Robert William Wilcox
Encyclopedia
Robert William Kalanihiapo Wilcox (February 15, 1855–October 23, 1903), nicknamed the Iron Duke of Hawaii, was a native Hawaiian revolutionary soldier and politician. He led uprisings against both the government of the Kingdom of Hawaii
under King Kalākaua
and the Republic of Hawaii
under Sanford Dole
, what are now known as the Wilcox rebellions
. He was later elected the first delegate to the United States Congress
for the Territory of Hawaii
.
. His father Captain William Slocum Wilcox (1814–1910) was a native of Newport, Rhode Island
. His mother Kalua Makoleokalani (1836–1865), a native of Maui, was the daughter of Makoleokalani Hiapo (grandchild of Keaweikekahialiʻiokamoku) and Haupa, a direct descendant of Lonomakaihonua (the son and the brother, respectively, of King Lonohonuakini and King Kaulahea II of Maui, who reigned in the 1600s). His parents sent him to Haleakala Boarding School in the town of Makawao
.
Upon completion of his studies, Wilcox became a teacher at a Maui country school.
In 1880, Wilcox was elected to the royal legislature
in Honolulu
on the island of Oahu
. He represented the citizens of Wailuku
and its neighboring Maui towns.
in the Kingdom of Italy
. By the time he completed his training in 1885, he achieved the rank of sublieutenant of artillery
. Impressed with his military skills, Italian officials sent Wilcox to the Royal Application School for Engineer and Artillery Officers.
) took power in the Kingdom of Hawaii
. Through what was called the Bayonet Constitution, they removed most political authority from the monarch, and placed income and property requirements on voters limiting the electorate to only wealthy native Hawaiians, Americans, and Europeans. The Reform Party ended costly programs such as Wilcox's training in Italy. On August 29, 1887, Wilcox received his orders to return home. Returning to Hawaii in October, he began a career as a surveyor with the patronage of Charles B. Wilson but soon quit. He had now lost confidence that Kalākaua was strong enough to protect the interests of the Hawaiian people. Wilcox along with Charles Wilson and Sam Nowlein, planned a Coup d'état
to replace Kalākaua with his sister Liliuokalani, but the plot was never executed. On February 11, 1888, Wilcox left Hawaii intending to return to Italy with his wife.
, and worked as a surveyor while his wife earned extra money teaching French and Italian. When he decided to return to Hawaii in the spring of 1889, his wife, Gina Wilcox, refused to go with him, and took their daughter back to Italy.
Wilcox planned and this time executed another attempt to force Kalākaua to sign a new constitution on July 30, 1889. Kalākaua, apparently aware of the plot, avoided the palace, afraid that the rebellion would replace him with Liliuokalani. Stymied, Wilcox was finally confronted by the Honolulu Rifles. After a pitched battle, Wilcox surrendered. In October 1889 he was tried for treason before judge Albert Francis Judd
but acquitted by the jury. Being one of the few leaders to stand up to the Reform Party earned him respect among the people. The American minister John L. Stevens
, who called Wilcox a "half breed", wrote: "The trial is tending plainly to show that the Hawaiians are numerously in sympathy with Wilcox." He helped form a new party called the "National Reform Party" which advocated restoring power to the monarch. Wilcox was again elected to the royal legislature where he served from 1890 to 1894 representing Oahu. However, the conservatives in the original Reform Party, backed by the economic resources of the "Big Five"
industrial corporations remained in power.
In 1891 Kalākaua died and his sister Liliuokalani became ruling monarch, swearing to uphold the 1887 constitution. Wilcox was angered that Liliuokalani did not chose him to be in her government, and formed his own National Liberal Party in November 1891. Although he did not explicitly advocate ending the monarchy, the party advocated restoring power to the people even if it meant a republican form of government. After the elections of February 1892, when only 14,000 people were allowed to vote, letters and petitions demanded reforms to the constitution. On May 20, 1892 Wilcox and associates were arrested and charged with conspiring to set up a republic. A month later the charges were dropped and he was released.
Back in the legislature, he backed a measure that would strip power from the cabinet, and by August 1892 the ministers had resigned.
