Hawaii stamp – The-Philatelist

The Hawaiian Islands were changing rapidly in the late 1900s. Migrant workers from Japan were rushing in. The native Hawaiians had their Royal Family but lacked good governance. There was however a large group of Hawaii born Americans who thought the answer was becoming an American territory. Something that might be agreed upon was that they should have spent more time convincing before acting. So slip on your smoking jacket, fill your pipe, take your first sip of your adult beverage and sit back in your most comfortable chair. Welcome to todays offering from The Philatelist.

This stamp shows a view of Honolulu harbor. The image displays a sleepy backwater. It was the policy of the republic government to seek American annexation. Encountering surprise resistance from the USA might have lead to views that imply we will be no trouble for you.

Todays stamp is issue A27 a two cent stamp issued by the Republic of Hawaii in 1894. It was a six stamp issue in various denominations. According to the Scott Catalog, the stamp is worth 60 cents used.

In 1887, Hawaii born ethnic Americans who were serving in the legislature of the Kingdom of Hawaii drafted a new constitution. The elements of it were limiting the vote to ethnic Hawaiians, Americans, and Europeans. This would prevent the large numbers of Japanese contract workers being brought in from coming into political power. Though the Constitution still recognized the Monarchy, it made it ceremonial and passed most power to the Legislature that was under the control of American businessmen. There was to be a new House of Nobles, to whom only wealthy landowners could vote, that would further consolidate power.

Hawaiians referred to this as a bayonet constitution. The Hawaiian Rifles, the Palace Guard unit was all white and thus could threaten the Royals if they did not bend. A new Queen in 1891 tried not bending and rejected the “Bayonet Constitution”. Legislatures than formed a committee of public safety that declared an end to the Monarchy and the formation of a republic. Serving as President was Sanford Dole, a Hawaii born and speaking American who had served in legal capacities. A petition was presented to the sympathetic American Ambassador seeking immediate annexation. The Queen was still in her Palace.

Hawaiian Republic’s President Sanford Dole. In the Hawaiian language, there is slang calling Spanish moss, Dole’s beard

Unfortunately for President Dole, the American President Grover Cleveland was against colonial adventures as unAmerican and not worth it. He commissioned a study on where the proposal came from. The resulting Blount Report found those involved as conspiring against the rightful Hawaiian Royal Government. Cleveland proposed to the Hawaiian Queen that she accept the 1887 constitution and amnesty the coup plotters in return for American support of a reinstated Kingdom. The Queen was by then agreeable on the constitution but wanted the ethnic Americans serving in the Republic government tried and hung for treason.

Grover Cleveland thought her position unreasonable and washed his hands of the situation by recognizing the government of the Republic but refusing to annex. President of Hawaii Dole now had unexpectedly to serve for five years while facing many intrigues from the maybe former Queen. She eventually abdicated in exchange for ending her house arrest in the Palace. For the rest of her life she spent her time selling her story and suing people for the return of Royal lands. The constant begging for money did not improve her standing in Hawaii. The Hawaiian territory eventually granted her a $1250 a month pension. A lot of money then but far less than she asked for. During World War I, after 5 ethnic Hawaiians died in a sunk American submarine, she for the first time flew the American flag, at half staff, from her homes flag pole.

In 1898 there was a new President in the USA, William McKinley was more amenable to colonial adventures. A day before the Spanish American War was declared, Hawaiian President Dole signed the papers for annexation of Hawaii by the USA. Dole than became the first Governor of Hawaii as a US territory. The Dole Food Company was founded in Hawaii after it was a USA territory by a cousin.

Well my drink is empty. Come again soon when there will be another story that can be learned from stamp collecting. First published in 2021.

In the 19th century, Hawaii was a Kingdom independent from the USA but with many American planters and contract workers until the high living Royals became too much of an expensive liability. So slip on your smoking jacket, fill your pipe, take your first sip of your adult beverage and sit back in your most comfortable chair. Welcome to todays offering from The Philatelist.

It is interesting to see a nineteenth century King presented not in the ageless profile European style, but rather looking straight at you in the manner of an American President. This fitted the American printing of the stamps, but perhaps takes away some of the mystery that belongs with royalty. Well Hawaii was a small place, and the native Hawaiians were but a small minority. The other Polynesians were not interested in King David’s ideas of a Pacific island federation under him uniting the race. Therefore King David is left with his American friends and their style.

Todays stamp is issue A17, a two cent stamp issued by the Kingdom of Hawaii in 1886. The portraits of Royal stamps were reprinted over many years as it was the desire of the Postmaster to maintain stocks of the whole set. After the Royals were bloodlessly deposed, there were overstamps of the issue for the provisional government. According to the Scott catalog, the stamp is worth $1 used.

In an interesting twist, Hawaiian Kings were elected instead of passing father to son. Only native Hawaiians, 20 percent of the population could vote. Once elected, they serve for life. King David lost badly in his first election for King but then served as Royal Chamberlin. Upon his election rival”s later death, a chief’s council named David Kalakaua King bypassing the election. There were then riots in Honolulu and David had to put off his Coronation. There was always the issue or relations with the USA and the potential for annexation. Americans outnumbered Hawaiians on the islands and were the bulk of the economy. A deal was worked out with Hawaii that allowed Hawaii sugar to be imported to the USA without tariff. Relying on cheap imported contract labor, one can see what a sacrifice this was to higher cost American sugar producers, but the USA was very interested in a naval base at Pearl Harbor.

The deal with the USA increased exports 7 fold and brought in lots of revenue. King David and several of his male American advisors set off on a world tour that lasted years. To native Hawaiians, it was marketed as making friendship treaties to prevent American annexation. To the planters, it was marketed as a search for more contract laborers to import to Hawaii. Others thought he was just enjoying the high living or even that he was trying to sell the islands to the highest bidder. Combined with his belated expensive two week Coronation 10 years into his rule, and another 2 week festival for his 50th birthday, there was much evidence of excessive high living.

The last straw came in 1889 when the King was caught taking a $75,000 bribe from a Chinese Tong to license the importation of opium into the islands. While the King was off on another tour leaving just a Regent in the Palace, the American planters decided to act. The Hawaiian Army was no more after having mutinied and the Regent was forced to sign a Bayonet constitution, limiting their power or ending their gravy train depending on your point of view. King David died in the USA before returning and the Regent became Queen Liliuokalani, the last Queen. For the most part she was confined to Palace until the inevitable USA annexation in 1899.

Well my drink is empty and I may have another before the luau. King David had brought that custom back after it had been banned at the suggestion of Christian missionaries. Come again tomorrow for another story that can be learned from stamp collecting