The Rights of My People

Sound Bite

January 1893. Hawaii. The United States Navy stood poised. Gatling gun and bayonets in place. The Navy’s military prowess was intended to displace the native Hawaiian culture and the constitutional monarchy in place for fifty years. Poised, as well, was Queen Liliuokalani. She took the long view. Neither the coup d’état’s leaders – Sanford Dole, William O. Smith and Lorrin Thurston, all lawyers and descendants of Calvinist missionaries – nor the Navy, were engaged in principled conduct in accordance with law or precedent. She knew it. The long view meant avoiding bloodshed, subjecting the coup d’état to the broader moral and legal judgment of the United States and history, and fashioning a strategy that – through the remainder of her lifetime – ensured Hawaii’s sovereignty would, at its emotional and legal core, remain unsettled...

Even on the 50th anniversary of Hawaii statehood, sovereignty in Hawaii is still the subject of an active, ongoing legal dispute. The Rights of My People revisits Liliuokalani's decades-long campaign for the dignity and sovereignty of Hawaii. The book gives the first detailed and documented description of the seizure of a quarter of the Hawaii islands in 1893. This illegal move was contested aggressively by Liliuokalani, and she challenged the United States before Congress repeatedly for complicity in taking the Crown lands. Woven into the story are threats of execution and assassination and the forces of bigotry, condescension, and deception Liliuokalani confronted.

About the Book

The Rights of My People reviews Liliuokalani's decades-long campaign for the dignity and sovereignty of Hawaii, particularly in the wake of the 1893 coup d'�©tat, and the outright annexation in 1898. The author gives the first detailed and documented description of the seizure of the Crown lands, a quarter of the Hawaii islands, in 1893. This illegal move was contested aggressively by Liliuokalani for nearly two decades.With previously unexamined documents, court records, and correspondence, and with an engaging prose and graphic portrayals, author Neil Thomas Proto weaves into the story Liliuokalani's political, legal, and media maneuvering, and the exercise of her harshly learned wisdom and skill in forming and giving life to her claim that the taking of the Crown lands by the United States was immoral and illegal. The threat of execution and assassination and the continued use of religious and racial condescension and deception by her adversaries, old and new, unfold in Honolulu, Hilo, and on to the continent in San Francisco, Boston, and Washington, D.C. Over more than a decade, the queen took up residence in the nation's capital, often for months at a time, to challenge the complicity of the United States in the media and before Congress. The story ends with the lawyers' arguments and the final decision in Liliuokalani v. United States of America in 1910. In the grandeur of what is now the Renwick Art Gallery, the United States Court of Claims heard and decided the case and sealed the islands' fate; a fate that neither Liliuokalani nor her people accepted through her death in 1917. � With an easily accessible but penetrating analysis, Proto demonstrates the deliberate effort by Liliuokalani's own lawyers to denigrate her claim. The epilogue reflects the queen's intent through the end of her life to ensure persistence among her people and discomfort among those who had taken Hawaii. There is no conclusiveness or note of warmth to the ending. Through Proto's new perspective and exploration, Liliuokalani's cosmopolitan character and her place in a larger history emerge with clarity as do the continued contentiousness within Hawaii and between its native people and the United States.In 2009, the 50th anniversary of Hawaii statehood was marked.This book is especially important reading forThe Hawaiian Sovereignty Movement and other institutions concerned about pending Native Hawaiian recognition legislation and litigation including those who oppose it;� Hawaii's congressional delegation and staff in Washington, D.C;� The legal community, including the Washington D.C. Bar;� Universities and institutions offering Pacific region studies and American foreign and diplomatic history studies (late 19th, early 20th century);� Women's organizations and historians throughout the United States;� Civil War and Reconstruction era historians;� The Smithsonian Institution and the Court of Claims Historical Society;� Native American organizations and historians (Alaska, the Pacific, Native Americans);� University of Hawaii law school;Hawaii civic organizations;The Liliuokalani Trust,� The � Washington Place Trust;� Every Hawaiian (every island; high school and above, students and faculty)

Introduction

Neil Thomas Proto offers a captivating and thorough exploration of Queen Liliuokalani’s relentless fight to preserve Hawaiian sovereignty against the expanding power of the United States. His book The Rights of My People: Liliuokalani's Enduring Battle with the United States 1893-1917 thoroughly reviews the historical events surrounding the 1893 coup d'état, the efforts to thwart annexation in 1898, and the ultimate appropriation of Hawaii’s Crown lands by the U.S., which amounted to a significant portion of Hawaii's territory.

Proto’s narrative is set against the backdrop of post-Civil War America, highlighting the intricate racial and political dynamics of the era. Drawing from court documents, original records, and an extensive range of historical sources, Proto uncovers new insights into this crucial period in Hawaiian history.

The book vividly portrays Liliuokalani’s steadfast resistance against the U.S. government's maneuvers to annex and dominate Hawaii. As the last reigning monarch of Hawaii, Liliuokalani faced immense challenges in her struggle to protect her kingdom's sovereignty. Proto examines the details of her resistance, including the 1893 coup that deposed her and the subsequent attempts to prevent Hawaii’s annexation. Liliuokalani remained resolute in her quest for justice and the protection of her people.

Beyond recounting immediate events, Proto’s analysis addresses the broader implications of Liliuokalani’s fight. He discusses the forces of bigotry, condescension, and deception she faced, including threats of execution and assassination. The book reveals how these elements were integral to the U.S. government's efforts to control and annex Hawaii. Additionally, Proto provides analyses the seizure of the Crown lands, a major portion of Hawaii’s territory, and the dubious justification and execution of this act by the U.S. government. He explores the legal and political strategies that enabled the U.S. to appropriate these lands and Liliuokalani's repeated appeals to Congress to address the injustice.

Proto’s work stands out for its meticulous research and fresh perspectives on this well-documented historical conflict. By focusing on Liliuokalani's personal and political struggles, Proto delivers a detailed and nuanced account of the fight for Hawaiian sovereignty. The Rights of My People underscores the significance of Liliuokalani's resistance and its broader implications for Hawaiian identity and autonomy.

The Queen's struggle was not merely about political power but also about preserving Hawaii’s cultural and historical integrity. In addition to the historical narrative, Proto’s book provides a discussion of the broader socio-political context of the time. It examines the impact of American imperialism on Hawaii and the ways it influenced the resistance movement. The book also addresses racial attitudes and their impact on Liliuokalani and the Hawaiian people.

Proto’s thorough research and insightful analysis make The Rights of My People a valuable resource for anyone interested in Hawaii’s history and its people’s struggles against American imperialism. The detailed examination of primary sources and historical documents enhances the book’s credibility. Proto’s narrative is both engaging and informative, making it a crucial addition to the literature on Hawaiian history and American politics.