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To Steal a Kingdom: Probing Hawaiian History
History of the overthrow of the Hawaiian Kingdom 1893. Currently in 6th revised printing, 2000. More than 30,000 copies in circulation.
246 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 1996
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Displaying 1 - 12 of 12 reviews
November 15, 2023
I've been to various Hawaiian islands several times, but knew little about their history since United States influence in the 1800's. Partly why is most people visiting don't spend much time in museums--and if they do they'll find most material is regarding early Hawaiian culture, and probably the 'discovery' of the Sandwich Islands by Captain Cook. If you've read James Michener's novel Hawaii, or seen the movie based on the novel you'll have some idea of the real history here.
The book is a little dry, but I found it a quick read. It starts with an early history of the native peoples of the Pacific and various island cultures including the Hawaiian Islands, and continues into the first Hawaiian monarch Kamehameha I. The book also includes several appendices, including an extensive biography, a Hawaiian glossary, and listings of Judd family real estate transactions.
After Cook's discovery the islands became a whaling and seafaring hub--quite a mix between the native culture and the bawdy sailors that came ashore. American missionaries started arriving in the early 1800's, pretty much found Hawaiian culture unacceptable to their Christian ideals and set about to try and convert islanders to their religion. Early American influence already had some sway, as some members of Cook's crew, Isaac Davis, and John Young assisted Kamehameha with his military strategy and training.
Theoretically the islands were a monarchy, however as the missionaries established homes, families, and obtained land and started businesses they became heavily invested in controlling the kingdom's leadership. In some cases members of the missionary families married into the royal Hawaiian families to gain more influential clout and amass more land holdings. Using political influence back in the states, the islands became a major sugarcane producer immediately after the US Civil War.
The last Hawaiian monarch, Queen Lili'uokalni was threatening to change the Hawaiian constitution that was favorable to white missionary settlers, to a new constitution demanded by a referendum of native Hawaiians. The missionaries at this point had infiltrated most levels of Hawaiian govt. --including Albert Francis Judd the Chief Hawaiian Supreme Court Justice. The missionaries appealed to the US govt. that their safety and lives were threatened by the Queen, and a potential uprising of the native Hawaiians. Without presidential approval a contingent of US Marines landed and surrounded the royal palace. Chief Justice Judd had Queen Lili arrested for treason and stole all of her documents supporting the constitutional referendum.
The US annexed Hawaii at the start of the war with Spain to provide a Pacific port while dealing with the Spanish controlled Philippines. Members of these same missionary families were appointed to US govt. positions in the new government of the Territory of Hawaii. Of course these families continued to prosper financially.
Today these families continue to own vast land holdings on the islands and run major businesses. They also control local schools, museums, and libraries making it easy for them to hide unfavorable information that might be detrimental to their livelihoods. The Bishop Estate is the largest private landowner in Hawaii, with assets over $20 billion. In addition to other land holdings and businesses the Judd family owns the 4,000 acre Koalua Ranch. Of course most people are aware of the Dole family whose company has become the largest producer of fruit and vegetables in the world. Samuel Dole was the President of the Republic of Hawaii--the period between Queen Lili's forced abdication and the annexation by the US, however he was not related to the agricultural Dole family. This is why the book is called 'To Steal a Kingdom'. Indeed some of these families did steal the 'kingdom ' with the help of the US govt.
Perhaps the Hawaii monarchy was destined to end. If not American influence and manipulation, then perhaps other Asian or European countries would have achieved similar results. As Grover Cleveland said in a letter in 1898: "Hawaii is ours. As I look back upon the first steps in this miserable business, and as I contemplate the means used to complete the outrage, I am ashamed of the whole affair."
If you're interested in Hawaiian history, I highly recommend this book. Maybe not as exciting as Michener's fictional 'Hawaii', but several hundred pages shorter!
