Kuhina Nui was a powerful office in the Kingdom of Hawaiʻi from 1819 to 1864. It was usually held by a relative of the king and was the rough equivalent of the 19th-century European office of Prime Minister or sometimes Regent .
91-617: Before the establishment of the office of Kuhina Nui by Kamehameha, there was a position called Kālaimoku ( kālai meaning "to carve" and moku being an island). This was an ancient office from the very dawn of Hawaiian civilization. During this time before the Kuhina Nui Kalanimoku , a trusted chief of Kamehameha, was the Kālaimoku until Kamehameha established the office of the Kuhina Nui . When King Kamehameha II assumed
182-485: A Polynesian coalition, with him at the head, was influenced by both Walter M. Gibson and Italian soldier of fortune Celso Caesar Moreno . In 1879 Moreno urged the king to create such a realm with Hawaiʻi at the top of the empire by " ... uniting under your sceptre the whole Polynesian race and make Honolulu a monarchical Washington , where the representatives of all the islands would convene in Congress." In response to
273-414: A United States takeover of Hawaiʻi. In 1887, Kalākaua was pressured to sign a new constitution that made the monarchy little more than a figurehead position. After his brother William Pitt Leleiohoku II died in 1877, the king named their sister Liliʻuokalani as heir-apparent. She acted as regent during his absences from the country. After Kalākaua's death, she became the last monarch of Hawaiʻi. Kalākaua
364-486: A chief counselor. Kaʻahumanu became the driving force behind the kingdom’s policy during the reign of Kamehameha II. She and another one of Kamehameha I's wives (and Kamehameha II's mother), Keōpūolani , pressured Kamehameha II into abolishing the old kapu system of laws and religion. At the death of Kamehameha II in 1824, his younger brother and heir Kauikeaouli was still only a child. Because of this, Kaʻahumanu ruled in his place as regent . After her death in 1832,
455-638: A few white officers including his brother-in-law John Owen Dominis . Each unit was subject to call for active service when necessary. The king and the governor of Oahu also had their own personal staff of military officers with the ranks of colonel and major. On October 1, 1886, the Military Act of 1886 was passed which created a Department of War and a Department of the Navy under the Minister of Foreign Affairs who would also serve as Secretary of War and of
546-419: A government-financed program to sponsor qualified students to be sent abroad to further their education. Two of his projects, the statue of Kamehameha I and the rebuilding of ʻIolani Palace , were expensive endeavors but are popular tourist attractions today. Extravagant expenditures and Kalākaua's plans for a Polynesian confederation played into the hands of annexationists who were already working toward
637-487: A guaranteed profit. When Hawaiʻi's silver coins began circulating in December 1883, the business community was reluctant to accept them, fearing they would drive US gold coins out of the market. Spreckels opened his own bank to circulate them. Business owners feared economic inflation and lost faith in the government, as did foreign governments. Political fallout from the coinage led to the 1884 election-year shift towards
728-430: A new building. During the 1878 session of the legislature Finance Chairman Walter Murray Gibson , a political supporter of Kalākaua's, pushed through appropriations of $ 50,000 for the new palace. Construction began in 1879, with an additional $ 80,000 appropriated later to furnish it and complete the construction. Three architects worked on the design, Thomas J. Baker, Charles J. Wall and Isaac Moore. December 31, 1879,
819-497: A personal associate and friend of Prince Lot, the future Kamehameha V, who instilled his mission of "Hawaiʻi for Hawaiians" in the young Kalākaua. In the fall of 1860, when he was Chief Clerk of the kingdom's Department of the Interior, Kalākaua accompanied Prince Lot, high chief Levi Haʻalelea and Hawaii's Consul for Peru, Josiah C. Spalding, on a two-month tour of British Columbia and California. They sailed from Honolulu aboard
910-703: A public denial of that claim, the kingdom was divided on the issue. British Commissioner James Hay Wodehouse put the British and American forces docked at Honolulu on the alert for possible violence. The election was held on February 12, and Kalākaua was elected by the Legislative Assembly by a margin of thirty-nine to six. His election provoked the Honolulu Courthouse riot where supporters of Queen Emma targeted legislators who supported Kalākaua; thirteen legislators were injured. The kingdom
1001-467: A queen named Kīnaʻu , a daughter of Kamehameha I and the Dowager Queen of Kamehameha II, assumed the office of Kuhina Nui as Kaʻahumanu II and the regency until her half-brother Kauikeaouli declared himself to be of age in 1833. Kauikeaouli was crowned King Kamehameha III thereafter and the office of Kuhina Nui became the second-most powerful office in the kingdom. During Kīnaʻu's time in office,
SECTION 10
