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Category Archives: History
Words of endurance: WWI writings
Introducing a new series. Justifiably or not, the First World War has a bigger reputation for the literary output of its combatants than WWII. This is not to malign any writers of the latter conflict. I have seldom read a … Continue reading
Posted in History, World War I
Tagged combat literature, Eastern Front, war literature, Western Front
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Could the Hawaiian monarchy have survived?
This is an opinion piece I wrote as a postscript to my series about King David Kalakaua of Hawaii. I described in my piece about Kalakaua’s trip around the world how his traveling companion William N. Armstrong milked events of … Continue reading
Ridicule and rifles: The Bayonet Constitution
This is the seventh installment of a series about King David Kalakaua of Hawaii and the final one that concerns him in particular. After studying the subject for the past two months, I find myself haunted by the question, “Could … Continue reading
The coronation and its critics
This is the sixth installment of a series about King David Kalakaua of Hawaii. The coronation of King Kalakaua nine years after his ascension to the throne was one of a series of events that brought him under attack. When … Continue reading
An Italian scoundrel visits Hawaii
This is the fourth installment in a series about King David Kalakaua of Hawaii. The rulers of the Kingdom of Hawaii improvised as they went along. After all, the kingdom only had its first constitution in 1840. That was substantially … Continue reading
Reciprocity between unequal parties
This is the third installment of a series about King David Kalakaua of Hawaii. Under Lunalilo’s reign, attempts to negotiate a reciprocity treaty with the US failed amidst disagreement over the details. Hawaiian sugar planters pushed for a deal that … Continue reading
Election and violence in Hawaii, 1874
This is the second in a series about King David Kalakaua of Hawaii. It was a contest between a large boisterous man and a solemn, pious widow. Once again, a king had died without a successor, and Hawaii’s constitution called … Continue reading
Posted in Hawaiian History, History
Tagged David Kalakaua, Election Riots of 1874, Honolulu, Kamehameha IV, Kamehameha V, Queen Emma
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Lunalilo: Hawaii’s democratic, alcoholic king
This is the start of a series centering on King David Kalakaua of Hawaii. The first installment concerns Kalakaua’s predecessor on the throne, Lunalilo. On December 11, 1872, King Kamahameha V died. He was the last of the House of … Continue reading
King Kalakaua of Hawaii: New series
King Kalakaua ruled the kingdom of Hawaii from 1874 to 1891. He was the next-to-last ruler, succeeded by his sister Lili’uokalani. She lasted just two years before she was overthrown by a group of local politicians and businessmen, most of … Continue reading
Posted in Hawaiian History, History
Tagged Celso Moreno, Claus Spreckels, David Kalakaua, Queen Lili 'uokalani, Ulysses S. Grant
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1870 to 1918 