Hawaii's Monarchy

Yesterday, we toured historical and governmental buildings to learn more about Hawaii's unique history. It is the only U.S. state that was once a monarchy. The Iolani Palace is a beautiful structure completed in 1882, during the reign of David Kalakaua, the last king of Hawaii. It had electricity years before the White House did. The palace also had a telephone, which could reach the King down on his beloved boat dock. Our palace tour was fantastic, but regrettably, photos were not permitted inside. We wish we could have photographed the great throne room.

King Kalakaua and his wife were patrons of the arts, especially music and dance. The King, who was a great dancer, was called the Merrie Monarch and reigned over the Hawaiian Kingdom from 1874 until his death in 1891. He had no children, so he deemed that his sister, Queen Liliuokalani, should succeed him. She was forced to abdicate in 1893 after the overthrow of the monarchy. We saw the room where she was imprisoned (house arrest) from 1894 to 1895 in the palace. In 1898 Hawaii was annexed by the United States, and in 1900 it became a U.S. territory. The U.S. has apologized for its participation in the overthrow of the Kingdom of Hawaii.

King Kalakaua, an avid reader, had restored many of the nearly extinct cultural traditions of the Hawaiian people. These included myths, legends, and the hula, which had been forbidden by the missionaries for over 70 years. Ancient Hawaiians had no written language. Instead, all communication beyond the spoken word took place in the form of chants and the dance. The hula was the means by which the culture, history, stories, prayers and almost every aspect of Hawaiian life was expressed and passed down through generations.