Synopsis: Queen Liliuokalani (1838-1917) was the last ruler of the Kamehameha family, which ruled a unified Hawaiian kingdom sin
ce 1810. Born Lydia Kamakaeha, she became crown princess in 1877 after the death of her youngest brother. She would become queen after her elder brother, King Kalakaua.
By the time she took the throne herself in 1891, a new Hawaiian constitution had removed much of the monarchy’s power in favor of an elite class of businessmen and wealthy landowners, many of them American. When Liliuokalani acted to restore these powers, the U.S. military removed her in 1893 and formed its own government. Hawaii was declared a republic in 1894. Liliuokalani formally stepped down in 1895 but continued to appeal to U.S. President Grover Cleveland for reinstatement, without success. The United States took control of Hawaii in 1898. Hawaii became a state in 1959.
Early Life And Career
Lydia Kamakaeha was born in 1838 in Honolulu as a member of a high-ranking Hawaiian family. Her mother, Keohokalole, served as an assistant to King Kamehameha III. Young Lydia was educated by missionaries and toured the Western world, as was usual for young members of Hawaii's elite class. She spent time in the court of Kamehameha IV and in 1862 married John Owen Dominus, an American-born son of a ship captain, who became an official in the Hawaiian government. Dominus would later serve as governor of Oahu and Maui. The couple had no children.
Lydia’s elder brother, David Kalakaua, was chosen king in 1874. Three years later, her youngest brother, W.P. Leleiohoku died in 1877. He was supposed to become king when Kalakaua died. Lydia was named heir to the throne. As crown princess, she became known by her royal name, Liliuokalani. In 1881, she ran the country while Kalakaua toured the world, and she also worked to organize schools for Hawaii’s youth.
Ascension To The Throne
In 1887, Crown Princess Liliuokalani and Kalakaua’s wife, Kapiolani, served as Hawaii’s representatives at Queen Victoria’s Crown Jubilee in London, where they met the queen and U.S. President Grover Cleveland.
Also in 1887, an elite class of mostly white business owners forced King Kalakaua to sign an agreement called the Bayonet Constitution, which limited the power of the rulers in Hawaii. Liliuokalani opposed this agreement along with the Reciprocity Treaty, which Kalakaua had signed giving the United States control over Pearl Harbor as well as some commercial rights. This opposition lost the future queen the support of foreign businessmen before she even took the throne.
When Kalakaua died in early 1891, Liliuokalani succeeded him, becoming the first woman to rule Hawaii. As queen, she put a new constitution in place that would restore her powers lost through the Bayonet Constitution. In January 1893, a group of American and European businessmen, with the support of U.S. Minister John Stevens and some U.S. Marines, tried to overthrow the queen. Liliuokalani surrendered, with hopes of appealing to President Cleveland to put her back in charge. The businessmen began creating a new government in Hawaii.
Hawaii’s Last Sovereign
Cleveland made Liliuokalani an offer that she could become queen again, but she could not punish anyone who had tried to overthrow her. She initially refused, but then accepted. It did not matter, though, as the government formed after the overthrow refused to let her reign again. In July 1894, the new government declared the Republic of Hawaii. Early in 1895, after loyalist Robert Wilcox led a failed attempt to make Liliuokalani queen again, Liliuokalani was placed under house arrest and charged with treason. She agreed to formally step down in exchange for the pardon of her supporters who had led the revolt. Later, she tried to claim that her signature was invalid as she had signed her married name, rather than her royal one.
With no children of her own, Liliuokalani decided her niece Kaiulani would be her heir, and in 1896, the two women traveled to Washington to try and convince President Cleveland to restore the Hawaiian monarchy. They were not successful. As leader of the “Stand Firm” (Oni pa’a) movement, Liliuokalani fought hard against the U.S. taking over Hawaii. Though Cleveland was sympathetic, the next president, William McKinley, was not. The U.S. annexed Hawaii in July 1898. Kaiulani, in poor health, died in 1899 at the age of 24. Liliuokalani withdrew from public life and lived until 1917, when she suffered a stroke and died at 79.
Which answer choice best describes Liliuokalani's reaction to her situation as queen of Hawaii? *
