Liliuokalani, Hawaii’s last queen of paradise, was the islands’ final sovereign. Her efforts to restore the monarchy and an independent government of Hawaii—radically weakened during the reign of her brother, King Kalakaua—ultimately led to a government overthrow in 1893. Thus ended the reign of the powerful Kamehameha dynasty, which had ruled Hawaii for more than seventy-five years.

After Kalakaua’s death in 1891, Liliuokalani became queen, the first woman to rule Hawaii. A few years prior, in 1887, Kalakaua had been forced, under threat of violence, to sign a constitution largely stripping him of power. This power grab was effected by a group of businessmen, mostly American, who wanted the annexation of Hawaii to the United States.

The 1893 coup against Liliuokalani, led by American and European businessmen and backed by the U.S. military, thwarted her attempts to promulgate a new constitution restoring the Hawaiian monarchy’s power. She was deposed, and a provisional government was established. Liliuokalani appealed to President Grover Cleveland, who agreed to reinstate the monarchy, but the provisional government refused. Hawaii became a republic in 1894, with lawyer Sanford Dole as its first president.

A few months later, Liliuokalani’s supporters led an uprising to reinstate their queen, but their efforts failed, and Liliuokalani was charged with treason and briefly imprisoned at her home. In 1898, the United States formally annexed Hawaii.