#17327723732931092-607: A state dinner, and a marksmanship contest won by the Honolulu Rifles . Harper's Weekly reported in 1891 that the final cost of the jubilee was $ 75,000. During the early part of his reign, Kalākaua restored the Household Guards which had been defunct since his predecessor Lunalilo abolished the unit in 1874. Initially, the king created three volunteer companies: the Leleiohoku Guard, a cavalry unit;
1183-752: A successor, and died on February 3, 1874, setting in motion a bitter election . While Lunalilo did not think of himself as a Kamehameha, his election continued the Kamehameha line to some degree making him the last of the monarchs of the Kamehameha dynasty . Pauahi chose not to run. Kalākaua's political platform was that he would reign in strict accordance with the kingdom's constitution. Emma campaigned on her assurance that Lunalilo had personally told her he wanted her to succeed him. Several individuals who claimed first-hand knowledge of Lunalilo's wishes backed her publicly. With Lunalilo's privy council issuing
1274-577: A two-week jubilee. Gibson had by this time joined the King's cabinet as prime minister of Hawaiʻi. He and Minister of the Interior Luther Aholo put forth a motion for the legislature to form a committee to oversee the birthday jubilee on September 20. The motion was approved, and at Gibson's subsequent request, the legislature appropriated $ 15,000 for the jubilee. An announcement was made on November 3 that all government schools would be closed
1365-458: A two-week period. A special octagon-shaped pavilion and grandstand were built for the February 12, 1883, ceremony. Preparations were made for an anticipated crowd exceeding 5,000, with lawn chairs to accommodate any overflow. Before the actual event, a procession of 630 adults and children paraded from downtown to the palace. Kalākaua and Kapiʻolani, accompanied by their royal retinue, came out of
1456-639: The Kuokoa (independent) Party in the legislature. It passed the Currency Act to restrict acceptance of silver coins as payment for debts under $ 10. Exchange of silver for gold at the treasury was then limited to $ 150,000 a month. In 1903, the Hawaiʻi silver coins were redeemed for US silver and melted down at the San Francisco Mint. Kalākaua's 50th birthday on November 16, 1886, was celebrated with
1547-520: The Royal Guards of Hawaiʻi in September 1873, Kalākaua was suspected to have incited the native guards to rebel against their white officers. Lunalilo responded to the insurrection by disbanding the military unit altogether, leaving Hawaiʻi without a standing army for the remainder of his reign. The issue of succession was a major concern especially since Lunalilo was unmarried and childless at
1638-638: The Supreme Court of Hawaiʻi in 1877. Kalākaua's various military, government and court positions prevented him from fully completing his legal training. He received his earliest military training under the Prussian officer, Major Francis Funk , who instilled an admiration of the Prussian military system. In 1852, Prince Liholiho, who would later reign as Kamehameha IV, appointed Kalakaua as one of his aide-de-camp on his military staff. The following year, he commissioned Kalākaua as brevet captain in
1729-579: The hula , which had hitherto been banned in public in the kingdom, became a celebration of Hawaiian culture. During Kalākaua's reign, the Reciprocity Treaty of 1875 brought great prosperity to the kingdom. Its renewal continued the prosperity but allowed United States to have exclusive use of Pearl Harbor . In 1881, Kalākaua took a trip around the world to encourage the immigration of contract sugar plantation workers. He wanted Hawaiians to broaden their education beyond their nation. He instituted
1820-506: The "Keawe-a-Heulu line", although later historians would refer to the family as the House of Kalākaua . The second surviving child of a large family, his biological siblings included his elder brother James Kaliokalani , and younger siblings Lydia Kamakaʻeha (later renamed Liliʻuokalani) , Anna Kaʻiulani , Kaʻiminaʻauao , Miriam Likelike and William Pitt Leleiohoku II . Given the name Kalākaua, which translates into "The Day [of] Battle,"
1911-630: The 18th-century aliʻi nui Keaweʻīkekahialiʻiokamoku . From his biological parents, he descended from Keaweaheulu and Kameʻeiamoku , two of the five royal counselors of Kamehameha I during his conquest of the Kingdom of Hawaiʻi . Kameʻeiamoku, the grandfather of both his mother and father, was one of the royal twins alongside Kamanawa depicted on the Hawaiian coat of arms. However, Kalākaua and his siblings traced their high rank from their mother's line of descent, referring to themselves as members of
SECTION 20
#17327723732932002-581: The 45th birthday of Queen Kapiʻolani, was the date Kalākaua chose for the ceremonial laying of the cornerstone . Minister of Foreign Affairs John Mākini Kapena delivered the ceremony's formal address in Hawaiian. As Master of the Freemason Lodge Le Progres de L'Oceanie, Kalākaua charged the freemasons with orchestrating the ceremonies. The parade preceding the laying of the cornerstone involved every civilian and military organization in Hawaiʻi. The Pacific Commercial Advertiser noted it
