Kingdom of Hawaii
[[Image:Arms.gif|right|frame|Royal Coat of Armsof the Kingdom of Hawaii]]The
Kingdom of Hawaii was established in
1810 upon the unification of the smaller independent chiefdoms of
Oahu,
Maui,
Molokai,
Lānai and the
Hawaii (or the "Big Island").
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Princess Kaiulani, a member of the Kalākaua Dynasty, was in line to become Queen of Hawaii when her kingdom was overthrown by a small group of Hawaiian citizens (primarily of European descent) and United States citizens. |
Through swift and bloody battles, led by a warrior chief later immortalized as
Kamehameha the Great, the Kingdom of Hawaii was established with the help of a British sailor
John Young and western weapons. Although successful in attacking both Oahu and Maui, he failed to secure a victory in
Kauai, his effort hampered by a storm. Eventually, Kauai's chief swore allegiance to Kamehameha's rule. The unification ended the
feudal society of the Hawaiian islands transforming it into a "modern", independent constitutional monarchy crafted in the tradition of European empires.
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Iolani Palace, one of many royal palaces in Hawaii, was built by Kalākaua who shared Kamehameha V's vision of constructing a palace to rival the residences of European monarchs |
Government in the Kingdom of Hawaii was transformed in phases, each phase created by the promulgation of the constitutions of
1840,
1852,
1864 and
1887. Each successive
constitution can be seen as a decline in the power of the
monarch in favor of popularly elected representative government. The
head of state and
head of government in the Kingdom of Hawaii was the monarch. He or she oversaw the
Privy Council which was charged with administration. A royal cabinet, the Privy Council consisted of ministers in charge of departments much like that of the American system. These ministers also acted as the monarch's primary advisors.
The 1840 Constitution created a
bicameral parliament in charge of legislation. The two houses of the
legislature were the House of Representatives (directly elected by popular vote) and the House of Nobles (appointed by the monarch with the advice of the Cabinet). The same constitution created a judiciary, charged with overseeing the courts and interpretation of laws. The Supreme Court was led by the Chief Justice, appointed by the monarch with the advice of the Cabinet.
The islands of Hawaii were divided into smaller administrative divisions: Kauai, Oahu, Maui, and Hawaii. Kauai region included
Niihau, while Maui region included
Kahoolawe, Lānai and Molokai. Each administrative region was governed by a
governor appointed by the monarch.
From
1810 to
1893, the Kingdom of Hawaii was ruled by two major dynastic families: the
Kamehameha Dynasty and the
Kalākaua Dynasty. Five members of the Kamehameha family would lead the government as its king. Two of them, Liholiho (Kamehameha II) and Kauikeaouli (Kamehameha III), were direct sons of Kamehameha the Great himself. For a period between Liholiho and Kauikeaouli's reigns, the primary wife of Kamehameha the Great, Queen Kaahumanu, ruled as Queen Regent and
Kuhina Nui, or
Prime Minister.
Dynastic rule by the Kamehameha family tragically ended in
1872 with the death of Lot (Kamehameha V). Upon his deathbed, he summoned Princess
Bernice Pauahi Bishop to declare his intentions of making her heir to the throne. She was the last direct Kamehameha family member surviving. She refused the crown and throne in favor of a private life with her husband,
Charles Reed Bishop. Lot died before naming an alternative heir.
*
Kamehameha I, (
1795-
1819)
*
Kamehameha II, Liholiho, (
1819-
1824)
*
Kamehameha III, Kauikeaouli, (
1825-
1854)
*
Kamehameha IV, Alexander Liholiho, (
1854-
1863)
*
Kamehameha V, Lot Kapuāiwa, (
1863-
1872)
The refusal of Princess Bernice Pauahi Bishop to take the crown and throne as Queen of Hawaii forced the legislature of the Kingdom to declare an election to fill the royal vacancy. From 1872 to 1873, several distant relatives of the Kamehameha line were nominated. In a ceremonial popular vote, and a unanimous legislative vote,
William C. Lunalilo (
1873-
1874) became Hawaii's first of two elected monarchs.
Like his predecessor, Lunalilo failed to name an heir to the throne. He died unexpectedly after less than a year as King of Hawaii. Once again, the legislature of the Kingdom of Hawaii was forced to declare an election to fill the royal vacancy.
