Hawaiian Royalty

Queen Lili'uokalani

The Kingdom of Hawaii had many notable leaders, one of them being Queen Liliʻuokalani. She was the last monarch of the Hawaiian kingdom, and was ruler during the overthrow of the Hawaiian government in 1893. Using American troops, a group of businessmen conspired with the United States to try to annex Hawaii to make it a military base. A failed attempt to restore Liliʻuokalani to power resulted in her imprisonment inside of Iolani Palace for 8 months. Also an extremely accomplished musician, she composed over 165 different songs and chants, the most famous of which is Aloha ʻOe.

​- Jarin Simon '23

King Kamehameha

King Kamehameha was one of the most striking figures in Hawaiian history, a leader who united and ruled the islands during a time of great cultural change. He was born sometime between 1753 and 1761 on the island Hawai’i (Big Island) and rose to ali’i-‘ai-moku (a district chief) on the Big Island. After rising to district chief he rose to higher positions of power and eventually was able to unite all the islands of Hawaii with the help of European allies. Kamehameha died in May of 1819. He had accomplished what no man in the history of the Hawaiian people had ever done. By uniting the Hawaiian Islands into a viable and recognized political entity, Kamehameha secured his people from a quickly changing world. For more detailed information on this important Hawaiian figure and how he united the Hawaiian islands please look at this link.

​- Bryant Hoke '23