King Kalakaua

Kalakaua

Kalakaua - Penultimate King of Hawaii - born 'David Mahinulani Nalaiaehuokalani Lumialani and known as 'The Happy Monarch' or 'Merry Monarch' (November 16, 1836 - January 20, 1891) - was the last king of the Kingdom of Hawaii. He governed from February 12, 1874 to his death in San Francisco, California January 20, 1891.

Election of 1872

The King Kamehameha V, last monarch of the Dynasty Kamehameha, had died December 11, 1872 without naming a successor to the throne.

There were various candidates for the throne of Hawaii. Nevertheless, the election was centered chiefly in two leaders of high rank: William C. Lunalilo and David Kalakaua. Lunalilo was the most popular one of the two, in part because he was of greater rank and was a direct cousin of the dead one Kamehameha V. Lunalilo was also the more liberal of the two- who promised to modify the constitution so that the town had a greater voice in the government. Many thought that the government only had to proclaim king to Lunalilo, but this was denied and insisted that the entire kingdom participated in the election of the new proxy.

It published a proclamation in Hawaiian, written in poetic style. Subsequently we include the following statement:

Oh my people! My countrymen of old! Arise! This is the voice! Ho! all ye tribes! Ho! my own ancient people! The people who took hold and built up the Kingdom of Kamehameha. Arise! This is the voice. Let me direct you, my people! Do nothing contrary to the law or against the peace of the Kingdom. Do not go and vote. Do not be led by the foreigners; they had no part in our hardships, in gaining the country. Do not be led by their false teachings." Kalakaua was a lot more conservative than his rival, Lunalilo. In those times, the foreigners dominated the Hawaiian government. He promised to return the Hawaiian natives to the government of the kingdom. He promised likewise to reform the constitution of the kingdom.

January 1, 1873, a referendum was celebrated to name the king. Lunalilo won for an overwhelming majority. The next day, the legislative assembly confirmed the popular vote, choosing to Lunalilo unanimously.

His reign

Lunalilo passed away February 3, 1874 and Kalakaua was the chosen one to substitute him. Once in the throne, he named his brother, William Pitt Leleiohoku, his heir, putting thus end to the epoch of chosen kings in Hawaii. Kalakaua began his reign with by traveling through by the islands of Hawaii. This improved his popularity.

In October of 1874, Kalakaua sent representatives to the United States to negotiate a tried reciprocity to contribute to put an end to the depression that affected Hawaii. In November, Kalakaua traveled to Washington DC to be found with Ulysses S. Grant. An agreement was reached and was signed the consequent treaty January 30, 1875. The agreement permitted that certain Hawaiian products, chiefly sugar and rice could be admitted free of taxes in the United States.

During the first part of his reign, Kalakaua exercised fully their right to name and to cease cabinets. The king believed in the hereditary right to govern. He ceased and he named new cabinets continuously. This earned the criticisms of the members of the "Missionary Party" that intended to reform the Hawaiian government, basing on the model of the United Kingdom of constitutional monarchy in which the monarch had very little to be able real set against the government, but yes a great dignity upon being the leader of the state. The party he believed that was the legislative assembly who should have the control of the cabinet and not the king. This fight continued during the mandate.

In 1881, S.M. the king went of Hawaii to travel through the world and to study the question of the immigration and to improve the foreign affairs. Also he wanted to study how they governed other proxies. During his absence, his sister and heir, the Princess governed as the manager (The Prince Leleiohoku, the old heir, had died in 1877). The sovereign traveled in the first place to San Francisco where he was received with honors of state. Later he left toward the Empire of Japan where he was interviewed with the Emperor Meiji. He continued for the Dynasty Qing of China, Siam, Burma, the Raj British India, Egypt, Italy, Belgium, the German Empire, the Empire Austro-Hungarian, the Third French Republic, the Spain of the Restoration, Portugal, the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland, returning to United States before returning to Hawaii. During this trip, he was interviewed with various heads of state in the throne, including the Pope Lion XIII, Umberto I of Italy and Victory of England. Thanks to him, Kalakaua was the first king to travel to everyone.

Kalakaua raised the Palace as the only royal palace in America. Many of the furniture of the palace were brought from his trips through Europe.

It is believed that the King wanted to build a Polynesian empire. In 1886, the legislative assembly granted to the government $30,000 for the formation of a confederation Polynesia. The king sent representatives where Malietoa Laupepa gave its seen good to a confederation between the two kingdoms. Nevertheless, this confederation did not last too long, since to the following year the King lost the power on account of the Constitution Bayonet, rising to the power a reformist party that to put an end to the alliance.

Toward 1887, the Missionary party felt very frustrated with Kalakaua. They threw him the fault of the growing debt of the kingdom, accusing of being a spendthrift. Some foreigners wanted to oblige the king to abdicate and to place the sister of this, in the throne, while other they wanted to finish completely with the monarchy and anexionar the islands to the United States. Who they were in favor of the annexation they formed a called group the Hawaiian League. In 1887, armed members of the League met. The king, frightened before this demonstration of force, was offered to transfer its powers to foreign ministers in representation of the United States, the United Kingdom or Portugal. On the contrary, the members of the league asked him to sign a new constitution.

This constitution, acquaintance with the Bayonet Constitution nickname of 1887, removed the king great splits of its executive power, depriving to the majority of the Hawaiian natives of its right to the vote. The legislative assembly now could annul the right to veto that to have exercised the monarch, which no longer could take measures without including the approval of the cabinet. There was that to elect The Camera of the Noble, the legislative camera elected by the king. It incorporated likewise a disposition that permitted to the not Hawaiian to vote. A revolution, headed by Robert Wilcox, that intended to return the king its authority, failed.

Toward 1890, the health of the sovereign began to fail. Continuing the counsel of his doctor, Kalakaua traveled to San Francisco. His health continued getting worse and he passed away on January 20, 1891. His remains returned to Honolulu aboard the American ship USS Charleston (C-2). Upon not allowing his wife, the Queen Kapiolani any descent, the sister of Kalakaua, followed him in the Hawaiian throne.

Bequest

The king was won the surname of "the Happy Monarch", since he liked to enjoy life. He had the nickname of Carlos II of England, who also enjoyed the pleasures of life. During his reign, the hula was revived, which had been prohibited by the missionaries in 1820, who considered it immoral. Nowadays, his name recalls with the Merrie Monarch Festival, a festival of hula
Polynesian Cultural Center Luau in his honor.

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