Wilcox founded a newspaper called The Liberal from September 1892 to April 1893. He edited the section in the Hawaiian language
while an English language section had several other editors. The paper attacked the extravagant lifestyle enjoyed by the royal family while the common people were suffering the effects of an economic slowdown.
By the end of 1892 The Liberal expressed support for the queen. On January 12 another vote of no confidence allowed the queen to appoint another cabinet of monarchists. On January 14 Liliuokalani suspended the legislature and told the cabinet to sign a new proposed constitution that would restore political power to her. The cabinet advised against it, and delayed any action. On January 17, 1893 the Committee of Safety
readied the Honolulu Rifles for war. During this time Wilcox, who was then a politician, was Requested by Liliuokalani for his training in artillery to be put in command the field pieces of the Royal Guard as they prepared themselves to defend the queen. Before any battle began, Liliuokalani surrendered to avoid bloodshed.
, and expressed the view that the Queen had brought about her own downfall. On January 28 the paper argued for becoming a state of the United States, but protested the lack of any native Hawaiians as leaders of the new government. Neither the monarchy nor the provisional government was a representative democracy. Editorials in February proposed becoming part of the state of California
, which would enable popular elections.
However, the "Big Five" who dominated the economy wanted to avoid statehood, since as a territory they would not be subject to the American labor laws. They depended on cheap labor for their sugar plantations in Hawaii
for example. By March 1893 American President Grover Cleveland
decided against annexation anyway. The Liberal attacked the efforts of Princess Kaiulani when she travelled to America to argue for supporting re-instating the monarchy. Wilcox applied for a position in the new government but was denied. The newspaper shut down on April 15, 1893. Rumors circulated that Wilcox was preparing to proclaim a liberal republic.
The leaders of the overthrow proclaimed their own Republic of Hawaii
on July 4, 1894.
By the end of the year, royalists were planning a counter-revolution to restore Liliuokalani. The key conspirators were Sam Nowlein, head of the Queen's guard, Charles T. Gulick
, advisor to both Kalākaua and Liliuokalani, and William H. Rickard, a sugar planter of British parentage. They needed a military leader, and approached Wilcox. At first he hesitated, but since he was frustrated with lack of progress on annexation as well as spurned by the republic, he agreed to lead the forces into battle.
Royalist and republican forces clashed at the base of Diamond Head
on January 6 and 7, 1895, and in Mōiliili on January 7. Mānoa
was the scene of battle on January 9. Casualties were minor, and only C. L. Carter, a member of a prominent island family, was killed. The royalists were quickly routed and Wilcox spent several days in hiding before being captured. All royalist leaders had been arrested by January 16, when Liliuokalani was taken into custody at Washington Place
and imprisoned in Iolani Palace. Wilcox was arrested and tried for treason. This time he was convicted on February 23, 1895 and was sentenced to death with five other leaders. Some were freed due to giving testimony against the others, and his sentence was commuted to 35 years in prison. On January 1, 1898 he was pardoned by Sanford B. Dole
, President of the Republic.
, the United States annexed Hawaii, and Dole appointed Governor. The Hawaiian Organic Act
of April 30, 1900 created the office of Delegate to Congress for the new Territory of Hawaii
. Wilcox organized an election campaign for the office. Helping transform previously anti-annexation native Hawaiian political clubs into the Hawaiian Independent Party (later called the Home Rule Party of Hawaii
), he advocated for "Equal rights for the People". Opponents accused him of bigamy since his first marriage in Italy had only been annulled by the church. The Republican Party nominated wealthy rancher and former cabinet minister Samuel Parker
, and the Democratic Party of Hawaii
nominated Prince David Kawānanakoa
. Wilcox easily won the election to the 57th Congress. He hoped that his seat in Washington, DC could be used to advocate for native Hawaiians, a community he feared would be neglected by the American government.
Asked to contribute a short autobiography for the congressional directory, instead of the usual bland list of credentials, he described himself as "an indefatigable and fearless leader for his countrymen." He called the current government "the Dole oligarchy". Later versions of his biography removed the editorial remarks.
