Before annexation by the American government, Queen Lili’uokalani was the last monarch of Hawaii. Her brother was the elected king of Hawaii, King Kalakaua. During King Kalakaua’s reign, a militia led by businessmen  forced the king under the threat of a bayonet  to sign a new constitution that gave extensive power to the American government and missionary-born Hawaiians. The king called this treaty the “Bayonet Constitution” and many believe that this act led to his declining health an eventual death. Queen Lili’uokalani was named as his successor.

After the Hawaiian Islands entered a recession in 1893, the queen petitioned the people for permission to rewrite the constitution and restore power to the Hawaiian monarchy. She received a windfall of approval from more than two-thirds of the population. This small act led another businessmen-led militia to overthrown the monarchy and arrest Queen Lili’uokalani. Despite the Queen’s ability to declare martial law, she chose to pacify her people and accept this fate. It is said that she would never have been able to live with herself if one drop of blood was ever shed by her people.

Monarchy loyalists planned a secret revolt in 1895, but it was quashed immediately and once again Queen Lili’uokalani was arrested. In exchange for the release of these loyalists and her, the queen relinquished her power and allowed American annexation. On the day of annexation, Queen Lili’uokalani and all her people refused to go outside on this day. It was seen as a day of mourning for the loss of Hawaii. Queen Lili’uokalani’s died 20 years later as was continuously loved by her people. For several weeks after her death, volcanoes erupted and the sea turned a strange color. Some say these were just coincidences but many believe it was Hawaii mourning the death of its queen.

Queen Liliuokalani: The Hawaiian Kingdom’s Last Monarch, Hawaii History, A Biography