Queen Emma, widow of Kamehameha IV, was nominated along with
David Kalākaua. The 1874 election was opined to be one of the nastiest political campaign seasons in Hawaii history. Both candidates resorted to mudslinging and rumors. David Kalākaua was elected the second elected King of Hawaii, but without the same ceremonial popular vote Lunalilo had. The choice of the legislature was so controversial following his ascension to the throne that U.S. troops were called upon to suppress rioting that had broken out in protest of his win over Emma.
Hoping to avoid uncertainty in the monarchy's future, Kalākaua proclaimed several heirs to the throne and defined a royal line of succession. His sister Liliuokalani would succeed the throne upon Kalākaua's death. It was indicated that Princess
Victoria Kaiulani would follow. If she could not produce an heir by birth, Prince
Jonah Kūhiō Kalanianaole would rule after her.
*
David Kalākaua, (
1874-
1891)
*
Liliuokalani, (
1891-
1893)
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United States Marines aboard the USS Boston land in Honolulu in 1893 to protect against rioting and arson as Queen Liliuokalani lost her position as head of state and government of Hawaii to the Honolulu Rifles and the Committee of Safety. |
Queen Liliuokalani was selected as the successor to King Kalākaua by Kalākaua upon his election in 1874. During her brother's reign the monarchy was left impotent by the
Bayonet Constitution of
1887. In response to numerous royal corruption scandals, David Kalākaua was ordered under threat of force to sign the constitution stripping the monarchy of much of its power in favor of an administration controlled by the Legislature. Some claim this constitution was the opening salvo to the end of the Kingdom of Hawaii.
In 1893, American businessmen organized in response to an attempt by Liliuokalani to subvert the 1887 constitution, and took over the government of the Kingdom of Hawaii. American troops aboard the
USS Boston landed in Honolulu to protect American lives and property, while
Sanford B. Dole and
Lorrin A. Thurston's
Committee of Safety, a 13 member council of businessmen, organized the Honolulu Rifles to depose Queen Liliuokalani. The overthrow of the Kingdom of Hawaii and the subsequent annexation of Hawaii are sometimes cited as examples of
American imperialism.
Later, after a weapons cache was found on the palace grounds after an attempted rebellion in 1895, Queen Liliuokalani was placed under arrest, tried by a military tribunal of the
Republic of Hawaii, convicted of
misprision of treason and then imprisoned in her own home.
Dole and his committee declared itself the provisional government on July 17, 1893, and on July 4, 1894 proclaimed the creation of the
Republic of Hawaii. Dole was president of both governments. As a republic, it was the intention of the government to campaign for annexation with the United States of America. The rationale behind annextion included a strong economic component - Hawaiian goods and services exported to the mainland would not be subject to American tariffs, and would benefit from domestic bounties, if Hawaii was part of the United States. This was especially important to the Hawaiian economy after the McKinley Act reduced the effectiveness of the Reciprocity Treaty of 1874 by lowering tarriffs on all foreign sugar, and eliminating Hawaii's previous advantage.
The Republic of Hawaii succeeded in its goal when in
1898, Congress approved a joint resolution of
annexation creating the U.S. Territory of Hawaii. This followed the precedent of
Texas which was also annexed by a joint resolution of Congress. Dole was appointed to be the first governor of the Territory of Hawaii.
*
Committee of Safety*
Republic of HawaiiEarly in its history, the Kingdom of Hawaii was governed from several locations including coastal towns on the islands of Hawaii and Maui (
Lāhainā). It wasn't until the reign of Kamehameha III that a capital was established in Honolulu on the Island of Oahu.
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On August 12, 1898, the flag of the Kingdom of Hawaii over Iolani Palace was lowered to raise the United States flag to signify annexation. |
By the time Kamehameha V was king, he saw the need to build a royal palace fitting of the Kingdom of Hawaii's new found prosperity and standing with the royals of other nations. He commissioned the building of the palace at Aliiolani Hale. He died before it was completed. Today, the palace houses the Supreme Court of the
State of Hawaii.
David Kalākaua shared the dream of Kamehameha V to build a palace, and eagerly desired the trappings of European royalty. He commissioned the construction of Iolani Palace from which he and his successor would govern. In later years, the palace would become his sister's makeshift prison under guard by the U.S. Armed Forces, the site of the official raising of the U.S. flag during annexation, and then the site of the territorial governor's and legislature's offices.
