From the Western world’s first contact with the islands’ natives to Hawaii’s admittance as the 50th state in America, the Hawaiian Islands have had quite a tumultuous history full of conflict and intrigue. But of all the bizarre things that have happened in Hawaii, the Aloha State is also the backdrop to many stories that are foundational to our state as a whole. And no doubt there is no incident more infamous in Hawaii history than the imprisonment of Queen Liliuokalani that occurred during the 1893 overthrow of the Hawaiian monarchy.

You might have heard this story, but we’re pretty sure you don’t know all of the details. Let’s dive in!

Queen Liliuokalani was the last reigning monarch and only queen regnant of the Kingdom of Hawaii, ruling from January 29, 1891 to January 17, 1893.

During her reign, the Queen attempted to draft a new constitution that would restore the power of the monarchy and the voting rights of those who were economically disenfranchised.

Not everyone agreed with her efforts, and in January 1893, a group of Americans and Europeans who called themselves the "Committee of Safety" planned a coup d’etat to overthrow the Hawaiian monarchy.

Half a dozen policemen were sent by the Queen to Iolani Palace to arrest Committee members who tried to enter. A shooting broke out and one of the policemen was shot and had to be carried out by the remaining palace guards. Then, the Committee of Safety entered, and with almost no audience, they signed a document that ended the monarchy. Queen Liliuokalani didn’t find out about it until the next day.

The coup d’etat established the Republic of Hawaii, but the ultimate goal was the annexation of the Hawaiian Islands to the United States. The oligarchical government placed the former queen under house arrest at Iolani Palace after an unsuccessful uprising to restore the monarchy.

It wasn’t until January 24, 1895 that Liliuokalani abdicated the throne, officially ending the monarchy. The former queen then lived out the remainder of her life as a private citizen, and died at her residence, Washington Place, in the capital city of Honolulu on November 11, 1917. The photograph above depicts Liliuokalani being escorted up the palace stairs in 1895 following her imprisonment.

During the time in which the queen was held prisoner in her own home, half of the palace’s furnishings were sold at auction.

Since then, many of the original furnishings have been restored to the palace from private owners across the world and are now on display at the palace turned museum. It's a wonderful place to visit for history buffs, architecture enthusiasts, and casual travelers alike!

Want to learn more about this strange story and the Kingdom of Hawaii? Visit the Iolani Palace in Honolulu! This incredible piece of history was opened to the public as a museum in 1978 and is typically open six days a week for guided tours and self-led audio tours available, as well as special tours of the basement galleries, which showcase the crowned jewels, as well as a collection of ancient regalia. Check out the Iolani Palace website to get more info about visiting this piece of history!

Speaking of weird Hawaii tidbits and pieces of history, how many of these historic sites have you checked off your bucket list?

https://www.onlyinyourstate.com/hawaii/historic-sites-hi/