However, quickly on his arrival he found himself an outsider. English was his second language, and his populist rhetoric was gave him few allies in Congress, which dealt with slow deal-making. The Racial segregation in the United States
at the time meant he had to use "colored" facilities due to his mixed background. His service was also clouded by charges that he did not support the U.S. effort in the Philippines
during the Philippine–American War.
Wilcox served in Congress for one term from November 6, 1900 to March 3, 1903. Although he was also endorsed by the Democratic party in the 1902 election he was defeated by Prince Jonah Kūhiō Kalanianaole of the Republican party
.
(1860–1944) who was descended from a brother of King Kamehameha I
.
They had a son and a daughter, Prince Robert Kalanikupuapaikalaninui
(1893–1934) and Princess Virginia Kahoa Kaahumanu Kaihikapumahana
(1895–1954). Another daughter Elizabeth Kaakaualaninui died young in 1898.
He was buried in a simple grave at the Honolulu Catholic Cemetery
. In 1993, a bronze statue of Wilcox was unveiled at Fort Street Mall, 21°18′32"N 157°51′42"W. The inscription says "He was regarded by many of his countrymen as a national hero". The statue now stands prominently in downtown Honolulu
at Wilcox Park, also named in his honor in 1989, at the centennial of the "Wilcox Rebellion".
Kingdom of Hawaii
The Kingdom of Hawaii was established during the years 1795 to 1810 with the subjugation of the smaller independent chiefdoms of Oahu, Maui, Molokai, Lānai, Kauai and Niihau by the chiefdom of Hawaii into one unified government...
under King Kalākaua
Kalakaua
Kalākaua, born David Laamea Kamanakapuu Mahinulani Nalaiaehuokalani Lumialani Kalākaua and sometimes called The Merrie Monarch , was the last reigning king of the Kingdom of Hawaii...
and the Republic of Hawaii
Republic of Hawaii
The Republic of Hawaii was the formal name of the government that controlled Hawaii from 1894 to 1898 when it was run as a republic. The republic period occurred between the administration of the Provisional Government of Hawaii which ended on July 4, 1894 and the adoption of the Newlands...
under Sanford Dole
Sanford B. Dole
Sanford Ballard Dole was a lawyer and jurist in the Hawaiian Islands as a kingdom, protectorate, republic and territory...
, what are now known as the Wilcox rebellions
Wilcox rebellions
The Wilcox Rebellions were a plot in 1888, a revolt in 1889, and a counter-revolution in 1895, led by Robert William Wilcox against the governments of Hawaii. He was considered a populist revolutionary and menace to both the government of the Kingdom of Hawaii under King David Kalākaua and the...
. He was later elected the first delegate to the United States Congress
United States Congress
The United States Congress is the bicameral legislature of the federal government of the United States, consisting of the Senate and the House of Representatives. The Congress meets in the United States Capitol in Washington, D.C....
for the Territory of Hawaii
Territory of Hawaii
The Territory of Hawaii or Hawaii Territory was an organized incorporated territory of the United States that existed from July 7, 1898, until August 21, 1959, when its territory, with the exception of Johnston Atoll, was admitted to the Union as the fiftieth U.S. state, the State of Hawaii.The U.S...
.
Early life
Wilcox was born February 15, 1855 on the island of MauiMaui
The island of Maui is the second-largest of the Hawaiian Islands at and is the 17th largest island in the United States. Maui is part of the state of Hawaii and is the largest of Maui County's four islands, bigger than Lānai, Kahoolawe, and Molokai. In 2010, Maui had a population of 144,444,...
. His father Captain William Slocum Wilcox (1814–1910) was a native of Newport, Rhode Island
Newport, Rhode Island
Newport is a city on Aquidneck Island in Newport County, Rhode Island, United States, about south of Providence. Known as a New England summer resort and for the famous Newport Mansions, it is the home of Salve Regina University and Naval Station Newport which houses the United States Naval War...
. His mother Kalua Makoleokalani (1836–1865), a native of Maui, was the daughter of Makoleokalani Hiapo (grandchild of Keaweikekahialiʻiokamoku) and Haupa, a direct descendant of Lonomakaihonua (the son and the brother, respectively, of King Lonohonuakini and King Kaulahea II of Maui, who reigned in the 1600s). His parents sent him to Haleakala Boarding School in the town of Makawao
Makawao, Hawaii
Makawao is a census-designated place in Maui County, Hawaii, United States. The population was 6,327 at the 2000 census. Located in the rural northeast slope of Haleakala on East Maui, the community is known for being the hub of the "Upcountry", a part of the island dominated by mostly...