Palaces
*
Āinahau, Home of Princess Victoria Kaiulani
*
Aliiolani Hale, Originally designed as a Palace for Kamehameha V, although Kamehameha V later decided to convert the building into a government building during construction
*
Hanaiakamalama, Summer Palace of Queen Emma
*
Hulihee Palace, Palace of Princess Ruth
*
Keōua Hale, Palace of Princess Ruth
*
Iolani Palace, Palace of the Kalākaua Dynasty
Royal grounds
*
Cathedral Church of Saint Andrew*
Kawaiahao Church*
Royal Mausoleum*
Washington Place |
Kawaiahao Church is known as the Westminster Abbey of Hawaii, the site of coronations, royal christenings and funerals. It sits on Punchbowl Street near Iolani Palace and Aliiolani Hale. King William C. Lunalilo's mausoleum is in its courtyard. |
Kamehameha Dynasty
*
Bernice Pauahi Bishop, Princess of Hawaii
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Kaahumanu, Queen Regent of Hawaii
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Kalama Hakaleleponi Kapakuhaili, Queen Consort of Hawaii
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Victoria Kamamalu, Queen Consort of Hawaii
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Ruth Keelikōlani, Princess of Hawaii
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Keopuolani, Queen Consort of Hawaii
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Kinau, Queen Regent of Hawaii
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Emma Rooke, Queen Consort of Hawaii
*
Elizabeth Kekaaniau, Princess of Hawaii
*
Theresa Owana Kaohelelani, Princess of Hawaii
Kalākaua Dynasty
*
Victoria Kaiulani, Princess of Hawaii
*
Jonah Kuhio Kalanianaole, Prince of Hawaii
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Julia Kapiolani, Queen Consort of Hawaii
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Abigail Campbell Kawananakoa, Princess of Hawaii
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David Kawananakoa, Prince of Hawaii
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William Pitt Leileiohoku, Prince of Hawaii
*
Miriam K. Likelike, Princess of Hawaii
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Aliiolani Hale was originally designed as a royal palace for Kamehameha V. The building was not completed until after Kamehameha V died, and it was dedicated by King Kalākaua as a government office building instead. Today the building is the site of the Kamehameha statue and the State of Hawaii Supreme Court. |
Authors and artists
*
Henri Berger, composer
*
Robert Louis Stevenson, author
Civil leaders
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John Adams Kuakini, governor
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Charles Reed Bishop, businessman and philanthropist
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James Campbell, businessman and philanthropist
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Archibald Cleghorn, businessman and royal consort
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Sanford B. Dole, chief justice
*
John Owen Dominis, governor and royal consort
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Gerrit P. Judd, royal advisor
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Kuini Liliha, governor
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Lorrin A. Thurston, lawyer and publisher
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Robert William Wilcox, soldier
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John Young, royal advisor
*
Benjamin Dillingham, businessman and industrialist
Religious leaders
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Father Damien, Catholic missionary
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Louis Maigret, Catholic bishop
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Thomas Nettleship Staley, Anglican bishop
*
*uokalani Dominis|title=Hawaii's Story by Hawaii's Queen Liliuokalani|publisher=Mutual Publishing Co.|year=1994|id=ISBN 0935180850}}
*i: The Past, Present, and Future of Its Island Kingdom: An Historic Account of the Sandwich Islands of Polynesia |publisher=Kegan Paul International Ltd. |year=2003|id=ISBN 0710307810}}
*i: A History, from Polynesian Kingdom to American State |publisher=Textbook Publishers| year=2003|id=ISBN 0758160720}}
*i Press| year=1995|id=ISBN 087022431X}}
*i Press| year=1995|id=ISBN 0870224328}}
*i Press| year=1995|id=EAN 9780870224331 }}
*uokalani|publisher=University of Hawaii Press |year=1995|id=ISBN 0824815432}}
*i Press| year=2003|id=ISBN 082481486X}}
*i | publisher=Lang, Peter Publishing, Inc.| year=1994|id=ISBN 0820425877}}
* Thurston Twigg-Smith
Hawaiian Sovereignty: Do the Facts Matter?*
Senate Report 227 of the 53rd Congress (The Morgan Report), February 26, 1894
*
Overthrow of the Monarchy, Article by Pat Pitzer,
Spirit of Aloha, May 1994
*
hawaiiankingdom.org, Organization claiming to represent a reinstated Hawaiian Kingdom government
*
kenconklin.org Website with articles critical of the claims of sovereignty activists