The book is a little dry, but I found it a quick read. It starts with an early history of the native peoples of the Pacific and various island cultures including the Hawaiian Islands, and continues into the first Hawaiian monarch Kamehameha I. The book also includes several appendices, including an extensive biography, a Hawaiian glossary, and listings of Judd family real estate transactions.
After Cook's discovery the islands became a whaling and seafaring hub--quite a mix between the native culture and the bawdy sailors that came ashore. American missionaries started arriving in the early 1800's, pretty much found Hawaiian culture unacceptable to their Christian ideals and set about to try and convert islanders to their religion. Early American influence already had some sway, as some members of Cook's crew, Isaac Davis, and John Young assisted Kamehameha with his military strategy and training.
Theoretically the islands were a monarchy, however as the missionaries established homes, families, and obtained land and started businesses they became heavily invested in controlling the kingdom's leadership. In some cases members of the missionary families married into the royal Hawaiian families to gain more influential clout and amass more land holdings. Using political influence back in the states, the islands became a major sugarcane producer immediately after the US Civil War.
The last Hawaiian monarch, Queen Lili'uokalni was threatening to change the Hawaiian constitution that was favorable to white missionary settlers, to a new constitution demanded by a referendum of native Hawaiians. The missionaries at this point had infiltrated most levels of Hawaiian govt. --including Albert Francis Judd the Chief Hawaiian Supreme Court Justice. The missionaries appealed to the US govt. that their safety and lives were threatened by the Queen, and a potential uprising of the native Hawaiians. Without presidential approval a contingent of US Marines landed and surrounded the royal palace. Chief Justice Judd had Queen Lili arrested for treason and stole all of her documents supporting the constitutional referendum.
The US annexed Hawaii at the start of the war with Spain to provide a Pacific port while dealing with the Spanish controlled Philippines. Members of these same missionary families were appointed to US govt. positions in the new government of the Territory of Hawaii. Of course these families continued to prosper financially.
Today these families continue to own vast land holdings on the islands and run major businesses. They also control local schools, museums, and libraries making it easy for them to hide unfavorable information that might be detrimental to their livelihoods. The Bishop Estate is the largest private landowner in Hawaii, with assets over $20 billion. In addition to other land holdings and businesses the Judd family owns the 4,000 acre Koalua Ranch. Of course most people are aware of the Dole family whose company has become the largest producer of fruit and vegetables in the world. Samuel Dole was the President of the Republic of Hawaii--the period between Queen Lili's forced abdication and the annexation by the US, however he was not related to the agricultural Dole family. This is why the book is called 'To Steal a Kingdom'. Indeed some of these families did steal the 'kingdom ' with the help of the US govt.
Perhaps the Hawaii monarchy was destined to end. If not American influence and manipulation, then perhaps other Asian or European countries would have achieved similar results. As Grover Cleveland said in a letter in 1898: "Hawaii is ours. As I look back upon the first steps in this miserable business, and as I contemplate the means used to complete the outrage, I am ashamed of the whole affair."
If you're interested in Hawaiian history, I highly recommend this book. Maybe not as exciting as Michener's fictional 'Hawaii', but several hundred pages shorter!
May 2, 2011
A friend of mine mentioned reading To Steal A Kingdom, and since I've had this fascination with reading about islands lately anyway, I thought I'd give it a try. I started it a few months ago and got about halfway through before I felt like I really needed a break. It's interesting and informative, but the text is VERY dry and in desperate need of a good editor.
This is my first time reading about Hawai'i, so I don't have a good frame of context, but my understanding is that at least up until the time of publication for this book (1992), there were no books about Hawai'i's political history told from the perspective of the Hawaiians. Everything gave the official white party line, which includes a lot of misinformation that has been perpetuated by decendants of the earliest white settlers. (One of the most interesting parts of the whole book was the very end when the author goes into detail about how one particular family, the decendants of missionary Gerrit P. Judd, now control "virtually every organization having to do with collecting, researching, preserving, editing, writing and dispersing Hawaiian history.")
