It was on this day in 1959 that President Dwight D. Eisenhower signed an executive order proclaiming Hawaii the 50th state of the Union. Given that, it is fitting to look back on the era of monarchial glory that was the independent Kingdom of Hawaii.
Is it true that the former Hawaiian national anthem was written by an exiled Queen of Hawaii, while her American captors kept her in prison to make her world safe for democracy? I can't remember where I encountered this allegation.
ReplyDeleteNot exactly. The former national anthem is not really former -it is still the state anthem of Hawaii and it is a very royalist sounding song of tribute to the chieftains/kings of Hawaii. You are right though that Queen Liliuoakalani did write a great many famous Hawaiian songs. She is probably most known for "Aloha 'Oe" but that was writte some time before the US takeover.
ReplyDeleteThanks for the correction. My knowledge of Hawaiian history is even sketchier than my knowledge of European history. I was relying upon confused memories of Queen L.
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