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kingofspain93's review against another edition
5.0
If he [King Kalakaua] believed in the divine right of kings, and the distinctions of hereditary mobility, it was not alone from the prejudices of birth and native custom, but because he was able to perceive that even the most enlightened nations of the earth have not as yet been able to replace them with a ruling class equally able, patriotic, or disinterested.
profoundly sad to read this incredible historical document by the last queen of a country which was taken over by the U.S. less than 150 years ago, and to know that for the people in power today (whities) her testament is already ancient history. colonialism feels inexorable, in large part because of the myth of democracy, which doesn’t work and is no better or worse than monarchy. and even as she wrote this, her mind and her country had been thoroughly christianized, and her own perceptions of the U.S. conditioned to the point that she largely ignores the colonization of the north american continent and the genocide of Indigenous people. we can’t go back to what was, but is it too late for anything to change? take up arms; colonization is not an historical inevitability.
profoundly sad to read this incredible historical document by the last queen of a country which was taken over by the U.S. less than 150 years ago, and to know that for the people in power today (whities) her testament is already ancient history. colonialism feels inexorable, in large part because of the myth of democracy, which doesn’t work and is no better or worse than monarchy. and even as she wrote this, her mind and her country had been thoroughly christianized, and her own perceptions of the U.S. conditioned to the point that she largely ignores the colonization of the north american continent and the genocide of Indigenous people. we can’t go back to what was, but is it too late for anything to change? take up arms; colonization is not an historical inevitability.
jarcher's review against another edition
4.0
Picked up and read on Maui while grappling with the ethics of enjoying my honeymoon on stolen land (though, of course, I’ve spent most days of my life on stolen land). This is an important read because it puts the annexation of Hawaii in context. Even by the abysmal ethical standards of the US empire in the late 19th century the annexation was illegal - President Cleveland admitted so himself. The book feels like a demonstration of the humanity of Native Hawaiians to combat the propaganda (which persists to this day) painting them as uncivilized and unorganized. In careful prose, Liliuokalani goes into great detail to ensure the American populace understands that Hawaii was a) a fully functional country with executive, legislative, and judicial branches b) participating in the world economy c) allied with nations in Asia and Europe and d) coerced at gunpoint to forfeit rights to their land. As I’ve said in many reviews, I should have learned about this in primary school.
kittysaurus's review against another edition
emotional
informative
reflective
slow-paced
aturnergal's review against another edition
5.0
In 2022, I took my first trip to Hawai’i and fell in love with the people, the land, and the culture. We toured the Bishop Museum, Hawai’i’s natural and cultural history museum, as well as saw other prominent historical locations. As a result, I grew fascinated with its diverse history, including Lili'uokalani.
During our visit, I learned more about its monarchy and its overthrow by pro-annexationist and pro-business factions from America. Consequently, I wanted to know more, especially from the perspective of native Hawaiians. This was when I decided to read the 1898 memoir Hawai'i's Story by Hawai'i's Queen by Queen Lili'uokalani. History remembers her as the last Hawaiian monarch before the monarchy's overthrow in 1893.
Penned five years after her overthrow, Lili'uokalani delivers her narrative in a powerful and evocative way in an effort to persuade the American government to vote against annexation.
Highly educated and musically talented, Lili'uokalani grew up as a member of the Hawaiian royal family. Born in 1838, she attended school alongside other relatives as a possible heir to King Kamehameha III. In 1877, her brother King David Kalākaua designated Lili'uokalani as his heir, vaulting her onto an ultimately tumultuous path.
Upon her ascension to the throne in 1891, Lili'uokalani met with a resistant legislature that did not want to yield the power it had enjoyed. The 1887 Bayonet Constitution stripped Kalākaua of his rights (at gunpoint, I might add), effectively placing Hawai'i under the control of an oligarchy. The queen's people asked for a new constitution that returned rights to the native people. This event precipitated the coup that ultimately replaced her in 1893 and led to further restrictions under the Republic of Hawai'i.
The latter part of the memoir portrays her efforts in petitioning President Grover Cleveland and later William McKinley to reassert her rights and return her to the throne. During this particular part of the book, her (completely justified, in my opinion) scathing and disdainful opinion of those who colluded to deprive her of her throne come through. In her view, no justification existed for the American coup. Lili'uokalani ends her memoir with the hope that the American government would vote against annexation. This, however, occurred later on July 7, 1898 after this story was published.
"Hawai'i's Story by Hawai'i's Queen" proved a difficult read at times, but it helps one to come to terms with the darker side of American history. In this case, enterprising individuals effectively colonized a sovereign country, forced the abdication of its ruler, trampled a people's rights, and changed their future without their input. It's a startlingly familiar story for any student of American history. Lili'uokalani's rendition of this tale comes from a remarkably intelligent and tenacious woman who navigated tumultuous waters for her people. We should remember Lili'uokalani as a courageous woman who, despite (and perhaps because of) everything she endured, indelibly left her mark on American history.
I recommend this must-read for anyone interested in Hawaiian history. It's a tale of American imperialism and deceit. More importantly, readers learn the story of modern Hawai'i, the resilient native Hawaiian people, and their history, culture, and beliefs.
During our visit, I learned more about its monarchy and its overthrow by pro-annexationist and pro-business factions from America. Consequently, I wanted to know more, especially from the perspective of native Hawaiians. This was when I decided to read the 1898 memoir Hawai'i's Story by Hawai'i's Queen by Queen Lili'uokalani. History remembers her as the last Hawaiian monarch before the monarchy's overthrow in 1893.
Penned five years after her overthrow, Lili'uokalani delivers her narrative in a powerful and evocative way in an effort to persuade the American government to vote against annexation.
Highly educated and musically talented, Lili'uokalani grew up as a member of the Hawaiian royal family. Born in 1838, she attended school alongside other relatives as a possible heir to King Kamehameha III. In 1877, her brother King David Kalākaua designated Lili'uokalani as his heir, vaulting her onto an ultimately tumultuous path.
Upon her ascension to the throne in 1891, Lili'uokalani met with a resistant legislature that did not want to yield the power it had enjoyed. The 1887 Bayonet Constitution stripped Kalākaua of his rights (at gunpoint, I might add), effectively placing Hawai'i under the control of an oligarchy. The queen's people asked for a new constitution that returned rights to the native people. This event precipitated the coup that ultimately replaced her in 1893 and led to further restrictions under the Republic of Hawai'i.
The latter part of the memoir portrays her efforts in petitioning President Grover Cleveland and later William McKinley to reassert her rights and return her to the throne. During this particular part of the book, her (completely justified, in my opinion) scathing and disdainful opinion of those who colluded to deprive her of her throne come through. In her view, no justification existed for the American coup. Lili'uokalani ends her memoir with the hope that the American government would vote against annexation. This, however, occurred later on July 7, 1898 after this story was published.
"Hawai'i's Story by Hawai'i's Queen" proved a difficult read at times, but it helps one to come to terms with the darker side of American history. In this case, enterprising individuals effectively colonized a sovereign country, forced the abdication of its ruler, trampled a people's rights, and changed their future without their input. It's a startlingly familiar story for any student of American history. Lili'uokalani's rendition of this tale comes from a remarkably intelligent and tenacious woman who navigated tumultuous waters for her people. We should remember Lili'uokalani as a courageous woman who, despite (and perhaps because of) everything she endured, indelibly left her mark on American history.
I recommend this must-read for anyone interested in Hawaiian history. It's a tale of American imperialism and deceit. More importantly, readers learn the story of modern Hawai'i, the resilient native Hawaiian people, and their history, culture, and beliefs.