2093-515: The Hawaiian Islands during Freycinet expedition. Kalanimoku led an army against the revolt of Kekuaokalani in December 1819 in the successful battle of Kuamoʻo . He served as regent along with Queen Kaʻahumanu while Kamehameha II traveled to London in 1823, and to Kamehameha III after Kamehameha II's death in 1824. In his later years his vision dimmed and one of his eyes was defective. He suffered from dropsy through 1826 and
2184-405: The Hawaiian throne including Bernice Pauahi Bishop , who had been asked to succeed to the throne by Kamehameha V on his deathbed but had declined the offer. However, the contest was centered on the two high-ranking male aliʻi , or chiefs: Lunalilo and Kalākaua. Lunalilo was more popular, partly because he was a higher-ranking chief than Kalākaua and was the immediate cousin of Kamehameha V. Lunalilo
2275-486: The Hawaiʻi business community were willing to cede Pearl Harbor to the United States in exchange for the treaty, but Kalākaua was opposed to the idea. A seven-year treaty was signed on January 30, 1875, without any Hawaiian land being ceded. San Francisco sugar refiner Claus Spreckels became a major investor in Hawaiʻi's sugar industry. Initially, he bought half of the first year's production; ultimately he became
2366-657: The House of Nobles, the upper body of the Legislature of the Kingdom of Hawaiʻi in 1858, serving there until 1873. He served as 3rd Chief Clerk of the Department of the Interior in 1859 under Prince Lot who was Minister of the Interior before becoming king in 1863. He held this position until 1863. On June 30, 1863, Kalākaua was appointed Postmaster General and served until his resignation on March 18, 1865. In 1865, he
2457-404: The King despite the fact it had become a traditional female office. The 1852 Constitution of the Kingdom of Hawaiʻi dedicated a full section (Section 2) to the office of Kuhina Nui. Articles 43 through 48 described the office: The power sharing scheme set in place by Kamehameha III in 1852 seemed to work and it remained in place throughout the remainder of Kamehameha III's reign and throughout
2548-519: The King issued a new constitution that was much less liberal than the Constitution of 1852. The 1864 Constitution of the Kingdom of Hawaiʻi abolished the office of Kuhina Nui and effectively merged the powers into his own office as King. The office was never revived after that, with the Hawaiian monarchy lasting only about three more decades before being overthrown. The termination of the office did not destroy opportunity for feminine leadership in
2639-628: The Legislature. He is a quiet, dignified, sensible man, and would do no discredit to the kingly office. The King has power to appoint his successor. If he does such a thing, his choice will probably fall on Kalakaua. Kalākaua was briefly engaged to marry Princess Victoria Kamāmalu , the younger sister of Kamehameha IV and Kamehameha V. However, the match was terminated when the princess decided to renew her on-and-off betrothal to her cousin Lunalilo. Kalākaua would later fall in love with Kapiʻolani ,
2730-474: The Leleiohoku Guard. In 1890, another military act further restricted the army to just the King's Royal Guards with a maximal recruitment of 36-100 men. The idea of Hawaiʻi's involvement in the internal affairs of Polynesian nations had been around at least two decades before Kalākaua's election, when Australian Charles St Julian volunteered to be a political liaison to Hawaiʻi in 1853. He accomplished nothing of any significance. Kalākaua's interest in forming
2821-624: The Navy. Dominis was appointed lieutenant general and commander-in-chief and other officers were commissioned while the king was made the supreme commander and generalissimo of the Hawaiian Army. Around this time, the government also bought and commissioned His Hawaiian Majesty's Ship (HHMS) Kaimiloa , the first and only vessel of the Hawaiian Royal Navy, under the command of Captain George E. Gresley Jackson. After 1887,
Kuhina Nui - Misplaced Pages Continue
2912-699: The Prince's Own, an artillery unit; and the Hawaiian Guards, an infantry unit. By the latter part of his reign, the army of the Kingdom of Hawaiʻi consisted of six volunteer companies including the King's Own, the Queen's Own, the Prince's Own, the Leleiohoku Guard, the Mamalahoa Guard and the Honolulu Rifles , and the regular troops of the King's Household Guard. The ranks of these regiments were composed mainly of Hawaiian and part-Hawaiian officers with
3003-549: The US duty-free. He led the Reciprocity Commission consisting of sugar planter Henry A. P. Carter of C. Brewer & Co. , Hawaiʻi Chief Justice Elisha Hunt Allen , and Minister of Foreign Affairs William Lowthian Green . Kalākaua became the first reigning monarch to visit America . The state dinner in his honor hosted by President Ulysses S. Grant was the first White House state dinner ever held. Many in
3094-405: The United States through her marriage to wealthy American businessman Charles Reed Bishop who also served as one of Lunalilo's cabinet ministers. When Lunalilo became ill several months after his election, Native Hawaiians counseled with him to appoint a successor to avoid another election. However he may have personally felt about Emma, he never put it in writing. He failed to act on the issue of
