Liliʻuokalani

Aloha! My name is Liliʻuokalani, and I was the last queen of the Hawaiian Kingdom. But before I was a queen, I was a princess named Lydia Kamakaʻeha. I was born on September 2nd, 1838, into a family of high-ranking chiefs. In Hawaiʻi, we have a special tradition called hānai, which is considered a great honor. Through hānai, I was raised by other chiefs who were close to the king. This taught me about my duty to our people from a very young age. Even as a child, I found so much joy in learning. I especially loved music. I spent hours singing, playing instruments, and writing my own songs, feeling the rhythm of my islands in every note.

My love for learning led me to the Royal School, where I studied alongside other young aliʻi, or chiefs. My life was full of music and study, but it changed in 1862 when I married an American official named John Owen Dominis. A bigger change came in 1874 when my dear brother, Kalākaua, was elected king of Hawaiʻi. Because he was king, my own duties to the kingdom grew. In 1877, he officially named me as his heir, the one who would rule after him. It was then that my name was changed to Liliʻuokalani. As the Crown Princess, I traveled the world to represent our kingdom and worked hard to help my people at home. Through all my official duties, I never stopped composing. Around 1878, I wrote one of my most famous songs, 'Aloha ʻOe,' a song of farewell that many people still know today.

My life changed forever in 1891 when my brother, King Kalākaua, passed away while traveling in California. It was a very sad time for our kingdom, but I knew I had a duty to lead. On January 29th, 1891, I took the oath to become the queen of Hawaiʻi. From the very first day, I had one main goal: I wanted to create a new constitution for my people. A few years earlier, in 1887, a constitution had been forced upon my brother that took away much of the power from the monarchy. It also took away the right to vote from many Native Hawaiians. I believed this was wrong, and I wanted to write a new constitution that would restore those rights and give power back to the Hawaiian people.

My plan to create a new constitution worried some powerful American and European businessmen living in Hawaiʻi. They wanted the United States to take over our islands so they could have more control over the sugar trade and other businesses. On January 17th, 1893, these businessmen, with the help of U.S. Marines, surrounded my home, ʻIolani Palace. They had more weapons and soldiers, and I knew that if we fought back, many of my people would be hurt. To avoid bloodshed, I made the difficult decision to yield my authority to the United States government. Two years later, in 1895, I was arrested and imprisoned in a room in my own palace. To pass the time and continue my work, I spent my days and nights writing music and my story.

Even after I was released and the kingdom was gone, I never stopped fighting for my people's rights. After the United States officially annexed Hawaiʻi in 1898, I traveled all the way to Washington, D.C. to plead our case and ask for justice for Native Hawaiians. I lived to be 79 years old. Today, I am remembered as a strong leader who chose peace to protect her people. My music, like 'Aloha ʻOe,' continues to share the spirit and story of Hawaiʻi with the world, a lasting reminder of our kingdom.