The Overthrow of Her Majesty's Government

The Queen, after hearing overwhelmingly of the Hawaiians desire for a new constitution, decided to write one, which she did. After the closing of the legislative session on January 14, 1893, she called a special session in the throne room at Iolani Palace, to present the drafted constitution. She had previously received support from several cabinet members. However, they all refused to support the new constitution, betraying their monarch. After much wrangling, Queen Lili’uokalani agreed to wait for two weeks. That gave her enemies the time needed to stage a coup.[1]

A Committee of Safety (totally haole membership) was immediately formed, with the stated intention, “that steps be taken at once to form and declare a provisional government with a view to annexation to the United States.” [2] The Committee of Safety met with United States Minister John L. Stevens, apprised him of the situation, and gained his support for their actions. Stevens, together with the American Consul-General H.W. Severance asked that sailors and marines from the U.S.S. Boston come on land to lend their support. A provisional government was hastily formed, composed entirely of haole. When they presented their demands to the queen on January 17, 1893, threatening bloodshed, Queen Lili’uokalani gave up her throne, to avoid possible loss of life.[3] She firmly believed that the President of the United States would right the wrong done to her country.

President Cleveland sent Congressman James Blount to investigate the situation. He listened to both sides and prepared a voluminous report. President Cleveland then sent Albert S. Willis to ask the queen if she would grant amnesty to the members of the Provisional Government, if the U.S. restored her to the throne. While she at first refused, she later agreed. However when Willis went to tell the Provisional Government, the president, Sanford B. Dole said that he didn’t recognize the right of the President of the United States to meddle in their affairs. What an irony! The Republic of Hawaii was formed on July 4, 1894.[4]

In January of 1895, a group of royalists attempted to overthrow the government. They were caught before any action had taken place. Lili’uokalani and several of the royalists were put on trial, and found guilty of treason. She was put under house arrest for eight months. During that time she wrote music and entries in her diaries. In July of 1898 President McKinley signed into law the annexation of Hawaii. Although she made trips to speak to President McKinley, it was to no avail.

A reporter from the San Francisco Chronicle, Mabel Craft, described the scene as the Hawaiian flag was lowered for the last time, and the American flag rose in its place. “The raising of the American flag over the capitol of the Kamehamehas was impressive-not because of the size of the crowd, because it was not large; not for the tumult, for it was strangely quiet; not for the elaborate ceremonies, for they were very simple-but because on that day a nationality was snuffed out like a spent candle, and a bigger, clearer light set up in its place.” “As for the Hawaiians, they were not there. They were shut up in their houses, from the queen’s stately mansion, to the meanest shed; windows and doors closed-as lonely and somber as places of death.”[5] 

Lili’uokalani lived to the age of seventy-nine, loved and revered by the Hawaiian people. She died at Washington Place on November 11, 1917. It seems that this remarkable woman could very possibly been one of Hawaii’s greatest monarchs if the times had been different.

---

[1] Paul Bailey, Those Kings and Queens of Old Hawaii, A Mele to Their Memory (Westernlore Books, Los Angeles, 1975) 349-350.

[2] Bailey, 351.

[3] Kathleen Dickenson Mellen, An Island Kingdom Passes (Hastings House: New York, 1958) 268.

[4] Bailey, 358-363.

[5] Mabel Craft, San Francisco Chronicle, quoted in An Island Kingdom Passes, 347.

The Princess Becomes Queen

King Kalakaua’s health began to decline steadily after the bitter betrayal of the haoles, who had once been his friends, advisors and members of his cabinet. Lili’uokalani said later that she thought the king grieved for the loss of his country and the legacy given to him by the great alii of the past. He went on another voyage to the United States, in the hopes that his health would improve. However, he died suddenly in San Francisco on January 20, 1891. No word of his passing had been received back home, but when the ship carrying his body rounded the point those gathered to welcome him home, saw that the flags of the ship were at half-mast. The festive decorations were quickly changed to ones of mourning.[1]

Crown Princess Lili’uokalani was rushed into taking the oath of office as soon as the cabinet had confirmation that the king was dead. She tried to protest that it should wait. She was still in shock, having just heard the news herself. She asked the advice of her husband, General John Dominis. He told her that she had to sign. She took the oath, only realizing later the trap they had laid, for with that oath, she pledged her allegiance to the Bayonet Constitution.[2]

Lili’uokalani’s reign lasted only two years. During that time she worked tirelessly for her people. She tried to heed the wise advice of Kamehameha the First, “To supply their needs but not increase their wants.” She was especially interested in anything to do with children or education. She supported the Lili’uokalani Educational Society, as well as sending many children to schools. At one time she held a lavish fancy dress ball for children. Other than that, she preferred simplicity to the gaudy ostentation of her brother.[3] Her husband, General John Owen Dominis died of pneumonia on August 27, 1891, depriving her of an advisor she could trust, just when she could have used it most.