3185-703: The Younger . He was frequently addressed as Mr. Pitt or Billy Bitt. He served as Kamehameha I's chief minister and treasurer succeeding his uncle Keʻeaumoku Pāpaʻiahiahi . He had great natural abilities in both governmental and business affairs. He was well liked and respected by foreigners, who learned from experience to rely on his words. He was called "the iron cable of Hawaiʻi" because of his abilities. Kalanimoku had many wives including Kiliwehi, Kuwahine, Likelike and Akahi . Historian Samuel Kamakau and American missionary Hiram Bingham I recounted an incident in 1805 when Kalanimoku burned down much of Honolulu and
3276-544: The activities of Germany and Great Britain in Oceania , Gibson's Pacific Commercial Advertiser urged Hawaiʻi's involvement in protecting the island nations from international aggression. Gibson was appointed to Kalākaua's cabinet as Minister of Foreign Affairs in 1882. In 1883, he introduced the approved legislation to convey in writing to foreign governments that Hawaiʻi fully supported the independence of Polynesian nations. The subsequent "Hawaiian protest" letter he drafted
3367-618: The boys. After the Cookes retired and closed the school in 1850, Kalākaua briefly studied at Joseph Watt's English school for native children at Kawaiahaʻo and later joined the relocated day school (also called Royal School) run by Reverend Edward G. Beckwith. Illness prevented him from finishing his schooling and he was sent back to Lāhainā to live with his mother. Following his formal schooling, he studied law under Charles Coffin Harris in 1853. Kalākaua would appoint Harris as Chief Justice of
3458-546: The choir singing, and a prayer. A planned post-coronation reception by Kalākaua and Kapiʻolani was cancelled without advance notice. Today, Kalākaua's coronation pavilion serves as the bandstand for the Royal Hawaiian Band . Following the ceremony, Kalākaua unveiled the Kamehameha Statue in front of Aliiolani Hale , the government building, with Gibson delivering the unveiling speech. This statue
3549-436: The coronation. By this point, Gibson's role in the kingdom's finances and his influence on Kalākaua were beginning to come under scrutiny: "Our versatile Premier ... is pulling another string in this puppet farce." At the same time, the newspaper rebuked many of the recent actions and policies not only of Gibson but of the King's cabinet in general. The coronation ceremony and related celebratory events were spread out over
3640-635: The date of his birth coincided with the signing of the unequal treaty imposed by British Captain Lord Edward Russell of the Actaeon on Kamehameha III . He and his siblings were hānai (informally adopted) to other family members in the Native Hawaiian tradition. Prior to birth, his parents had promised to give their child in hānai to Kuini Liliha , a high-ranking chiefess and the widow of High Chief Boki . However, after he
3731-470: The day. In the afternoon, the doors of the palace were opened to all the officials and organizations, and the public. In the evening, the palace was aglow with lanterns, candles and electric lighting throwing "a flood of radiance over the Palace and grounds". The evening ended with a Fireman's Parade and fireworks. Throughout the next two weeks, there was a regatta, a Jubilee ball, a luau, athletic competitions,
Kuhina Nui - Misplaced Pages Continue
3822-544: The disease became alarming in the following year. He died at Kamakahonu (the old home of Kamehameha I) in Kailua Kona , Hawaii Island on February 7, 1827. He had only one son, William Pitt Leleiohoku I , who married Ruth Keʻelikōlani and had their only son John William Pitt Kīnaʻu , who died while still a teenager. Kal%C4%81kaua Kalākaua ( David Laʻamea Kamanakapuʻu Māhinulani Nālaʻiaʻehuokalani Lumialani Kalākaua ; November 16, 1836 – January 20, 1891),
3913-596: The following day, in a ceremony witnessed by government officials, family members, foreign representatives and some spectators. This inauguration ceremony was held at Kīnaʻu Hale, the residence of the Royal Chamberlain, instead of Kawaiahaʻo Church , as was customary. The hastiness of the affair would prompt him to hold a coronation ceremony in 1883. Upon ascending to the throne, Kalākaua named his brother, William Pitt Leleiohoku, Leleiohoku II , as his heir-apparent. When Leleiohoku II died in 1877, Kalākaua changed
4004-433: The frequent quarrels between Kīnaʻu and the king. The 1840 Constitution of the Kingdom of Hawaiʻi codified the office of Kuhina Nui into law. The constitution specified the following duties and powers: The 1840 Constitution created a degree of power sharing between the King and Kuhina Nui. Both were given seats in the House of Nobles in the legislature and both also held seats in the kingdom's judiciary. The position