.
Upon completion of his studies, Wilcox became a teacher at a Maui country school.
In 1880, Wilcox was elected to the royal legislature
Legislature of the Hawaiian Kingdom
The Legislature of the Hawaiian Kingdom was the bicameral legislature of the Kingdom of Hawaii. A royal legislature was first provided by the 1840 Constitution and the 1852 Constitution was the first to use the term "Legislature of the Hawaiian Kingdom", and the first to subject the monarch to...
in Honolulu
Honolulu, Hawaii
Honolulu is the capital and the most populous city of the U.S. state of Hawaii. Honolulu is the southernmost major U.S. city. Although the name "Honolulu" refers to the urban area on the southeastern shore of the island of Oahu, the city and county government are consolidated as the City and...
on the island of Oahu
Oahu
Oahu or Oahu , known as "The Gathering Place", is the third largest of the Hawaiian Islands and most populous of the islands in the U.S. state of Hawaii. The state capital Honolulu is located on the southeast coast...
. He represented the citizens of Wailuku
Wailuku, Hawaii
Wailuku is a census-designated place in Maui County, Hawaii, United States. The population was 12,296 at the 2000 census. It is the county seat of Maui County.Wailuku is located just west of Kahului, at the mouth of the Īao Valley...
and its neighboring Maui towns.
Military career
In 1881, King David Kalākaua selected Wilcox and two other Hawaiians to study at the Royal Military Academy at TurinTurin
Turin is a city and major business and cultural centre in northern Italy, capital of the Piedmont region, located mainly on the left bank of the Po River and surrounded by the Alpine arch. The population of the city proper is 909,193 while the population of the urban area is estimated by Eurostat...
in the Kingdom of Italy
Kingdom of Italy (1861–1946)
The Kingdom of Italy was a state forged in 1861 by the unification of Italy under the influence of the Kingdom of Sardinia, which was its legal predecessor state...
. By the time he completed his training in 1885, he achieved the rank of sublieutenant of artillery
Artillery
Originally applied to any group of infantry primarily armed with projectile weapons, artillery has over time become limited in meaning to refer only to those engines of war that operate by projection of munitions far beyond the range of effect of personal weapons...
. Impressed with his military skills, Italian officials sent Wilcox to the Royal Application School for Engineer and Artillery Officers.
Planned Rebellion of 1888
In 1888, the Reform Party (which later became the Hawaii Republican PartyHawaii Republican Party
The Hawaii Republican Party is the state affiliate of the Republican Party of the United States. Based in Honolulu, the party is a central organization established for the promotion of the party platform as it is drafted in convention every other year...
) took power in the Kingdom of Hawaii
Kingdom of Hawaii
The Kingdom of Hawaii was established during the years 1795 to 1810 with the subjugation of the smaller independent chiefdoms of Oahu, Maui, Molokai, Lānai, Kauai and Niihau by the chiefdom of Hawaii into one unified government...
. Through what was called the Bayonet Constitution, they removed most political authority from the monarch, and placed income and property requirements on voters limiting the electorate to only wealthy native Hawaiians, Americans, and Europeans. The Reform Party ended costly programs such as Wilcox's training in Italy. On August 29, 1887, Wilcox received his orders to return home. Returning to Hawaii in October, he began a career as a surveyor with the patronage of Charles B. Wilson but soon quit. He had now lost confidence that Kalākaua was strong enough to protect the interests of the Hawaiian people. Wilcox along with Charles Wilson and Sam Nowlein, planned a Coup d'état
Coup d'état
A coup d'état state, literally: strike/blow of state)—also known as a coup, putsch, and overthrow—is the sudden, extrajudicial deposition of a government, usually by a small group of the existing state establishment—typically the military—to replace the deposed government with another body; either...
to replace Kalākaua with his sister Liliuokalani, but the plot was never executed. On February 11, 1888, Wilcox left Hawaii intending to return to Italy with his wife.
