Define queen liliuokalani biography wikipedia

She moved out of Washington Place and into the main house at Waikiki. Dominis elected to stay with his mother. In DecemberKamehameha V died and was succeeded by Lunalilo, now a dissolute pawn of the haoleswho was reduced to receiving a living allowance from his guardian, an American banker. Lunalilo died of dissipation in without leaving an heir.

The choice of the next Hawaiian monarch was left up to the legislature, which was split between those favoring David Kalakaua, Liliu's brother, and those favoring the widow of Kamehameha IV, Queen Emma. Support for both factions was strong and divisive. The populace generally supported Queen Emma's claim, but the largely American legislature was afraid of her pro-British sympathies and backed Kalakaua.

When Kalakaua was finally elected king, the populace rioted. Kalakaua responded by permitting troops to be landed from two American warships anchored in the harbor, as well as from the British man-of-war Tenedos. The dissention caused by both warring factions divided the Hawaiian people into two political camps and permanently weakened their ability to hold the haole interests at bay.

Upon David Kalakaua's accession to the throne, his sister Liliu's status changed from chiefess to princess. Along with the new title came a new name conferred by the king: Liliuokalani. InPrince Leleiiohoku, the heir apparent, died. In a bid for power, the boy's hanai mother, Princess Ruth Ruth Keelikolanideclared that she was now next in line to the throne.

Kalakaua countered Ruth's move by officially declaring Princess Liliuokalani the heir apparent. InKalakaua made a trip around the world. The original plans, put forward by what Liliuokalani referred to as "the missionary party" which controlled Kalakaua's Cabinet, were for her to remain behind as regent, supervised by a council of regency.

Although she would be head of this council, she would be prohibited from taking any action without its approval. Interpreting this as an example of the party's efforts to undermine the constitutional rulers of the Hawaiian people, Liliuokalani argued the arrangement with Kalakaua, defining queen liliuokalani biography wikipedia that if there was need for a council, then there was no need for a regent.

Her arguments won Kalakaua over, and before he left Liliuokalani was named sole regent. Her regency was a success, although it proved a precursor for future conflicts with Kalakaua's Cabinet ministers. While the king was gone, smallpox broke out in Honolulu. In direct opposition to the Cabinet which feared loss of trade and damage to ongoing commerceLiliuokalani stopped communication between the islands, prohibited vessels from taking passengers, and instituted a strict quarantine.

The measures worked, and the disease remained confined to the city with reduced loss of life. King Kalakaua had gone to the United States to formalize the lease of Pearl Harbor to the Americans in exchange for a reciprocity treaty which would give the islands trade benefits. Liliuokalani was strongly opposed to the lease, fearing it would be the first step toward annexation by the Americans.

From the States, Kalakaua traveled to Japan, China, Siam now Thailandand India to negotiate for contract laborers for the sugar plantations. According to Liliuokalani, Kalakaua's solution to the problem of labor gave the sugar planters:. Liliuokalani remained childless and was thwarted in her attempts to become hanai to a child by both her husband and his mother, who disapproved of the practice.

Inhowever, she learned that her husband was the father of an illegitimate child born to a half-Hawaiian woman. With this information, Liliuokalani was able to break the resistance against her taking a child as hanai. The boy became known as John Dominis Aimoku. Shortly thereafter, Liliuokalani took in a little girl she named Lydia and another male child, Joseph Kaipo Aea.

Always interested in the welfare of children, Liliuokalani organized an education society in This society was created to interest Hawaiian women in the proper training of young girls of their own race, whose parents were unable to prepare them for the duties of life. This was the beginning of the Liliuokalani Educational Society. They first sailed to San Francisco and then traveled overland to Washington, D.

The power and the grandeur of the British court deeply impressed Liliuokalani, as did the cordiality and respect they received from the British. Fresh from this triumph, they returned to Honolulu to find that the annexationist Reform Party had forced a new Cabinet on Kalakaua and prevailed upon him to sign a constitution of their own preparation.

The document became known as "The Bayonet Constitution. The advent of the Bayonet Constitution brought a steady shift of power from the monarch to the hands of his ministers.

Define queen liliuokalani biography wikipedia

InKalakaua traveled to the United States for a meeting with the Hawaiian minister to discuss the McKinley Bill, which placed a stiff tariff on imported sugar. Once again, he placed Liliuokalani in charge as regent. Kalakaua died. Even before the funeral could be held, the ministers and councilors drew together, summoned Liliuokalani to appear before them and prevailed upon her to take the oath of office.

They informed her, as they had Kalakaua, that she could make no changes in the Cabinet except by legislative approval. Immediately upon her assumption of the throne, Prime Minister John L. Stevens met with Liliuokalani and laid down the guidelines under which she would rule. In a complicated move which backfired, he urged her to give the Cabinet new commissions under her royal seal.

Liliuokalani replied that before she could do so they would have to tender their resignations. Once the resignations were in her hand, she shrewdly appealed to Supreme Court Judge Samuel Dole, who upheld her right to dismiss the Cabinet. Liliuokalani quickly installed a new Cabinet made up of men whom she believed would support her monarchy.

Minister John Stevens. Wishing to spare her people a bloody conflict, Liliuokalani stepped down but appealed to President Grover Cleveland to restore her to power. The following January, Liliuokalani and a group of her supporters were arrested by the new government and charged with treason for their implication in an attempted insurrection.

After serving several months of house arrest, on January 24,she signed a document formally abdicating her throne in exchange for the release and pardon of her compatriots. After establishing the "Oni pa'a" Stand Firm movement to fight the annexation and making several more unsuccessful appeals to the U. She was granted a small pension by the provisional government, and on July 7,the Hawaiian Islands were officially annexed by the United States.

Liliuokalani lived out her days at her Washington Place estate, where she frequently received visitors from near and abroad coming to pay her their respects. She died from complications related to a stroke on November 11,at age 79, and was honored with a state funeral. A skilled musician, Liliuokalani wrote more than songs and chants in her lifetime, including "Aloha Oe," which became a national anthem of Hawaii.

It was inspired by a horseback ride in Oahu inwhen she witnessed a farewell embrace between two lovers. President Grover Cleveland. This stance lost the future queen the support of foreign businessmen known as haole before she even took the throne. As queen, she acted to implement a new constitution that would restore the powers lost to the monarchy through the Bayonet Constitution.

In Januarya group of American and European businessmen, with the support of U. Minister John Stevens and a contingent of U. Marines, staged a coup to depose the queen. Liliuokalani surrendered, with hopes of appealing to President Cleveland to reinstate her. The United States set up a provisional government. It became the Republic of Hawaii.

The Hawaiian people were on the side of their Queen. President Grover Cleveland offered to return the throne if she granted amnesty to all involved in the takeover of her kingdom. She refused, but then changed her mind and agreed. She was denied her reinstatement by the Provisional Government.