4095-419: The government as $ 22,500, although his personal correspondence indicates he exceeded that early on. 'Iolani Palace is the only royal palace on US soil. The first palace was a coral and wood structure which served primarily as office space for the kingdom's monarchs beginning with Kamehameha III in 1845. By the time Kalākaua became king, the structure had decayed, and he ordered it destroyed to be replaced with
4186-688: The government. President James A. Garfield in Washington, D.C., had been assassinated in their absence. On their return trip to the United States, Kalākaua paid a courtesy call on Garfield's successor President Chester A. Arthur . Before embarking on a train ride across the United States, Kalākaua visited Thomas Edison for a demonstration of electric lighting, discussing its potential use in Honolulu. They departed for Hawaiʻi from San Francisco on October 22, arriving in Honolulu on October 31. His homecoming celebration went on for days. He had brought
4277-413: The infantry. In the army, Kalākaua served as first lieutenant in his father Kapaʻakea's militia of 240 men and later worked as military secretary to Major John William Elliott Maikai , the adjutant general of the army. He was promoted to major and assigned to the personal staff of Kamehameha IV when the king ascended to the throne in 1855. He was promoted to the rank of colonel in 1858. He became
4368-555: The institutions available in Hawaiʻi at that time. Between 1880 and 1887, Kalākaua selected 18 students for enrollment in a university or apprenticeship to a trade, outside the Kingdom of Hawaiʻi. These students furthered their education in Italy, England, Scotland, China, Japan and California. During the life of the program, the legislature appropriated $ 100,000 to support it. When the Bayonet Constitution went into effect,
4459-532: The island of Oahu after Kuwahine deserted him for Kuakini . The burning and destruction of property, which was sanctioned by Kamehameha I, did not cease until she was found and returned to him. In 1819, he was baptized a Roman Catholic aboard the French ship Uranie , in the presence of Kuhina Nui (Premier) Kaʻahumanu and King Kamehameha II . The event depicted in a watercolor by ship's artist Jacques Arago (1790—1855), who wrote and illustrated accounts of
4550-470: The kingdom. An office of Prime Minister was created during the reign of King Kalākaua for Walter M. Gibson . The female Kuhina Nui took the title "Kaʻahumanu" followed by a number, in honor of Queen Kaʻahumanu, the first holder of the office, in much the same way that all members of the Kamehameha dynasty took the title "Kamehameha" after King Kamehameha I. Kalanimoku William Pitt Kalanimoku or Kalaimoku ( c. 1768 – February 7, 1827)
4641-403: The kingdom. On July 21, 1886, ʻIolani Palace led the way with the first electric lights in the kingdom, showcasing the technology. The monarch invited the public to attend a lighting ceremony on the palace grounds, attracting 5,000 spectators. The Royal Hawaiian Band entertained, refreshments were served, and the king paraded his troops around the grounds. The total cost of building and furnishing
SECTION 50
#17327723732934732-470: The legislature passed a currency law that allowed it to purchase bullion for the United States mint to produce Hawaiʻi's own coins. The design would have the King's image on the obverse side, with Hawaiʻi's coat of arms and motto " Ua Mau ke Ea o ka ʻĀina i ka Pono " on the reverse. In a deal with Claus Spreckels, he sponsored the minting by purchasing the required silver. In return, he was guaranteed an equal amount of six percent gold bonds, thereby giving him
4823-474: The military commissions creating Dominis and his staff officers were recalled for economic reasons and the Military Act of 1886 was later declared unconstitutional. The Military Act of 1888 was passed reducing the size of the army to the King's Guards, a permanent force with a cap of 65 members, and five volunteer companies: the Honolulu Rifles, the King's Own, the Queen's Own, the Prince's Own, and
4914-548: The name of his sister Lydia Dominis to Liliuokalani and designated her as his heir-apparent. From March to May 1874, he toured the main Hawaiian Islands of Kauai, Maui, Hawaiʻi Island, Molokai and Oahu and visited the Kalaupapa Leprosy Settlement . Within a year of Kalākaua's election, he helped negotiate the Reciprocity Treaty of 1875 . This free trade agreement between the United States and Hawaiʻi, allowed sugar and other products to be exported to
5005-463: The new palace was $ 343,595. Kalākaua and Kapiʻolani had been denied a coronation ceremony in 1874 because of the civil unrest following the election. Under Finance Chairman Gibson, the 1880 legislature appropriated $ 10,000 for a coronation. Gibson was believed to be the main proponent behind the event. On October 10, 1882, the Saturday Press indicated that not all the public was in favor of
5096-446: The new palace, Kalākaua had seen how other monarchs lived. He wanted ʻIolani to measure up to the standards of the rest of the world. The furnishing and interiors of the finished palace were reflective of that. Immediately upon completion, the king invited all 120 members of Lodge Le Progres de L'Oceanie to the palace for a lodge meeting. Kalākaua had also seen during his visit to Edison's studio how effective electric lighting could be for
