Hope Bios: Queen Liliʻuokalani

  Queen  Liliʻuokalani

1838 – 1917

Change through Politics and Arts

Her Calling

The last Queen of Hawaii ruled 1891-1983. The monarchy had recently lost 

most of its power to a cabinet of American, European, and Hawaiian elites. 

Liliʻuokalani attempted to enact a new constitution to restore the veto 

power to the monarchy and voting rights to native Hawaiians and Asians. 

The U.S. invaded, occupied and overthrew the Hawaiian Kingdom government in 1893. They already controlled the sugar industry and had caused financial depression in Hawaii. The Queen didn’t respond with violence, and she made sure the takeover was peaceful. Instead, Liliʻuokalani used writing to share her story with Americans and appeal for justice.

Her Faith

Liliʻuokalani’s grandmother was an early convert to Christianity. She stopped sacrifices to the violent volcano god. As a child, Liliʻuokalani attended school run by Christian missionaries. She believed in a peaceful resistance to injustice, and allowed free practice of religions.

Her Legacy

Liliʻuokalani spent five years under home arrest. She used her musical compositions as a way to express her feelings for her people, her country, and what was happening in the political realm in Hawaii. She played guitar, piano, organ, ukulele and zither, and sang alto. Her writing and musical compositions pled the cause of her people and recorded their history. This included the National Anthem, The Queen's Prayer, her memoirs, Hawaiʻi's Story by Hawaiʻi's Queen, and The Queen's Songbook. She hoped that the history and culture of her people would never be lost.

When she was freed, she made several trips to the United States to protest against the annexation by the United States. (They were not successful; Hawaii became a state in 1959.)

Upon her death, Liliʻuokalani dictated in her will that all of her possessions and properties be sold and the money raised would go to the Queen Liliʻuokalani Children's Trust to help orphaned and indigent children, a fund still active today.

What can I do?

• Learn more: Hawaii’s Story by Hawaii’s Queen is available at our campus library
• Pray The Queen’s Prayer. Reflect on seeking peace in the midst of sorrow.
• What sort of art do you love? Painting, music, writing? Make a project for social justice and share with the campus. 
• Contemporary Hawaiian issues: Hawaii is a vacation paradise for many Americans, but many native people live in poverty and see little of the profits. Racial tensions divide the state. 
• Contemporary US Issues: read hashtags: #blacklivesmatter #MikeBrown #Ferguson 
• Interview one person this week who has a different background from your own. Ask questions, listen, rather than arguing or correcting them.