The Rights of My People: Liliuokalani's Enduring Battle with the United States 1893-1917

Liliuokalani led two battles for Hawaii’s sovereignty — fighting the 1893 coup d’état and to avoid outright annexation in 1898 and, through 1910, the taking of the Crown lands by the United States, a quarter of Hawaii’s territory. The Rights of My People revisits these battles from a new perspective, against the backdrop of the harsh remnants of the Civil War, the missionary’s disquieting view of race, and the emerging role of Hawaiian women. A lawyer who has represented the interests of Hawaii, Neil Thomas Proto examines court papers and other original documents that disclose new details of this historic confrontation. Woven into the story are threats of execution and assassination and the forces of bigotry, condescension, and deception Liliuokalani confronted. She challenged the United States before Congress repeatedly for complicity in taking the Crown lands.