5187-400: The offices of the king and Kuhina Nui often battled for power. This was mainly due to conflict between the views of the two people holding the office. While Kamehameha III desired a revival of the old Hawaiian culture, his elder sister Kīnaʻu wanted Hawaiʻi to be a Protestant state which tolerated no other religion. For the first few years of Kamehameha III’s reign, the kingdom suffered from
5278-403: The official mourning period for King Kamehameha IV. The marriage remained childless. King Kamehameha V, died on December 12, 1872, without naming a successor to the throne. Under the 1864 Constitution of the Kingdom of Hawaiʻi , if the king did not appoint a successor, a new king would be appointed by the legislature to begin a new royal line of succession. There were several candidates for
5369-449: The original statue was salvaged and restored. It was sent to Kohala, Hawaiʻi , Kamehameha's birthplace, where it was unveiled by the king on May 8. The legislature had allocated $ 10,000 for the first statue and insured it for $ 12,000. A further $ 7,000 was allocated for the second statue with an additional $ 4,000 from the insurance money spent to add four bas relief panels depicting historic moments during Kamehamena's reign. That evening,
5460-409: The palace onto the event grounds. The coronation was preceded by a choir singing and the formal recitation of the King's official titles. The news coverage noted, "The King looked ill at ease." Chief Justice of Hawaiʻi's Supreme Court Albert Francis Judd officiated and delivered the oath of office to the king. The crown was then handed to Kalākaua, and he placed it upon his head. The ceremony ended with
5551-408: The plantations' major shareholder. Spreckels became one of Kalākaua's close associates. When it expired, an extension of the treaty was negotiated, giving exclusive use of Pearl Harbor to the United States. Ratifications by both parties took two years and eleven months, and were exchanged on December 9, 1887, extending the agreement for an additional seven years. Over the term of Kalākaua's reign,
SECTION 60
#17327723732935642-422: The reign of Kamehameha IV . Kamehameha IV and his brother despised the position but Kamehameha IV did place the role upon his sister, Victoria Kamamalu . Mostly she just signed and approved papers to the wishes of her brothers. When Kamehameha V assumed the throne in 1863, however, the new king made it clear that he favored a more autocratic monarchy over the constitutional one set in place in 1852. In 1864,
5733-421: The reign of Kamehameha V. He met the young Kalākaua and other members of the legislature and noted: Hon. David Kalakaua, who at present holds the office of King's Chamberlain, is a man of fine presence, is an educated gentleman and a man of good abilities. He is approaching forty, I should judge—is thirty-five, at any rate. He is conservative, politic and calculating, makes little display, and does not talk much in
5824-445: The royal children John Papa ʻĪʻī to bring Kaliokalani and Kalākaua to see Kamanawa for the last time. It is not known if their sister was also taken to see him. Later sources, especially in biographies of Kalākaua indicated that the boys witnessed the public hanging of their grandfather at the gallows. Historian Helena G. Allen noted the indifference the Cookes' had toward the request and the traumatic experience it must have been for
5915-404: The royal couple hosted a state dinner, and there was a luau at a later day. The hula was performed nightly on the palace grounds. Regattas , horse races and a number of events filled the celebration period. Due to weather conditions, the planned illumination of the palace and grounds for the day of the coronation happened a week later, and the public was invited to attend. Fireworks displays lit up
6006-424: The sky at the palace and at Punchbowl Crater . A grand ball was held the evening of February 20. Although exact figures are unknown, historian Kuykendall stated that the final cost of the coronation exceeded $ 50,000. The Kalākaua coinage was minted to boost Hawaiian pride. At this time, United States gold coins had been accepted for any debt over $ 50; any debt under $ 50 was payable by US silver coins. In 1880,
6097-408: The small island nation to the attention of world leaders, but the trip had sparked rumors that the kingdom was for sale. In Hawaiʻi there were critics who believed the labor negotiations were just his excuse to see the world. Eventually, his efforts bore fruit in increased contract labor for Hawaiʻi. Thomas Thrum's Hawaiian Almanac and Annual for 1883 reported Kalākaua's tour expense appropriated by
