| Hawaiian Independence Day | |
|---|---|
 Flyer for the 30th anniversary celebration in 1873 | |
| Official name | Lā Kūʻokoʻa |
| Observed by | Hawaii |
| Significance | International recognition of the independence of theHawaiian Kingdom |
| Date | November 28 |
| Next time | November 28, 2025 (2025-11-28) |
| Frequency | annual |
| First time | 1843 |
| Related to | Hawaiian Sovereignty Restoration Day |
Hawaiian Independence Day (Hawaiian:Lā Kūʻokoʻa) is a national holiday celebrated annually on November 28 to commemorate the signing of Anglo-Franco Proclamation of 1843, the official diplomatic recognition of the independence and sovereignty of theHawaiian Kingdom by Great Britain and France. It continues to be celebrated today by proponents of theHawaiian sovereignty movement.
In 1839, CaptainCyrille Pierre Théodore Laplace of the French frigateArtémise landed inHonolulu in what became known as theLaplace Affair and forced the government of the Hawaiian Islands under His MajestyKing Kamehameha III to acknowledge the rights of Catholics in his realm with theEdict of Toleration. The Hawaiian government also had to pay $20,000 in compensation to the French.[1]Anticipating further foreign encroachment on Hawaiian territory following the Laplace Affair, KingKamehameha III dispatched a diplomatic delegation to the United States and Europe to secure the recognition of Hawaiian independence.[2]
Timoteo Haʻalilio,William Richards andSir George Simpson were commissioned as joint Ministers Plenipotentiary on April 8, 1842. Simpson left for Great Britain while Haʻalilio and Richards went to the United States on July 8, 1842. The Hawaiian delegation secured the assurance of United States PresidentJohn Tyler on December 19, 1842 of Hawaiian independence and then met Simpson in Europe to secure formal recognition by the United Kingdom and France. Their first meeting with British Secretary of State for Foreign AffairsGeorge Hamilton-Gordon, 4th Earl of Aberdeen on February 22, 1843 was unsuccessful. Traveling to Brussels and then Paris, the Hawaiian delegation gained the support of KingLeopold I of Belgium who was sympathetic and promised to use his influence to help them gain recognition. On March 17, 1843, French foreign ministerFrançois Guizot, on behalf of KingLouis Philippe I, assured them that the French government would recognize Hawaiian independence. After returning to London, on April 1, 1843, Lord Aberdeen, on behalf ofQueen Victoria, assured the Hawaiian delegation, "Her Majesty's Government was willing and had determined to recognize the independence of what was called the Sandwich Islands more formally known as the Hawaiian Islands under their present sovereign."[2][3][4]
While the diplomatic party was away, a British naval captainLord George Paulet, without the authorization of his superiors,unilaterally occupied the kingdom of the Hawaiian Islands in the name of Queen Victoria despite the protests of the Hawaiian government. After a five-month occupation, Rear-AdmiralRichard Darton Thomas, the Commander-in-Chief of the Pacific Station, restored sovereignty to Kamehameha III. This event on July 31, 1843 was later commemorated asSovereignty Restoration Day (Lā Hoʻihoʻi Ea).[5][6][7]
On November 28, 1843, at the Court of London, the British and French governments formally recognized the independence of the Kingdom of the Hawaiian Islands in the Anglo-Franco Proclamation, a joint declaration by France and Britain, signed by Lord Aberdeen and theComte de Saint-Aulaire, representatives of Queen Victoria and King Louis-Philippe, respectively. The United States declined to join in the proclamation stating that in order for such a recognition to be binding, it would require a formal treaty ratified by theUnited States Senate.[8]
The anniversary of the Anglo-Franco Proclamation on November 28 was subsequently made a public holiday during the Hawaiian monarchy.[4][9][10] In 1898, the legislature of theRepublic of Hawaii made November 28Thanksgiving Day.[11] After the annexation of Hawaii to the United States, the holiday lost official recognition.[12]
It is still celebrated today by proponents of theHawaiian sovereignty movement.[13] Attempts have been made to restore it as an official holiday in the state of Hawaii.[14]
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