Images of Old Hawaiʻi

by Peter T Young Leave a Comment

$25,000 Annuity

“‘The people of my country do not want to be annexed to the United States. Nor do the people of the United States wants annexation … There is no provision made in this treaty for me. In the Harrison treaty I was allowed $20,000 a year, but that treaty never went into effect. I have never received one dollar from the United States. … ‘No one looked after my interests in the preparation of this treaty. Yet my people, who form so large a part of the population of the islands, would want justice done me.’” (Lili‘uokalani noted in Los Angeles Herald, June 18, 1897)

“One day while dining with Paul Neuman I said: ‘I think it would be a good thing if the Queen could be pensioned by the Provisional Government; it would make matters harmonious, relieve business, and make matters much simpler.’” “In the meantime he (Blount) had been to the Queen, to Mr. Dole, and had done what he could to prevent the carrying out of the plan.” (Bowen; Morgan Report) “Thus Blount intervened to scuttle negotiations between the Queen and President Dole that were strongly on track toward a mutually agreeable settlement whereby the Queen would give up all claims to the throne in return for an annuity.” (MorganReport)

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Timeline Tuesday … 1890s

Today’s ‘Timeline Tuesday’ takes us through the 1890s – Kapi‘olani Hospital is formed, Kalākaua dies, Overthrow, Annexation, Pali Road is completed and the first Beachboys organization is formed. We look at what was happening in Hawai‘i during this time period and what else was happening around the rest of the world.

by Peter T Young 1 Comment

Timing

“Scorning the opinions and advice of all the best men of the Islands, both of her own race and the whites, she finally united her political fortunes with the opium ring and those who were leagued to carry through the Legislature a sweeping lottery charter of the Louisiana type … This was Saturday, January 14, 1893. From that hour the Hawaiian monarchy was dead …” Stevens, The North American Review, December 1893)

However, a recent revelation (part of the Provisional Government Papers at the Hawaiian Mission Houses Archives and Historic Site) notes a January 17, 1893 ‘Private’ correspondence between Stevens and Dole that suggests that the US de facto recognition of the Provisional Government had been prepared prior to the takeover of the Government Buildings. That note from Stevens to Dole states: “I would advise not to make known of my recognition of the de facto Provisional Government until said Government is in possession of the Police Station.” (Stevens, January 17, 1893)

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Martial Law

The Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor on December 7, 1941 lasted 110-minutes, from 7:55 am until 9:45 am. At 11:30 am, December 7, 1941, Governor Poindexter exercised his powers and “declare(d) and proclaim(ed) a defense period to exist throughout the Territory of Hawaiʻi.” Later that day, he placed the Territory of Hawaiʻi under martial law.

This was not the first proclamation of martial law in the Islands. On January 17, 1893, martial law was declared by the Provisional Government of the Hawaiian Islands. Then, on January 7, 1895, Republic of Hawaiʻi President Sanford B Dole declared martial law; it lasted until March 18, 1895.

by Peter T Young 1 Comment

It Wasn’t ‘Bloodless’

Many references to the overthrow of Hawai‘i’s constitutional monarch on January 17, 1893 say it was ‘bloodless,’ suggesting no one was injured.

However, that is not the case; “A policeman named Leialoha was shot in the breast by John Good about 2:30 o’clock this afternoon on Fort street.” Leialoha was afterwards taken to the hospital, and in time entirely recovered from his wound.