Liliuokalani was the last monarch of Hawaii before it became part of the United States. She resisted the United States’ efforts to annex her country, but eventually lost.

Fun Facts

• Liliuokalani was born in 1838 in Honolulu. Her parents were highly respected chiefs. As a child, she was called Lydia. Later she was known as Lili.
• She married John O. Dominis, an American soldier, in 1862. They lived with his widowed mother at Washington Place, now the official home of the governor of Hawaii.
• She became queen in 1891 after her brother died.
• As queen, Liliuokalani tried to restore some of the powers of the crown that had been lost while her brother was king. Local American businessmen, especially pineapple plantation owners, were afraid they’d lose some of their rights. They planned a coup with the backing of the U.S. military to remove her from power.
• Liliuokalani stepped down as queen in 1893. She was later put in prison. She was pardoned a year later, but was forbidden to leave the island of O’ahu.
• Liliuokalani and her husband had no children, although she adopted two children.
• She was a gifted songwriter, writing more than 150 songs.
• Liliuokalani gave land to create the Liliuokalani Garden; she also asked that her trust be given to orphaned children in Hawaii after her death.

 

Vocabulary

Coup: attempt to overthrow a leader, usually through force

Pardon: when someone is forgiven by the government

Questions and Answers

Question: What was Liliuokalani’s childhood like?

Answer: She was the daughter of very important people. She attended a boarding school from age four to age ten, when the school was closed because of a measles epidemic that killed 10,000 people, including her sister.

 

Learn More

See images of Liliuokalani and her family.