The history of Queen Lili’uokalani

It comes as something amazing to British people that Americans take such an interest in their royal family. Indeed one cannot check out of the grocery store without reading the headlines about the latest disasters wrought by one of the princes. But it is unfortunate that more people on these shores are not familiar with our own royal family, who ruled over what was once the Kingdom of Hawaii. What is more, the cultural debt we owe to their majesties is significant.

The first king of a united Hawaii was Kamelhameha the great, who conquered four of the islands in 1795. Fifteen years later two others voluntarily joined the new kingdom, which was quickly recognized by the United States, who did not want the islands to become prey to either the British or the Japanese Empires. However, the islands also attracted imperialists of another sort. Fruit had long been a valuable export for the Hawaiians, but a number of importers saw the economic advantage of growing the fruit in Hawaii themselves. Rich soil and a host of potential workers who could be paid very little brought merchants, evangelical zeal brought in Protestant missionaries and the U.S. Navy was keenly interested in establishing a base in Hawaii.

The Kingdom of Hawaii existed for 83 years and was ruled by eight monarchs.

By 1874, after a series of plots and scuffles King Kalakaua became the King of Hawaii, and as he was childless, he named his sister Lili’uokalani as heir to the throne. Kalakaua was forced by his own cabinet ministers to grant a written constitution that limited the monarch’s power. This incited a number of the native Hawaiians to revolt against what they called the “bayonet constitution.” Kalakaua managed to keep his throne until his death in 1891 and he survived by courting the foreign interests. He loved to entertain foreign guests at his palace and would even serenade them while playing his ukulele. In the process he signed an agreement with the United States Navy giving them perpetual rights to Pearl Harbor.

The succession of the new Queen Lili’uokalani, was a threat to the Americans. She strongly sympathized with the ordinary Hawaiian people, and wanted to give them more of an active role in the legislature by expanding the right to vote. She then attempted to draft a new constitution that restored some power to the monarch in order to further her reforms.

On Jan. 17, 1893, a group of businessmen began a revolt that removed her from her throne. By an amazing coincidence, a large contingent of U.S. Marines happened to float by at that very moment, and then promptly invaded the island. The business interests formed the Republic of Hawaii. A revolt by the natives was put down and the Queen was arrested and was imprisoned in her own palace. She abdicated her throne on the condition the native rebels’ lives were spared. Hawaii was formally annexed by the United States in 1897 and 1898. Queen Lili’uokalani never recognized the new government.

Lili’uokalani had been very interested in religion as a girl and was baptized by Calvinist missionaries, and attended the Presbyterian Church. When she married, the ceremony was done according to the rites of the Anglican Church. At the time of her deposition, her removal was protested by the local Episcopalian Bishop, who secretly sent her a copy of the American Episcopalian Book of Common Prayer, which she treasured. After her release from house arrest, the Bishop baptized her again and confirmed her. Yet the queen publicly declared “all religions have their rights,” and welcomed delegations from the Mormons and the Roman Catholics. When elements in the population wanted to ban Shinto and Buddhist missions, the Queen formally welcomed them, which paved the way for their acceptance.

It is in the realm of music that Lili’uokalani left another enduring legacy. The Hawaiians have long been a musical people, but most of their music had always been transmitted orally. The retired queen wrote many of the old songs down, translated them and added western musical notation so their sounds could be preserved. The loss to world culture would have been great if these had been lost in the Americanization of the islands. She was also a composer in her own right.

Lili’uokalani is the author of the best known Hawaiian song “Aloha Oi,” which she maintained was a farewell lament of parting lovers. She wrote it during her time in house arrest while the Stars and Stripes flew where the Kingdom’s flag had once been posted. Could it be that in her confinement she was saying farewell to the old ways?

Proudly swept the rain by the cliffs

As it glided through the trees

Still following ever the bud

The ʻáhihi lehua of the vale

Chorus: Farewell to thee, farewell to thee

The charming one who dwells in the shaded bowers

One fond embrace, ‘Ere I depart

Until we meet again Sweet memories come back to me

Bringing fresh remembrances

Of the past Dearest one, yes, you are mine own

From you, true love shall never depart (Chorus)

I have seen and watched your loveliness T

he sweet rose of Maunawili

And ’tis there the birds of love dwell

And sip the honey from your lips

(Chorus)

Gregory Elder, a Redlands resident, is a professor emeritus of history and humanities at Moreno Valley College and a Roman Catholic priest. Write to him at Professing Faith, P.O. Box 8102, Redlands, CA 92375-1302, email him at gnyssa@ verizon.net or follow him on Twitter @Fatherelder.