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Kingdom of Hawai‘i

Kingdom of Hawaiʻi
Aupuni Mōʻī o Hawaiʻi
  • 1795–1893
Flag of Hawaii (1816-1845)
Flag of Hawaii (since 1845)
  • Top: Flag (1816-1845)
  • Bottom: Flag (1845-1893)
Motto
Anthem
Kingdom of Hawaii
Capital
Languages Hawaiian, English
Religion Church of Hawaii
Government
Monarch
 •  1795–1819 Kamehameha I (first)
 •  1891–1893 Liliʻuokalani (last)
Kuhina Nui
 •  1819–1832 Kaʻahumanu I (first)
 •  1863–1864 Kekūanāoʻa (last)
Legislature Legislature
 •  Upper house House of Nobles
 •  Lower house House of Representatives
History
 •  Inception May, 1795
 •  Unification March/April 1810
 •  Constitutional monarchy October 8, 1840
 •  Occupation by the United Kingdom February 25 – July 31, 1843
 •  Anglo-Franco Proclamation November 28, 1843
 •  Monarchy overthrown January 17, 1893
 •  Defunct January 24, 1895
Population
 •  1800 est. 250,000 
 •  1832 est. 130,313 
 •  1890 est. 89,990 
Currency
Preceded by
Succeeded by
Ancient Hawaii
Paulet Affair (1843)
Paulet Affair (1843)
Provisional Government of Hawaii
Today part of

 United States

The Kingdom of Hawaiʻi originated in 1795 with the unification of the independent islands of Hawaiʻi, Oʻahu, Maui, Molokaʻi, and Lānaʻi under one government. In 1810 the whole Hawaiian archipelago became unified when Kauaʻi and Niʻihau joined the kingdom voluntarily and without bloodshed or war. Two major dynastic families ruled the kingdom: the House of Kamehameha and the House of Kalākaua.

The kingdom won recognition from major European powers. The United States became its chief trading partner. The kingdom was watched jealously by the United States against the possibility of another power (such as Britain or Japan) threatening to seize control. Hawaii adopted a new constitution in 1887 to reduce the absolute power of King Kalākaua. Queen Liliuokalani, who succeeded Kalākaua in 1891, tried to restore the old order, but was overthrown in 1893, largely at the hands of United States citizens. Hawaii became a republic until the United States annexed it in 1898.

Before the founding of a formal, united kingdom, the islands were all ruled by independent aliʻi nui or "supreme executives". All of these rulers were believed to come from a hereditary line descended from the first Polynesian, Papa, who would become the earth mother goddess of the Hawaiian religion. Captain James Cook was the first Westerner to discover the Hawaiian Islands, discovering them on his fourth voyage. He was killed in a dispute over the taking of a longboat. Three years later the Island of Hawaii was passed to Kalaniʻōpuʻu's son, Kīwalaʻō, while religious authority was passed to the ruler's nephew, Kamehameha.


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Wikipedia

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