Her reign was bedeviled by political problems. The legislature composed mainly of haole members of the “Missionary Party” repeatedly refused to approve her cabinet proposals.[4] In addition, the reciprocity treaty was abrogated and the new McKinley Tariff vastly reduced the profits of the sugar plantations, as well as other crops. There was talk of annexation again. Queen Lili’uokalani became convinced of the need for a new constitution which would restore power to the monarchy, which had been usurped by the Bayonet Constitution. She also felt that haole power needed to be reduced in order to preserve “Hawaii for Hawaiians.” In visits to her people throughout the countryside, she heard them express the same desires.[5]

---

[1] W.D. Alexander, A Brief History of the Hawaiian People, (American Book Company: New York, 1891) 309.

[2] Helena G. Allen, The Betrayal of Liliuokalani, Last Queen of Hawaii 1838-1917 (Arthur H. Clark Company: Glendale, 1982) 232.

[3] Allen, 262-263.

[4] Kathleen Dickenson Mellen, An Island Kingdom Passes (Hastings House: New York, 1958) 257.

[5] Allen, 259.

The Princess Period

King Kalakaua named Lydia Paki as his heir apparent, with the death of his brother, on April 10, 1877. He gave her the title of Crown Princess Lili’uokalani. Princess Lili’uokalani acted as regent during King Kalakaua’s world tour in 1881. Her mettle as a leader was tested when there was an outbreak of smallpox in Honolulu. She immediately closed the port and restricted communication and travel between the islands. She was criticized for her actions, but the epidemic was contained.[1]It seemed that her brother was less than pleased about the accolades for the way she handled the realm in his absence…a little jealousy, perhaps?

Princess Liliuokalani and Queen Kapiolani at Queen Victoria's Jubilee

Another important event happened during her years as princess. She and Queen Kapiolani attended Queen Victoria’s Golden Jubilee celebration in London in 1887. At the ceremony in Westminster Abbey they were fifth and sixth in rank of the royalty in attendance. At the banquet that night at Buckingham Palace, Lili’uokalani went in to dinner on the arm of the Duke of Edinburgh, while Queen Kapiolani was escorted by the Prince of Wales.[2] 

It was intended that they would embark on a royal trip around Europe at the end of the Jubilee, but they received word that dire events had taken place at home. The foreign business community had revolted and forced the king to relinquish his powers by signing the “Bayonet Constitution.” This act put a nail in the coffin of the grand Hawaiian Monarchy.

---

[1] Helena G. Allen, The Betrayal of Liliuokalani, Last Queen of Hawaii 1838-1917 (Arthur H. Clark Company: Glendale, 1982) 156.

[2] Paul Bailey, Those Kings and Queens of Old Hawaii, A Mele to Their Memory (Westernlore Books, Los Angeles, 1975) 325.

History of the Hawaiian Monarchy

At this point I think it is important to know a little about the Hawaiian monarchs before Lili’uokalani, in order to understand her claim to the throne. Kamehameha the Great was the first true King of Hawaii, for he united the separate island tribes into one nation. He was a triumphant warrior and a strong leader for his people. Knowing that his son would be a weak leader, he instituted kahuna-nui, or joint leadership. He appointed his favorite wife as kahuna-nui.[1]

While Kamehameha II may have been weak, Kaahumanu, the kahuna-nui issued edicts that broke with traditions, and caused turmoil among the chiefs. Kamehameha II took to drinking while he tried to decide what to do about the situation. Ultimately civil war broke out. In the end the king’s forces won. The king himself went among the people to grieve with them over their losses. He showed a great love for them, which engendered a love and total devotion from his subjects. He then became a good and greatly loved king. He and his Queen tragically died while on a visit to London in 1824.

