The Kingdom of Hawaii and the American Civil War

In this past week, I’ve been following reports of the terrible fires on the island of Maui in Hawaii. My thoughts and prayers are with those who have lost so much and for the first responders and relief volunteers trying to bring help and closure in this difficult period.

Some of the reporting has mentioned the destruction of the historic town of Lahaina, once the capital of the kingdom. Here, 19th Century homes, a court house, and other historic structures have been destroyed or badly damaged by the flames. (See this article from Art News.) While the historic and cultural loss is significant, it pales in comparison to the fires’ death toll which continues to rise, even as I write this on Thursday evening. Some of the interviews I’ve watched are so heartbreaking, others are inspiring with residents’ hopes to rebuild and conquer. A wonderful, resilient, courageous spirit of the community.

Sitting in Virginia, I am thousands of miles from Hawaii. During the Civil War, soldiers and United States political leaders were also thousands of miles away from the royalty of the Kamehameha Dynasty that ruled Hawaii and the native people who lived on the volcanic islands in the tropics. I wondered if Hawaiians and Americans had shared historic moments that tied to Civil War history. The short answer is yes. The longer answer fills essays, but here are a few notes written with thoughtful intention and the hope of aloha (greeting with love) for Hawaii’s rebuilding future.

N? Moku o Hawaii – the native words. The Sandwich Islands – the name given in the 18th Century by an English explorer. Both names were used during the 1860s to describe the eight major volcanic islands in the Pacific, located nearly 2,500 miles southwest of the California’s coastline. “Hawaii” was used by the inhabitants of the islands, the royalty, and on official government documents issued before traveling abroad. Foreigners (including citizens of the United States) tended to use the phrase “The Sandwich Islands.” The United States’ annexation of the Hawaiian Islands did not occur until 1898, followed by territory status in 1900. The territory became state on August 21, 1959. Thus, a formal connection between Hawaii and the United States did not exist during the American Civil War years (1861-1865). However, Hawaiians and 19th Century Americans were in contact and followed each others’ news.

News about the “Sandwich Islands” is not infrequent in newspapers of the United States during the Civil War years. A lot of the printed stories appear to be tales from American missionaries or missionary societies who had an active presence on the islands by the 1860s. Some reports circulated on the mainland about decrees from King Kamehameha IV and King Kamehameha V. Meanwhile, newspapers on the Hawaiian islands printed news about the American Civil War and politics. One particularly interesting edition of The Polynesian was published on January 24, 1863 and included the following notice under the heading Foreign News! “By the arrive on Wednesday last of the clipper bark Yankee, Capt. Taylor, in nine days and thirteen hours from San Francisco, we have dates from the East (telegraphic) to January 10th, and from San Francisco to January 11th.” The column continued with brief details about the Army of the Potomac after the battle of Fredericksburg, reports of the battle of Stone’s River, movements toward Vicksburg, a reprinting of the Emancipation Proclamation, news from the U.S. Congress, news from the Confederate capital, Richmond, and some additional state and other international news from Europe.

During the early 1860s, the Kingdom of Hawaii faced political change and challenge, though not as bloody as the United States. King Kamehameha IV ruled from 1855 until his sudden death in 1863. He pursued diplomatic efforts and prevented the United States from annexing his kingdom in the 1850s and also kept the French and British empires at bay. With the encouragement of his wife and queen, Emma Rooke—who was Hawaiian but raised by adoptive British parents—he tried to bring better medical care to the islands, seeking ways to relief the suffering caused by leprosy and influenza epidemics. Following King Kamehameha IV’s death, his brother took the throne and reigned until 1872, known for his steadiness and lack of pretention. Kamehameha V oversaw the writing of a new constitution for the kingdom, revived traditional island beliefs and practices, and encouraged international tourism to the islands.

Since the first recorded European contact at the Hawaiian islands in the late 18th Century and placement on navigational maps, the islands had attracted adventurers and become an important stopping point for whaling voyages in the early 19th Century. Ships of the United States navy also anchored in the ports to take on provisions or refit. Through this maritime “opening” of the island, some Hawaiians decided to seek employment or adventure beyond their islands, often joining ships’ crews and sailing the world. Some arrived, stayed, and immigrated into the United States, often in the seaboard communities on the West and East Coasts. Some Hawaiians served the United States Navy or enlisted in the ranks of USCT regiments.

Hawaii officially declared neutrality in the American Civil War, a testimony to the kingdom’s trade and maritime importance. As Confederate commerce raiders attacked merchant and whaling ships, some vessels in the Pacific tried to fly a Hawaiian flag in an effort discourage an attack. Casualties and damaged ships from encounters with the CSS Shenandoah limped to Hawaiian port on a couple of occasions.

Although Hawaii did not become a state of the United States until nearly a century after the Civil War, this island kingdom followed the divisive conflict on the North American mainland and took measures to try to ensure their safety and independence. Some Hawaiians who traveled globally and had settled in the United States took part in the Civil War in personal ways, sometimes fighting in the ranks or on the seas. Certainly there are more details to be discovered about Hawaii’s location and the Civil War’s reach into the Pacific.

These resources may be of further interest:

• World History Connected “The Effects of the American Civil War on Hawai’i and the Pacific World” – University of Illinois Press
• They Also Served: Chinese, Southeast Asians, and Hawaiians in the American Civil War – ConnecticutHistory.org
• Information about Servicemen from Hawaii during the American Civil War – National Park Service
• Native Hawaiian Sons of the Civil War – Hawaiian Public Radio