By Kauʻi Sai Dudoit
Elections are upon us once again, and as we are bombarded by the campaign sign wavers and commercials offering campaign promises while cleverly airing the foibles of opponents, we share with you a glimpse of the only two elections of a Hawaiian monarch in Hawaiʻi’s history.
On Dec. 11, 1872, Kamehameha V, Lot Kapuāiwa ʻIolani Kamehameha, died without naming a successor to the throne, creating a vacancy of the most prestigious position in the nation and, for the first time in the history of this burgeoning country, the fate of rule was to be decided by the people and their representatives in Hawaiʻi’s first Interregnum.
The candidates were Ruth Keʻelikōlani, Dowager Queen Emma, David Kalākaua, William Charles Lunalilo, and Bernice Pauahi Bishop. All had familial ties to the royal Kamehameha line but none as high-ranking, natural and uncontested as Lunalilo.
Although he was the clear favorite for the throne, he called for an election in which he declared, “Notwithstanding that according to the law of inheritance, I am the rightful heir to the Throne, in order to preserve peace, harmony and good order, I desire to submit the decision of my claim to the voice of the people to be freely and fairly expressed by aplebicitum,” and on Jan. 1, 1873, the people voted unanimously in favor of their beloved “Prince Bill.”
On Jan. 8, 1873, the legislature met to cast their votes and confirmed William Charles Lunalilo as the first elected King of the Hawaiian Islands.
Sadly, on Feb. 3, 1874, barely one year later, Lunalilo died from tuberculosis without naming a successor to the throne. Concern for national safety prompted the government to immediately announce that the election of a new monarch by the Nobles and Representatives would be held on Feb. 12, 1874.
Unlike the first election and Lunalilo’s natural claim to the throne, the second interregnum was rife with conflict and dissenting parties who became more vocal as the election date approached.
The two final candidates vying for the throne were David Laʻamea Kalākaua and the Dowager Queen Emma. Kalākaua had a reputation for being well-spoken and diplomatic and was known to favor the Americans while Queen Emma had the loyal support of those faithful to the trusted and comfortable Kamehameha dynasty and was a close friend of the British royalty. As the campaign heated up it was the only topic of discussion in all the social circles around Honolulu.
Ultimately, Kalākaua was elected by the legislative assembly by a margin of 39 to six. However, his election caused a riot at the Honolulu Courthouse when supporters of Queen Emma attacked legislators who supported Kalākaua. In the resulting fracas, 13 legislators were injured.
The police were unable (or unwilling) to control the mob, so American and British military forces docked in Honolulu Harbor were asked by Lunalilo’s former ministers to assist in quelling the uprising.
Adapted from an 2010 article by Kauʻi Sai Dudoit. Read Puakea Nogelmeier’s translation of “Ke Kipi Kuloko ma Honolulu,” an article written about the uprising and published two days after the event.
