Hawaiian Kingdom

Quick Facts: Who was Hawaiian Kingdom?

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Hawaiian Kingdom

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Archipelagic kingdom in the Pacific, unified by Kamehameha I from 1795 until its overthrow in 1893.

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2Day Chrono-Wiki & Primary Historical Archives

Origins & Early Life

The Hawaiian Kingdom, also known as the Kingdom of Hawaiʻi (Hawaiian: Ke Aupuni Hawaiʻi [kɛ ɐwˈpuni həˈvɐjʔi]), was an archipelagic country from 1795 to 1893, which eventually encompassed all of the inhabited Hawaiian Islands. It was established in 1795 when Kamehameha I, then Aliʻi nui of Hawaii, conquered the islands of Oʻahu, Maui, Molokaʻi, and Lānaʻi, and unified them under one government. In 1810, the Hawaiian Islands were fully unified when the islands of Kauaʻi and Niʻihau voluntarily joined the Hawaiian Kingdom. Two major dynastic families ruled the kingdom, the House of Kamehameha and the House of Kalākaua. The kingdom subsequently gained diplomatic recognition from European powers and the United States.

Career & Major Achievements

An influx of European and American explorers, traders, and whalers soon began arriving to the kingdom, introducing diseases such as syphilis, tuberculosis, smallpox, and measles, leading to the rapid decline of the Native Hawaiian population. In 1887, King Kalākaua was forced to accept a new constitution after a coup d'état by the Honolulu Rifles, a volunteer military unit recruited from American settlers. Queen Liliʻuokalani, who succeeded Kalākaua in 1891, tried to abrogate the new constitution. She was subsequently overthrown in a 1893 coup engineered by the Committee of Safety, a group of Hawaiian subjects who were mostly of American descent, and supported by the U.S. military. The Committee of Safety dissolved the kingdom and established the Republic of Hawaii, intending for the U.S. to annex the islands, which it did on July 7, 1898, via the Newlands Resolution.

Enduring Legacy & Impact

Hawaii became part of the U.S. as the Territory of Hawaii until it became a U.S. state in 1959. In 1993, the United States Senate passed the Apology Resolution, which apologized "for the overthrow of the Kingdom of Hawaii on January 17, 1893 with the participation of agents and citizens of the United States" and acknowledged that "the indigenous Hawaiian people never directly relinquished their claims to their inherent sovereignty as a people or over their national lands to the United States, either through their monarchy or through a plebiscite or referendum." Opposition to the U.S. annexation of Hawaii played a major role in the creation of the Hawaiian sovereignty movement, which calls for Hawaiian independence from American rule. Hawaii was originally settled by Polynesian voyagers from the Marquesas Islands or Tahiti. The date of their first arrival is uncertain. Early archaeological studies suggested they may have arrived as early as the 3rd century CE, while more recent analyses suggest that they did not arrive until around 900–1200 CE.

Chronological Milestones & Life Events

1. 1200: 1200 Milestone — Early archaeological studies suggested they may have arrived as early as the 3rd century CE, while more recent analyses suggest that they did not arrive until around 900–1200 CE.
2. 1795: 1795 Milestone — The Hawaiian Kingdom, also known as the Kingdom of Hawaiʻi (Hawaiian: Ke Aupuni Hawaiʻi [kɛ ɐwˈpuni həˈvɐjʔi]), was an archipelagic country from 1795 to 1893, which eventually encompassed all of the inhabited Hawaiian Islands.
3. 1810: 1810 Milestone — In 1810, the Hawaiian Islands were fully unified when the islands of Kauaʻi and Niʻihau voluntarily joined the Hawaiian Kingdom.
4. 1887: 1887 Milestone — In 1887, King Kalākaua was forced to accept a new constitution after a coup d'état by the Honolulu Rifles, a volunteer military unit recruited from American settlers.
5. 1891: 1891 Milestone — Queen Liliʻuokalani, who succeeded Kalākaua in 1891, tried to abrogate the new constitution.
6. 1893: 1893 Milestone — She was subsequently overthrown in a 1893 coup engineered by the Committee of Safety, a group of Hawaiian subjects who were mostly of American descent, and supported by the U.
7. 1898: 1898 Milestone — to annex the islands, which it did on July 7, 1898, via the Newlands Resolution.
8. 1993: 1993 Milestone — In 1993, the United States Senate passed the Apology Resolution, which apologized "for the overthrow of the Kingdom of Hawaii on January 17, 1893 with the participation of agents and citizens of the United States" and acknowledged that "the indigenous Hawaiian people never directly relinquished their claims to their inherent sovereignty as a people or over their national lands to the United States, either through their monarchy or through a plebiscite or referendum.

Historical Fact-Check Quiz: Hawaiian Kingdom

True or False: “The Hawaiian Kingdom was fully unified when the islands of Kauaʻi and Niʻihau joined in 1893.”

Answer (FALSE ❌): The full unification occurred earlier, in 1810, when Kauaʻi and Niʻihau voluntarily joined the kingdom.

Contemporary Figures & Related Historical Timelines

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• A. P. Elkin — Historical peer (Born in 1891) (1891): Influential Australian anthropologist and Anglican clergyman (1891–1979)
• Ahmad bin Yahya — Historical peer (Born in 1891) (1891): Penultimate King of Yemen (1948–1962), known for conservative rule and shifting foreign alliances.

Frequently Asked Questions about Hawaiian Kingdom