Final answer:
The U.S. government supported the 1893 overthrow of the Hawaiian government to protect American sugar interests and for strategic military purposes. The overthrow facilitated the eventual annexation of Hawaii, which was beneficial to American sugar planters and provided the U.S. with a pivotal naval base in the Pacific.
Step-by-step explanation:
The U.S. government's participation in the 1893 overthrow of the Hawaiian government was prompted by several factors, particularly the interests of American businessmen in the lucrative Hawaiian sugar industry. The McKinley Tariff of 1890 imposed taxes on foreign sugar entering the U.S., which endangered the profits of American sugar planters in Hawaii.
As a consequence, the overthrow of Queen Liliuokalani's government by a group of American businessmen and sugar planters, supported by the U.S. Minister to Hawaii John Stevens, and U.S. Marines, was essentially an effort to secure economic advantages and pave the way for Hawaii's eventual annexation to the United States in 1898 during the Spanish-American War.
American planters in Hawaii, who were at a competitive disadvantage due to the McKinley Tariff, saw annexation as a means to make Hawaiian sugar no longer subject to taxation as an import. The queen's constitution aimed to restore sovereignty and political power to the Native Hawaiians, which threatened the planters' hold over the islands. The U.S.
military involvement during the overthrow was justified by the need to protect American lives and property. Moreover, Hawaii's strategic location was deemed essential for U.S. naval power in the Pacific, particularly during the Spanish-American War.