King Lunalilo's death and the 1864 Constitution William Charles Lunalilo's rule began with his election on January 8th, 1873 and ended with his abrupt death on February 3rd, 1874. With such a short reign, Lunalilo was unable to officially name a successor. Thus, the
Constitution of 1864 called for another election. Only three candidates were considered seriously: •
David Kalākaua •
Emma Rooke •
Bernice Pauahi Bishop After
Kamehameha V’s death, Princess Pauahi—having previously made clear that she did not wish to assume the throne—was removed from consideration as a candidate. In the subsequent election, public enthusiasm overwhelmingly favored William Lunalilo, and the Legislature ultimately reflected that sentiment in its vote, even over David Kalākaua. Because of this precedent, many Native Hawaiians believed that legislators—whether American-born or not—would again follow the will of the people and cast their votes for Queen Emma. The voting occurred on February 12, 1874, at the Honolulu Courthouse (located in
Downtown Honolulu, Oʻahu). Each legislator checked a ballot box for either Queen Emma or David Kalākaua, whose name was rumored to have a incentivizing black heart on the back by the American businessmen. Kalākaua became king with a vote of 36-6. The 1874 election was often framed as a choice between different visions for Hawaiʻi’s future—either a path of increased global engagement or the preservation of Native Hawaiian traditions, each associated with distinct American or British influences. Some scholars argue, however, that legislators’ decisions were shaped less by these ideological divides and more by questions of political power. Queen Emma had indicated that she intended to appoint a cabinet composed entirely of Native Hawaiians, while Kalākaua signaled that he would retain the current officeholders, including American-aligned legislators, thereby preserving their existing authority.
Queen Emma's campaign Emma’s campaign relied heavily on her relation to royalty. Queen Emma claimed that Lunalilo planned to make her his successor but ran out of time due to his son’s,
Prince Albert, unexpected death, making her the rightful heir. However, some believed Emma was too pro-British rather than Native Hawaiian despite her motto being “Hawaiʻi for Hawaiians.” It is also noteworthy that many Native Hawaiians historically perceived the British more favorably than the United States, in part because Britain (along with France) formally recognized the sovereignty of the Hawaiian Kingdom through the 1843 Anglo-Franco Proclamation. This declaration later became the basis for Lā Kūʻokoʻa (Hawaiian Independence Day), observed on November 28. Queen Emma also made promises involving an all-Hawaiian cabinet (which made the American legislators nervous), major alterations to the
Honolulu Police Department, and returning to a constitution similar to
Kamehameha III’s. In response to Kalākaua’s lack of cooperation, many American businessmen publicly denounced Kalākaua through newspapers and private letters to other legislators and promoted William Lunalilo. A letter between a British government representative and an American businessman in 1873 stated, “Colonel Kalākaua would undoubtedly succeed by either rank or election, but the American party has made such a bitter enemy of him, that some of them publicly say they would resist by arms his succession.” Although, some historians have speculated that Kalākaua simply underestimated what their influence would cost. Other historians have theorized that Kalākaua simply had closer ties to the government officials voting as he worked with them while Queen Emma did not meet all of them. Regardless, in exchange for their support in the newspapers, legislature, and businesses, Kalākaua promised them seats in his cabinet. Nevertheless, Kalākaua focused his campaign on equity, liberty, and progress for Hawaiʻi in the modern world. The future King also promised to revitalize culture and ensure that the Hawaiian Kingdom would never be overthrown. ==Election's aftermath==