6188-1171: The students were recalled to Hawaiʻi. King Kalākaua and his boyhood friends William Nevins Armstrong and Charles Hastings Judd , along with personal cook Robert von Oelhoffen, circumnavigated the globe in 1881. The purpose of the 281-day trip was to encourage the importation of contract labor for plantations. Kalākaua set a world record as the first monarch to travel around the world. He appointed his sister and heir-apparent Liliuokalani to act as Regent during his absence. Setting sail on January 20, they visited California before sailing to Asia. There they spent four months opening contract labor dialogue in Japan and China, while sightseeing and spreading goodwill through nations that were potential sources for workers. They continued through Southeast Asia , and then headed for Europe in June, where they stayed until mid-September. Their most productive immigration talks were in Portugal , where Armstrong stayed behind to negotiate an expansion of Hawaiʻi's existing treaty with
6279-435: The throne in 1819, his father's favorite wife, Queen Kaʻahumanu , told him Kamehameha I had wished for her to rule the kingdom alongside him. Whether this was really the will of Kamehameha I is a matter of debate. In either case, Kamehameha II did not object and the office of Kuhina Nui was created for Kaʻahumanu. According to other sources, Kamehameha I had wanted Kaʻahumanu to succeed her father Keʻeaumoku Pāpaʻiahiahi as
6370-524: The throne of the Kingdom of Hawaiʻi. His classmates included his siblings James Kaliokalani and Lydia Kamakaʻeha and their thirteen royal cousins including the future kings Kamehameha IV , Kamehameha V and Lunalilo . They were taught by American missionaries Amos Starr Cooke and his wife, Juliette Montague Cooke. At the school, Kalākaua became fluent in English and the Hawaiian language and
6461-454: The throne, he would submit to an election for the good of the kingdom. On January 1, 1873, a popular election was held for the office of King of Hawaiʻi. Lunalilo won with an overwhelming majority while Kalākaua performed extremely poorly receiving 12 votes out of the more than 11,000 votes cast. The next day, the legislature confirmed the popular vote and elected Lunalilo unanimously. Kalākaua conceded. Following Lunalilo's ascension, Kalākaua
6552-416: The time. Queen Dowager Emma , the widow of Kamehameha IV, was considered to be Lunalilo's favorite choice as his presumptive heir. On the other hand, Kalākaua and his political cohorts actively campaigned for him to be named successor in the event of the king's death. Among the other candidates considered viable as Lunalilo's successor was the previously mentioned Bernice Pauahi Bishop. She had strong ties to
6643-472: The treaty had a major effect on the kingdom's income. In 1874, Hawaiʻi exported $ 1,839,620.27 in products. The value of exported products in 1890, the last full year of his reign, was $ 13,282,729.48, an increase of 722%. The export of sugar during that period grew from 24,566,611 pounds to 330,822,879 pounds. The Education of Hawaiian Youths Abroad was a government-funded educational program during Kalākaua's reign to help students further their education beyond
6734-536: The week of November 15. Gifts for the king began arriving on November 15. At midnight, the jubilee officially began with fireworks at the Punchbowl Crater. At sunrise, the kingdom's police force arrived at ʻIolani Palace to pay tribute, followed by the king's Cabinet, Supreme Court justices, the kingdom's diplomats, and officials of government departments. School student bodies and civic organizations also paid tribute. The Royal Hawaiian Band played throughout
6825-506: The wife of Keaoua Kekuaokalani . Both his sisters were at one time wives of Kamehameha I which may explain how he gained his power. At the time, his name was often spelled Karaimoku by Hawaiians and contemporaries alike, and even Kalanimoku, himself, signed his name as such. Other spellings were Kalaimoku, Crymoku or Crimoku. He adopted the name William Pitt after his contemporary the Prime Minister of Great Britain , William Pitt
6916-526: The yacht Emma Rooke , on August 29, arriving on September 18 in Victoria, British Columbia , where they were received by the local dignitaries of the city. In California, the party visited San Francisco , Sacramento , Folsom and other local areas where they were honorably received. In 1856, Kalākaua was appointed a member of the Privy Council of State by Kamehameha IV. He was also appointed to
7007-490: The young widow of Bennett Nāmākēhā , the uncle of Kamehameha IV's wife Queen Emma . A descendant of King Kaumualiʻi of Kauai , Kapiʻolani was Queen Emma's lady-in-waiting and Prince Albert Edward Kamehameha 's nurse and caretaker. They married on December 19, 1863, in a quiet ceremony conducted by a minister of the Anglican Church of Hawaiʻi . The timing of the wedding was heavily criticized since it fell during
7098-405: Was "one of the largest seen in Honolulu for some years". A copper time capsule containing photographs, documents, currency, and the Hawaiian census was sealed inside the cornerstone. After speeches had been made, the freemasons presented the king with "the working tools of a mason", a plumb bob , level , square tool, and a trowel . In between the laying of the cornerstone and the finishing of
7189-496: Was a High Chief who functioned similarly to a prime minister of the Hawaiian Kingdom during the reigns of Kamehameha I , Kamehameha II and the beginning of the reign of Kamehameha III . He was called The Iron Cable of Hawaiʻi because of his abilities. Kalanimoku was born at Kauiki , Maui , circa 1768. His father was Kekuamanoha and his mother was Kamakahukilani, the niece of his father. Through his father he