While this book still focuses on the white missionaries and businessmen in Hawai'i, it talks frankly about their imperialist and self-serving aims, from the earliest visitors who spread STDs through the population of the islands to the established settlers in the late 1800s who brought about Hawai'i's annexation to the U.S.
What made the book so frustrating was the writing style, which relies heavily on quotes from other texts, generally at least one quote per paragraph. It's distracting and hard to get a sense of continuity when there are so many different voices on each page. It's practically a parody of poor academic writing. However, in spite of having to force myself to stick with it, I learned a lot, and was especially impressed at the end when the author finally writes in his own voice about present-day Hawai'i, tying up a lot of threads from throughout Hawai'i's history.
I definitely wouldn't recommend a book this frustrating to a casual reader. However, the documentation and depth of research and coverage, especially for the period of 1769-1895, make it a very worthwhile book for someone who is interested in the topic. I would imagine that there are more readable books about this topic, but I don't know what they are to suggest alternatives.
This is my first time reading about Hawai'i, so I don't have a good frame of context, but my understanding is that at least up until the time of publication for this book (1992), there were no books about Hawai'i's political history told from the perspective of the Hawaiians. Everything gave the official white party line, which includes a lot of misinformation that has been perpetuated by decendants of the earliest white settlers. (One of the most interesting parts of the whole book was the very end when the author goes into detail about how one particular family, the decendants of missionary Gerrit P. Judd, now control "virtually every organization having to do with collecting, researching, preserving, editing, writing and dispersing Hawaiian history.")
While this book still focuses on the white missionaries and businessmen in Hawai'i, it talks frankly about their imperialist and self-serving aims, from the earliest visitors who spread STDs through the population of the islands to the established settlers in the late 1800s who brought about Hawai'i's annexation to the U.S.
What made the book so frustrating was the writing style, which relies heavily on quotes from other texts, generally at least one quote per paragraph. It's distracting and hard to get a sense of continuity when there are so many different voices on each page. It's practically a parody of poor academic writing. However, in spite of having to force myself to stick with it, I learned a lot, and was especially impressed at the end when the author finally writes in his own voice about present-day Hawai'i, tying up a lot of threads from throughout Hawai'i's history.
I definitely wouldn't recommend a book this frustrating to a casual reader. However, the documentation and depth of research and coverage, especially for the period of 1769-1895, make it a very worthwhile book for someone who is interested in the topic. I would imagine that there are more readable books about this topic, but I don't know what they are to suggest alternatives.
January 9, 2024
I was fortunate to visit Hawaii recently. Acutely aware of my status as a guest, I purchased this book at a small bookstore to learn about the history of colonialism in Hawaii.
The book begins by describing the spread of people's across the Pacific islands with a lot of emphasis on their seafaring and navigational prowess. The Hawaiian Islands were probably settled by Polynesian sailors around the year 400 CE.
Pre-contact Hawaiian society was quasi-feudal. The land was divided up among chiefs, with commoners working the land. The author describes Hawaiians as "well-organized, highly skilled, self-sustaining," largely peaceful and healthy. There was little or no stigma attached to casual sex or homosexuality. However, they also sometimes engaged in human sacrifice.
The book details the arrival of Europeans in the late 1700s and their gradual takeover of Hawaiian lands and government, aided by the spread of disease. Often the culprits were American missionaries who cared more about acquiring land than helping the natives.
In 1887 a group of white men used the Hawaiian king's corruption to justify writing a new constitution. Dubbed the Bayonet Constitution because of intimidation by white militias, the new document took away much of the king's power, established financial and literacy requirements for voting, and gave voting rights to white residents who weren't Hawaiian citizens.
The next monarch, Queen Liliuokalani, attempted to replace this constitution after a petition showed 2/3 of voters supported such a step. She was arrested on accusations of treason. This coup paved the way for US annexation in 1897.
