When Queen Liliuokalani of Hawaii assumed the throne in 1891 and tried to reassert her sovereignty in the face of increasing foreign interference, she was deposed by a small group of American businessmen, with the support of the American diplomats and the U.S. Navy. On July 7, 1898, the Hawaiian Islands were annexed to the United States by a joint resolution of Congress. Shown here is her letter of protest to the U.S. House of Representatives, dated December 19, 1898.
For those in the industrial sector, organized labor unions fought for better wages, reasonable hours and safer working conditions. The labor movement led efforts to stop child labor, give health benefits and provide aid to workers who were injured or retired.
Robespierre overthrown in France. Maximilien Robespierre, the architect of the French Revolution's Reign of Terror, is overthrown and arrested by the National Convention.
Though the Declaration of Independence is not a binding legal document it did eloquently express the ideals of the new country, one of which was that the people control the government. This principle of<em> limited government</em> was later incorporated into the Constitution.