7280-615: Was a chief of lesser rank; he took Kalākaua to live in Lāhainā on the island of Maui . Kinimaka would later marry Pai, a subordinate Tahitian chiefess, who treated Kalākaua as her own until the birth of her own son. At the age of four, Kalākaua returned to Oʻahu to begin his education at the Chiefs' Children's School (later renamed the Royal School). He and his classmates had been formally proclaimed by Kamehameha III as eligible for
7371-455: Was a grandson of Kekaulike , the King or Moʻi of Maui . Through his mother he was great-grandson of Kekaulike. He was cousin of Kaʻahumanu , Kaheiheimālie , and Namahana Piʻia , Kamehameha's three wives; Kuakini , later served as Governor of Hawaii; and Keʻeaumoku II , later served as Governor of Maui. His siblings included Boki , later served as Governor of Oʻahu; Kahakuhaʻakoi Wahinepio , later served as Governor of Maui, and Manono II ,
7462-527: Was a second replica. Originally intended for the centennial of Captain James Cook 's landing in Hawaiʻi, the statue, which was the brainchild of Gibson, had been cast by Thomas Ridgeway Gould but had been lost during shipment off the Falkland Islands . By the time the replica arrived, the intended date had passed, and it was decided to unveil the statue as part of the coronation ceremony. Later,
7553-400: Was also the more liberal of the two—he promised to amend the constitution to give the people a greater voice in the government. According to historian Ralph S. Kuykendall , there was an enthusiasm among Lunalilo's supporters to have him declared king without holding an election. In response, Lunalilo issued a proclamation stating that, even though he believed himself to be the rightful heir to
7644-548: Was appointed as colonel on the military staff of the king. He kept politically active during Lunalilo's reign, including leadership involvement with a political organization known as the Young Hawaiians; the group's motto was "Hawaiʻi for the Hawaiians". He had gained political capital with his staunch opposition to ceding any part of the Hawaiian islands to foreign interests. During the ʻIolani Barracks mutiny by
7735-648: Was appointed the King's Chamberlain and served until 1869 when he resigned to finish his law studies. In 1870, he was admitted to the Hawaiian bar and was hired as a clerk in the Land Office, a post he held until he came to the throne. He was decorated a Knight Companion of the Royal Order of Kamehameha I in 1867. American writer Mark Twain , working as a traveling reporter for the Sacramento Daily Union , visited Hawaiʻi in 1866 during
7826-476: Was born at 2:00 a.m. on November 16, 1836, to Caesar Kaluaiku Kapaʻakea and Analea Keohokālole in the grass hut compound belonging to his maternal grandfather ʻAikanaka , at the base of Punchbowl Crater in Honolulu on the island of Oʻahu . Of the aliʻi class of Hawaiian nobility, his family was considered collateral relations of the reigning House of Kamehameha , sharing common descent from
7917-407: Was born, High Chiefess Haʻaheo Kaniu took the baby to Honuakaha, the residence of the king. Kuhina Nui (regent) Elizabeth Kīnaʻu , who disliked Liliha, deliberated and decreed his parents to give him to Haʻaheo and her husband Keaweamahi Kinimaka. When Haʻaheo died in 1843 she bequeathed all her properties to him. After Haʻaheo's death, his guardianship was entrusted to his hānai father, who
8008-403: Was noted for his fun and humor rather than his academic prowess. The strong-willed boy defended his less robust elder brother Kaliokalani from the older boys at the school. In October 1840, their paternal grandfather Kamanawa II requested his grandsons to visit him on the night before his execution for the murder of his wife Kamokuiki . The next morning the Cookes allowed the guardian of
8099-482: Was the last king and penultimate monarch of the Kingdom of Hawaiʻi , reigning from February 12, 1874, until his death in 1891. Succeeding Lunalilo , he was elected to the vacant throne of Hawaiʻi against Queen Emma . Kalākaua was known as the Merrie Monarch for his convivial personality – he enjoyed entertaining guests with his singing and ukulele playing. At his coronation and his birthday jubilee,
8190-403: Was without an army since the mutiny the year before and many police officers sent to quell the riot joined the mob or did nothing. Unable to control the mob, Kalākaua and Lunalilo's former ministers had to request the aid of American and British military forces docked in the harbor to put down the uprising. Given the unfavorable political climate following the riot, Kalākaua was quickly sworn in
8281-548: Was written into a constitution devised by American attorneys and missionaries. In the United States, women held no political offices, were denied suffrage, and in some states could not even control their inherited property. Yet the Americans William Richards , John Ricord , and William Little Lee all believed it was appropriate to reinforce the power and authority of the Kuhina Nui as an equivalent to
#292707