I learned a lot from this book, but wasn't impressed by the writing style. There's too much focus on the background stories of prominent individuals and not enough on the lives of everyday people. With that said, the book is lucid in its description of the aims and actions of many white people in the islands.
The book begins by describing the spread of people's across the Pacific islands with a lot of emphasis on their seafaring and navigational prowess. The Hawaiian Islands were probably settled by Polynesian sailors around the year 400 CE.
Pre-contact Hawaiian society was quasi-feudal. The land was divided up among chiefs, with commoners working the land. The author describes Hawaiians as "well-organized, highly skilled, self-sustaining," largely peaceful and healthy. There was little or no stigma attached to casual sex or homosexuality. However, they also sometimes engaged in human sacrifice.
The book details the arrival of Europeans in the late 1700s and their gradual takeover of Hawaiian lands and government, aided by the spread of disease. Often the culprits were American missionaries who cared more about acquiring land than helping the natives.
In 1887 a group of white men used the Hawaiian king's corruption to justify writing a new constitution. Dubbed the Bayonet Constitution because of intimidation by white militias, the new document took away much of the king's power, established financial and literacy requirements for voting, and gave voting rights to white residents who weren't Hawaiian citizens.
The next monarch, Queen Liliuokalani, attempted to replace this constitution after a petition showed 2/3 of voters supported such a step. She was arrested on accusations of treason. This coup paved the way for US annexation in 1897.
I learned a lot from this book, but wasn't impressed by the writing style. There's too much focus on the background stories of prominent individuals and not enough on the lives of everyday people. With that said, the book is lucid in its description of the aims and actions of many white people in the islands.
September 17, 2008
The heartbreaking true story of how Hawai'i's kings were manipulated by foreign businessmen, which eventually led to the stealing and raping of the land and the overthrow of the queen a little over 100 years ago. They then instilled a provisional government until the illegal annexation as a state in 1959. As a part native Hawaiian, this book is an essential read into the history of white interest in the islands, and how our people were manipulated by fear, greed, and largely by Christianity. It is sad and infuriating, but the truth should be known.
June 25, 2018
I removed 1 star only because it was hard to read due to editorial mistakes. Otherwise excellent content with a lot of research. I reallly enjoyed the introduction chapter. I would recommend this book to someone who wants to learn true Hawai'i history with a lot of details.
Currently Reading
January 2, 2024CHAPTER 1 - Absolutely wonderful. A great start to show the genius of a seafaring people. Their ability to use the Sun, moon, stars, wind patterns, current patterns, clouds, birds etc skillfully master the vast Pacific Ocean!
July 17, 2017
To Steal a Kingdom brings to light an important and dark topic of United States history. It successfully narrates a tangled web of lies and truths. Even so, it has its lulls.
September 15, 2013
The title tells it all, Dougherty's history validates his premise that nothing good happened to Hawai'i and Hawaiians as a result of contact with the world. Most particularly at the hands of American missionaries and Americans who settled in Hawai'i. He uses a lot of references, etc., but they nearly all reflect negative views. Not sure if this can be called selective references since he argues that the historical accuracy of Hawaiian history and of the people involved has been "edited" by "the winners" thus isn't an accurate portrayal.
May 29, 2013
The book paints a clear depiction of the brutalities and thievery that was forced upon the Hawaiian people by Britain, France and the US. It answers why the Hawaiians are the way they are toward outsiders today. I appreciated the beginning that walked us through the history of the Pacific Islands and the people.
October 26, 2007
Brings new meaning to Saddam's comment: "I'll return Kuwait when the US returns Hawaii."
August 8, 2012
Not a page turner, but good factual account of how missionaries-turned-businessmen managed to buy up most of the island land and how the native population was decimated by smallpox and other disease.
July 25, 2013
Very interesting but disturbing history of the colonization of the Hawaiian Islands. However, consistent with western expansion.
Displaying 1 - 12 of 12 reviews