Which Hawaiian queen was forced from power in a revolution led by American business interests?

• A. Queen Victoria
• B. Queen Liliuokalani
• C. Queen Elizabeth II
• D. Queen Catherine

Answer: (B)

This question tests understanding of how economic power and imperialism shaped politics in the late 1800s. The Hawaiian queen who was forced from power during a revolution backed by American business interests was Liliuokalani. In 1893 a group of American sugar planters, aided by U.S. officials and Marines, toppled the Hawaiian monarchy and set up a provisional government, effectively ending the queen’s reign. Her ouster shows how powerful economic actors could influence political outcomes abroad and pave the way for Hawaii’s eventual annexation by the United States. The other names listed were rulers in other places—Victoria and Elizabeth II in Britain, and Catherine in Russia—so they don’t fit Hawaii’s history.