Department of History

Born in 1838, Queen Lili'uokalani was trained by missionaries in Western academic disciplines and the ways of proper American society. She was well-traveled and even attended Queen Victoria's Golden Jubilee in 1887. A talented composer of more than 165 songs including the popular "Aloha Oe", she never forgot her native language, was fiercely proud of Hawaiian traditions and was always loyal to her people. Following her succession to the throne after her brother's death in 1891, Lili'uokalani worked secretly to frame a new constitution that would restore power to native Hawaiians that had been usurped by wealthy American sugar growers. But two months into her reign, the US government effectively revoked Hawaii's favored position on the American sugar market, leaving Lili'uokalani's kingdom on the brink of economic collapse. Within two years, Lili'uokalani would lose her throne in an armed takeover by the U.S. Marines and the Hawaiian people would lose their kingdom. Anna Deveare Smith narrates this American Experience film, the story of Hawaii's Last Queen.