The Hawaiian Kingdom: Monarchy and Sovereignty

A Note from the Author: This article was written by someone learning about Hawaiian history with deep respect for the culture. While I've done my best to provide accurate information based on historical research and scholarship, please use this as a starting point for your own learning journey. For more nuanced and in-depth understanding, I encourage you to seek out books and resources authored by Native Hawaiian historians and cultural practitioners. Mahalo for your understanding!

After Kamehameha the Great unified the Hawaiian Islands in 1810, the Hawaiian Kingdom emerged as a sovereign nation recognized by the world's major powers. For over 80 years, the Kingdom navigated the challenges of modernization, foreign influence, and maintaining independence in an era of colonialism.

The Kamehameha Dynasty Continues

Following Kamehameha I's death in 1819, his son Liholiho became Kamehameha II. His reign began with a dramatic transformation that would reshape Hawaiian society forever.

The ʻAiNoa: Breaking the Kapu (1819)

Just months after taking the throne, Kamehameha II, influenced by the powerful queen Kaʻahumanu (his father's favorite wife), performed the ʻAiNoa - publicly eating with women, breaking the ancient ʻaikapu (eating taboo).

This act abolished the traditional kapu system that had governed Hawaiian society for centuries. The reasons were complex:

• Recognition that foreigners violated kapu without consequence
• Political maneuvering by Kaʻahumanu to increase her power
• Desire to modernize and adapt to changing times
• Growing influence of Western ideas

The abolition created a spiritual vacuum. Traditional heiau (temples) were destroyed, and the old religion was officially abandoned. This prepared the way for Christianity's arrival.

The Arrival of Christianity (1820)

In 1820, the first Christian missionaries from New England arrived in Hawaiʻi. Finding a society without its traditional religion, they quickly gained converts, including many aliʻi.

Christianity brought:

• Literacy and education (schools were established throughout the islands)
• Written Hawaiian language (missionaries created the Hawaiian alphabet)
• Western moral codes and social structures
• New political ideas about governance
• Conflict with traditional Hawaiian practices

Kamehameha III: The Great Reformer (1825-1854)

Kamehameha III (Kauikeaouli) became king at age 10 and ruled for 29 years - the longest reign in Hawaiian history. His reign saw the transformation of Hawaiʻi from a traditional chiefdom into a modern constitutional monarchy.

The Declaration of Rights (1839)

In 1839, Kamehameha III issued the Declaration of Rights, which proclaimed:

• Protection of life, limb, and property for all people
• Religious freedom
• Equal protection under the law
• Rights of the common people (makaʻāinana)

This was revolutionary, establishing that even the king was subject to law.

The Constitution of 1840

The following year, Hawaiʻi adopted its first constitution, establishing:

• A constitutional monarchy with separation of powers
• A legislature with representatives from each island
• An independent judiciary
• Written laws replacing oral tradition
• Protection of individual rights

Hawaiʻi became one of the first constitutional monarchies in the world, demonstrating its sophistication and commitment to modern governance.

The Great Māhele (1848)

The Great Māhele (division) of 1848 was one of the most significant and controversial events in Hawaiian history. It fundamentally changed land ownership from the traditional system to private property.

The Traditional System: Land belonged to the gods and was held in trust by the aliʻi. Makaʻāinana had use rights (kuleana) but not ownership.

The New System: Land was divided among:

• The king (Crown Lands)
• The government (Government Lands)
• The aliʻi (Konohiki Lands)
• The common people (Kuleana Lands)

The Kuleana Act (1850) allowed makaʻāinana to claim small parcels of land they had been cultivating. However, the process was complex and many Hawaiians lost their land rights.

Consequences:

• Foreign ownership became legal (1850)
• Large plantations developed, particularly for sugar
• Many Hawaiians lost access to traditional lands
• The ahupuaʻa system was disrupted
• Wealth concentrated in fewer hands

While intended to protect Hawaiian land rights, the Māhele ultimately facilitated foreign acquisition of Hawaiian lands.

International Recognition

Under Kamehameha III, the Hawaiian Kingdom gained international recognition as a sovereign nation. In 1843, Britain and France jointly recognized Hawaiian independence in the Anglo-Franco Proclamation.

Kamehameha III's famous statement upon this recognition was: "Ua mau ke ea o ka ʻāina i ka pono" (The life of the land is perpetuated in righteousness) - now the state motto of Hawaiʻi.