The King’s ten year old brother was proclaimed Kamehameha III. He had no training to be a ruler, and was not much interested in government. He spent much time in drunkenness. He was king from 1825 to 1854. It is heartening to read that he eventually gained wisdom and became a good and kind king. He, like his predecessor, had to deal with increasing involvement of haoles in his government. One of the legislative acts during his reign had disastrous results in the long term. He granted the haoles (foreigners) full rights to own and purchase land. This enabled haoles to gain a strong foothold of power in Hawaii, which eventually would bring its downfall as a sovereign nation.[2]

His successor, Alexander Liholiho, reigned as Kamehameha IV, until his untimely death in 1863. He was everything his predecessor was not. He was brilliant, educated, energetic, and charming. He and his queen, Emma, were very much in love. The birth of their son, Crown Prince Albert Edward was a cause of great joy to the Hawaiians. Alexander worked energetically for causes to help his people. During his reign the first hospital was established. Interestingly, he went house to house himself, gathering funds to build the hospital. Leprosy became rampant in the islands, becoming yet another threat to lives of his people. The native Hawaiian population had steadily dwindled from 350,000 in the time of Kamehameha the Great, to 70,000 by 1855.[3] This was of great concern to Kamehameha IV. Tragically the four year old crown prince died suddenly from “brain fever” in 1862. The king blamed himself for the child’s death, and drowned in sorrow, he retreated from public life. He himself died a little over a year later.

Prince Lot became Kamehameha V, and the last of the Kamehamehas. Lot was an autocratic ruler. He abrogated the constitution of 1852, replacing it with his own in 1864. He embarked upon a project of modernizing Honolulu, as befitted the capitol city of a sovereign nation. The first hotel was built. He firmly believed in “Hawaii for Hawaiians” and his sole interest was for the “preservation and well-being of his people.”[4] He started the famous Royal Hawaiian Band. Finally, he became so obese he couldn’t move, so he took to his bed. He chose Bernice Pauahi Bishop (foster sister of Lili’uokalani) as his successor, but she adamantly refused. This brought the monarchy to a turning point.
      

The next monarch was chosen by election of genealogically suitable alii. One 

such candidate was his cousin, William Lunalilo. He was the grandson of a half brother of Kamehameha the Great. Lot had pointedly ignored Lunalilo, perhaps as a sign of disapproval or awareness that he didn’t possess the qualities of a monarch.[5] The only other suitably pure alii was David Kalakaua. The powerful missionary party backed Lunalilo, believing he could easily be manipulated. He became the next king of Hawaii.

Lunalilo’s reign was only a year long, 1873-1874. During this period the United States and Great Britain were both vying for power in Hawaii, due to its strategic position in the Pacific, both militarily and economically. Lunalilo was apparently unable to cope with the pressing demands from foreign nations. He retreated into seclusion and alcohol. He died in February of 1874, without naming a successor.[6]

This time, David Kalakaua was elected king. He immediately appointed his brother, Prince Leleiohoku as crown prince. When the prince died on April 10, 1877, David appointed his sister, Lydia Paki to rule after his death. Thus, she would become Queen Lili’uokalani, the last monarch of the nation of Hawaii. Some very important things happened during Kalakaua’s reign. He signed a treaty of reciprocity with the United States, which allowed Hawaiian imports to be duty free. While this treaty probably saved the floundering Hawaiian economy, it also gave the U.S. dominance. Kalakaua became the first monarch to visit the United States. He was well received. Kalakaua came under the influence of the flamboyant and ambitious Walter Murray Gibson, who influenced the king to build and furnish a sumptuous palace. Iolani Palace still stands today, a graceful and beautiful reminder of Hawaii’s golden days. The palace cost $350,000, which further strained an almost bankrupt treasury.[7] The king also refurbished the business district of downtown Honolulu. Because of the enormous strain the debt placed upon the taxpayers, a band of four hundred haole businessmen confronted the king with arms, dismissed his cabinet, and forced him on point of death to accept a new constitution. The new constitution was known as the Bayonet Constitution for that reason.[8]

---

[1] Paul Bailey, Those Kings and Queens of Old Hawaii, A Mele to Their Memory (Westernlore Books, Los Angeles, 1975) 61.  

2 Bailey, 200.

3Bailey, 217.

4 Bailey, 242.

5 Bailey, 246.

[6] Bailey, 260.

[7] Bailey, 287.

[8] Bailey, 296.

Marriage

As any young girl would, Liliu, or Lydia (her English name) enjoyed a social round of parties, dances and visits to other islands with the other “Royals”, among them, Prince Lot and Prince Lunalilo. When she came of age her sister Bernice began looking for a good husband for Lydia. One of those suggested was John Dominis, the son of a sea captain. John was private secretary to King Kamehameha III. Although at first she wasn’t very interested, he did appeal to her romantic young mind with an act of chivalry. As the story goes, Lydia was out riding horses with a large group of about two hundred, which included the Princes and General Dominis. In her Story, she recalled that when an unruly horse broke between them, General Dominis was thrown from his horse, breaking his leg. Despite his injury, he got back on his horse, escorted her home, and then helped her down from her horse. The fact that he suffered from rheumatism in that leg afterwards, was something for which his mother never forgave Lydia.[1] 

