Liliuokalani, Last Monarch of Hawaii, 1838-1917

When Queen Liliuokalani inherited the throne she had to deal with a depressed economy and a constitution forced on the Hawaiians by the United States, which left the monarchy of Hawaii powerless. Liliuokalani was determined to free Hawaii from overseas control. However, her push for a new constitution led to a confrontation between the Queen and the Americans. When she attempted to restore some of the power of the monarchy that had been lost during the reign of her brother, she encountered the revolt by the American colonists who controlled most of Hawaii's economy. Liliuokalani was deposed and a provisional government set up. In 1895 Queen Liliuokalani was put under "house arrest" for eight months, after which she abdicated in return for the release of her jailed supporters. In 1898 the Hawaiian Islands were formally annexed to the United States. The same year, Queen Liliuokalani composed a song "Aloha Oe" as a farewell to her country. Liliuokalani was the last queen of the Hawaiian Islands. Her rule lasted from 1891 to 1895. She was released as a private citizen and lived in Honolulu until her death in 1917.

Article by Alexander S