Liliuokalani of Hawaii
Queen Lili'uokalani of Hawaii (September 2, 1838 - November 11, 1917), given the Christian name Lydia Liliuokalani and later named Lydia K. Dominis, was the last monarch of the kingdom of Hawaii.On September 16, 1862, she married John Owen Dominis, who became Governor of O'ahu and Maui. They had no children; Lili'uokalani's heiress for several years was her niece Victoria Ka'iulani (1875 - 1899), although Ka'iulani predeceased her.
Lili'uokalani inherited the throne from her brother Kalakaua on January 17, 1891. Shortly after she gained power, she tried to enact a new constitution, since the existing consititution, known as the Bayonet Constitution limited her power and the political power of native Hawaiians. American interests were concerned about their access to the sugar trade there, and considered annexing Hawaii. As a result, the American minister in Hawaii at the time, John L. Stevens, ordered troops from the U.S.S. Boston ashore, under the guise of protecting Iolani Palace and other governmental buildings. The Queen was deposed in 1893, and a provisional government was instituted.
The American government believed the people of Hawaii sided with the Queen and that the overthrowing of Liliuokalani was illegal and offered to give the throne back to her if she pardoned everyone responsible. She refused, and then-President Grover Cleveland sent the issue to the United States Congress. On July 4, 1894, the Republic of Hawaii was proclaimed and Sanford B. Dole, one of the first people who originally called on the institution of the monarchy to be abolished, became President. It was recognized immediately by the United States government.
Lili'uokalani was arrested on January 16, 1895 (several days after a failed counterrevolution by Robert Wilcox) when firearms were found in the gardens of her home; she denied knowing that they were there. She was thereafter confined to a small room in Iolani Palace until 1896, when she was released. She went home to Washington Place, where she lived until her death in 1917 due to complications from a stroke. Hawaii was annexed to the United States through a joint resolution of the U.S. Congress in 1898.
Lili'uokalani was also an accomplished author and songwriter. Her book, Hawaii's Story by Hawaii's Queen, told the history of her country. Some of her best-known musical compositions include the anthem, "Aloha 'Oe," which she composed during her captivity, and "Hawai'i Pono'i," which today is Hawaii's state anthem.
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