Kamehameha IV and V: Cultural Preservation

Kamehameha IV (Alexander Liholiho, 1854-1863)

Kamehameha IV and his wife Queen Emma worked to:

• Establish The Queen's Hospital (now Queen's Medical Center) to serve Hawaiians
• Promote Anglican Christianity as an alternative to Congregationalism
• Resist American annexation pressures
• Preserve Hawaiian culture and traditions

Kamehameha V (Lot Kapuāiwa, 1863-1872)

Kamehameha V strengthened the monarchy and promoted Hawaiian traditions:

• Promulgated the Constitution of 1864, increasing royal power
• Promoted Hawaiian language and culture
• Resisted foreign influence in government
• Established property qualifications for voting
• Died without naming an heir, ending the Kamehameha dynasty

The Elected Monarchs

After Kamehameha V's death, the legislature elected monarchs for the first time.

Lunalilo (1873-1874)

William Charles Lunalilo was elected by popular vote and legislative confirmation. His brief reign focused on:

• Reducing the power of the monarchy
• Increasing democratic participation
• Negotiating a reciprocity treaty with the United States

He died after just one year, also without naming an heir.

Kalākaua: The Merrie Monarch (1874-1891)

King David Kalākaua was elected in a contested election. His reign is remembered for cultural revival and political conflict:

Cultural Renaissance:

• Revived hula, which missionaries had suppressed
• Promoted Hawaiian music, arts, and traditions
• Built ʻIolani Palace, the only royal palace on U.S. soil
• Commissioned the compilation of Hawaiian legends and history
• Traveled the world, the first monarch to circumnavigate the globe

Political Challenges:

• Faced opposition from foreign business interests
• Signed the Bayonet Constitution (1887) under threat of force
• Saw his power severely limited by foreign-dominated legislature
• Struggled against growing annexation movement

The Bayonet Constitution (1887)

In 1887, a group of American and European businessmen and lawyers forced Kalākaua at gunpoint to sign a new constitution that:

• Stripped the monarchy of most powers
• Gave the legislature (dominated by foreigners) control
• Restricted voting rights based on property and income
• Disenfranchised most Native Hawaiians and Asians
• Allowed non-citizens to vote if they met property requirements

This constitution was called the "Bayonet Constitution" because it was forced on the king under threat of violence.

Economic Transformation

Throughout the Kingdom period, Hawaiʻi's economy transformed:

Sugar Industry: Sugar plantations became the dominant economic force, controlled largely by American businessmen. The Reciprocity Treaty of 1875 gave Hawaiian sugar duty-free access to U.S. markets, enriching plantation owners.

Contract Labor: To work the plantations, laborers were brought from China, Japan, Portugal, and the Philippines, dramatically changing Hawaiʻi's demographics.

Population Decline: The Native Hawaiian population, devastated by introduced diseases, declined from an estimated 300,000-800,000 at contact to less than 40,000 by 1890.

The Kingdom's Achievements

Despite challenges, the Hawaiian Kingdom achieved remarkable things:

• Maintained independence for over 80 years in an era of colonialism
• Established a constitutional government with modern institutions
• Achieved nearly universal literacy in Hawaiian
• Developed a sophisticated legal system
• Gained international recognition and diplomatic relations
• Balanced tradition and modernization
• Created a unique multicultural society

The Stage for Overthrow

By the 1890s, the Hawaiian Kingdom faced mounting pressures:

• Foreign business interests wanted annexation to the U.S.
• The monarchy had been weakened by the Bayonet Constitution
• Native Hawaiians were a minority in their own land
• Economic power was concentrated in foreign hands
• American strategic interests in the Pacific were growing

The stage was set for the events of 1893 that would end the Hawaiian Kingdom and change Hawaiʻi forever.

Legacy of the Kingdom

The Hawaiian Kingdom demonstrated that Hawaiians could govern themselves with sophistication and success. It showed that Hawaiian culture could adapt and thrive in the modern world while maintaining its unique identity.

Today, the Kingdom period is remembered as a time of Hawaiian sovereignty and self-determination - a reminder of what was lost and what could be again.

Ua mau ke ea o ka ʻāina i ka pono. (The life of the land is perpetuated in righteousness.)

This is part 5 of our Hawaiian History Series.

Read Part 1: Ancient Hawaiʻi - The Polynesian Voyagers

Read Part 2: The Ahupuaʻa System

Read Part 3: The Aliʻi - Hawaiian Royalty and Governance

Read Part 4: Kamehameha the Great - Unification of the Islands

Stay tuned for Part 6: Queen Liliʻuokalani and the Overthrow