following the overthrow of the Kingdom, the Missionary Party established a transitional government known as the Provisional Government of Hawaii between the end of the monarchy and the annexation of Hawaii.

Leprosy colony on Kauaʻi rebels against forced relocation to Kalaupapa peninsula.
President Grover Cleveland threatened revolutionists after the overthrow with a military intervention by the United States to restore the Kingdom of Hawaii, the intended intervention was rejected by Congress.

Republic of Hawaii

After hostilities toward the Provisional Government and increasing pressure for the queen’s return, the legislature forms the Republic of Hawaii as a de facto government.

Hawaiian Revolutions (1887–1895) (continued)

Colonel Samuel Nowlein former commander of the Royal Guard attempted to restore the monarchy in a failed counter-revolution.
  • Battle of Diamond Head (1895)
  • Battle of Mo'ili'ili (1895)
  • Battle of Mānoa (1895)

Territory of Hawaii

William McKinley ratifies the Newlands Resolution, a joint resolution that annexes Hawaii to the United States. The Hawaiian Organic Act converted the government of the Republic into the government under the United States. The members of the Missionary Party continued to grow the sugar industry and imported labor from Japan, the Philippines, Korea and other Asian countries as well as Puerto Rican and Portuguese immigrants to work on their sugar plantations.

8 German ships sought refuge in Honolulu Harbor; some were captured.

Hanapepe massacre (1924)

Police forcibly put down a strike by sugar plantation workers, leading to 16 picketers shot and killed.

Hilo Massacre (1938)

Striking stevedores stormed a police boundary leading to 50 wounded picketers.

World War II (1939–1945)

See below
Imperial Japanese Navy (IJN) launch a preventive attack on the United States.
INJ pilot Shigenori Nishikaichi crash-landed on the island of Niihau and attempted to control the population to keep from being taken prisoner and intelligence from being captured. He was killed in a standoff with civilians while taking a hostage.
INJ attempted to occupy Midway Atoll, but after devastating losses during aerial combat, the invasion was aborted.
Attempted reconnaissance mission to Pearl Harbor by INJ, mission was aborted over O'ahu for poor visibility from clouds.

Democratic Revolution of 1954 (1946–1958)

Asian plantation workers mostly of Japanese descent instigate a non-violent revolution that overthrows the Missionary Party, who had overthrown the monarchy prior.

State of Hawaii

A year after the overthrow of the Missionary Party, John A. Burns the leader of the revolutionary movement successfully lobbies the US Congress to admit Hawaii as a state creating the State of Hawaii.

The ship East Wood hijacked by Chinese illegal immigrants which it had been carrying 527 of.
Separatist movement by numerous nationalist factions to return Hawaii to independence.
Bombing on a Boeing 747-121 by Palestinian terrorists. The plane landed after the explosion caused one fatality.

Hawaiian Sovereignty Movement (1969?-present) continued

Separatists seize ʻIolani Palace in a failed coup d'état.

Notes

*see also the USS F-4 disaster.

This list is incomplete; you can help by expanding it.

See also