 

Lydia Paki (the future Lili’uokalani) and John Owen Dominis were married shortly after her twenty-fourth birthday, on September 16^th, 1862. Happily, they embarked on a merry wedding trip around the islands, which was organized by Prince Lot. They were received everywhere as alii, and Lili’uokalani basked in the comfortable culture of her birth.  After their return they moved into his mother, Mary Dominis’ home, Washington Square. It doesn't sound like they had a very happy or satisfying marriage. For one thing, John Dominis was exceedingly devoted to his mother, who totally disapproved of his marriage to a “kanaka,” or native. In Hawaii’s Story by Hawaii’s Queen, Lili’uokalani makes a short, but telling statement. She says that his mother “ clung with tenacity to the affection and constant attention of her son, and no man could be more devoted than General Dominis was to his mother.”[2]

H.G. Allen relates a couple of incidents that illustrate how difficult married life may have been for this young Hawaiian woman, in a haole (foreign) household. As a member of the alii, she would have been used to being treated deferentially by retainers who served her loyally and lovingly. I can imagine that her mother-in-law must have looked at her as a spoiled child, who expected everything to be done for her. Allen relates that she went one day, early in her marriage, to gather roses for the house, from Mary Dominis’ rose garden. Hawaiians love flowers and so it was natural to Liliu that she should bring them inside to beautify the house. However Mary Dominis was furious that she had cut the best buds. She told Liliu that only full blown roses should be cut, in order to encourage more blooms.[3] At another time Liliu was unpacking presents for the Dominis family, sent by the King, when a family with children came to call.  When Liliu lifted a beautiful Japanese doll from its box, the youngest little girl became wide-eyed with wonder. Seeing that the four year old was entranced, Liliu pressed the doll upon her, saying that she should keep it. After the family left, Mary Dominis flew into a rage, and said that was totally unacceptable behavior – presents were only to be given on special, set occasions, not just on impulse.[4]Sadly, whenever the Hawaiian customs of Liliu clashed with those of her mother-in-law, John tended to side with his mother, rather than his wife. Liliu was never able to bear children, although she later adopted hanai children, against the wishes of the Dominis.

---

[1] Helena G. Allen, The Betrayal of Liliuokalani, Last Queen of Hawaii 1838-1917 (Arthur H. Clark Company: Glendale, 1982) 90.

[2] Lili’uokalani, Queen of Hawaii (1838-1917), Hawaii’s Story By Hawaii’s Queen (Lee and Shepard: Boston, 1898) .

[3] Allen, 105-106.

 [4] Allen, 116.

Further Education

*As an interesting note, Lili’uokalani would later become a student at Oahu College, under the tutelage of Susan Mills in 1865, at the age of 27. According to Helena Allen, her keen intellect was awakened. She worked on grammar and syntax, until she was able to read American and British poets. She also studied some French, as well as more Latin and Greek. She had a great desire to learn, which she passed on to her own hanai (foster) children in later years[i]

---

[i] Helena G. Allen, The Betrayal of Lili’uokalani, Last Queen of Hawaii 1838-1917 (Arthur H. Clark Company: Glendale, 1982), 110.

Education

In 1848 the Cooke’s closed the Royal School to enter into business. Liliu and her brother David Kalakaua (future King) continued their schooling with tutors. Liliu lived with Paki and Konia at Haleakala in Honolulu. The name meant House of Fire, and this was the home which Liliu dearly loved. Located on a vast estate, Haleakala was decorated with both imported furnishings, and a collection of Hawaiian antiques. Liliu was always drawn to the tapas, the feathered capes, and necklaces of animal teeth, her Hawaiian heritage. The Hawaii she had known as a small child was changing, as more and more foreigners brought their culture and values with them, supplanting the old Hawaiian culture and way of life.[i] The increasing influence of foreigners, especially Americans, would eventually lead to the downfall of the Hawaiian monarchy, but that part of Liliuokalani’s story is yet to come…

Liliu attended Beckwith School, run by the Beckwith brothers, as a day student, beginning in 1848. She was an enthusiastic student, hungry for knowledge. She was especially interested in codes and deciphering. She enjoyed learning Greek, precisely because she looked at it as a fascinating code to be deciphered. She also was caught up in the myths and legends of the Greek gods and goddesses. Her interest in codes lasted throughout her life. According to Helena Allen, her later diaries were written in “two different numerical codes.”[ii]

---

---

[i] Helena G. Allen, The Betrayal of Lili’uokalani, Last Queen of Hawaii 1838-1917 (Arthur H. Clark Company: Glendale, 1982), 70.

[ii] Allen, 76.