Rebellion of 1889
Instead of returning to Italy, Wilcox took up residence in San Francisco, CaliforniaSan Francisco, California
San Francisco , officially the City and County of San Francisco, is the financial, cultural, and transportation center of the San Francisco Bay Area, a region of 7.15 million people which includes San Jose and Oakland...
, and worked as a surveyor while his wife earned extra money teaching French and Italian. When he decided to return to Hawaii in the spring of 1889, his wife, Gina Wilcox, refused to go with him, and took their daughter back to Italy.
Wilcox planned and this time executed another attempt to force Kalākaua to sign a new constitution on July 30, 1889. Kalākaua, apparently aware of the plot, avoided the palace, afraid that the rebellion would replace him with Liliuokalani. Stymied, Wilcox was finally confronted by the Honolulu Rifles. After a pitched battle, Wilcox surrendered. In October 1889 he was tried for treason before judge Albert Francis Judd
Albert Francis Judd
Albert Francis Judd was a judge of the Kingdom of Hawaii who served as Chief Justice of the Supreme Court through its transition into part of the United States.-Life:...
but acquitted by the jury. Being one of the few leaders to stand up to the Reform Party earned him respect among the people. The American minister John L. Stevens
John L. Stevens
John Leavitt Stevens was the United States Department of State Minister to the Kingdom of Hawaii in 1893 when he was accused of conspiring to overthrow Queen Liliuokalani in association with the Committee of Safety, led by Lorrin A. Thurston and Sanford B...
, who called Wilcox a "half breed", wrote: "The trial is tending plainly to show that the Hawaiians are numerously in sympathy with Wilcox." He helped form a new party called the "National Reform Party" which advocated restoring power to the monarch. Wilcox was again elected to the royal legislature where he served from 1890 to 1894 representing Oahu. However, the conservatives in the original Reform Party, backed by the economic resources of the "Big Five"
Big Five (Hawaii)
The Big Five was the name given to a group of what started as sugarcane processing corporations that wielded considerable political power in the Territory of Hawaii during the early 20th century and leaned heavily towards the Hawaii Republican Party. The Big Five were Castle & Cooke, Alexander &...
industrial corporations remained in power.
In 1891 Kalākaua died and his sister Liliuokalani became ruling monarch, swearing to uphold the 1887 constitution. Wilcox was angered that Liliuokalani did not chose him to be in her government, and formed his own National Liberal Party in November 1891. Although he did not explicitly advocate ending the monarchy, the party advocated restoring power to the people even if it meant a republican form of government. After the elections of February 1892, when only 14,000 people were allowed to vote, letters and petitions demanded reforms to the constitution. On May 20, 1892 Wilcox and associates were arrested and charged with conspiring to set up a republic. A month later the charges were dropped and he was released.
Back in the legislature, he backed a measure that would strip power from the cabinet, and by August 1892 the ministers had resigned.
Wilcox founded a newspaper called The Liberal from September 1892 to April 1893. He edited the section in the Hawaiian language
Hawaiian language
The Hawaiian language is a Polynesian language that takes its name from Hawaii, the largest island in the tropical North Pacific archipelago where it developed. Hawaiian, along with English, is an official language of the state of Hawaii...
while an English language section had several other editors. The paper attacked the extravagant lifestyle enjoyed by the royal family while the common people were suffering the effects of an economic slowdown.
Overthrow of 1893
On November 1, 1892 Liliuokalani appointed a new cabinet, and two hours later the legislature (including Wilcox) voted to remove them from office. On November 8, 1892 a new government acceptable to the legislature was formed. Wilcox no longer directly attacked the queen, but advocated modernization, and was quoted in the San Francisco Examiner that "...we should take some steps to secure commercial and political protection from some foreign country."By the end of 1892 The Liberal expressed support for the queen. On January 12 another vote of no confidence allowed the queen to appoint another cabinet of monarchists. On January 14 Liliuokalani suspended the legislature and told the cabinet to sign a new proposed constitution that would restore political power to her. The cabinet advised against it, and delayed any action. On January 17, 1893 the Committee of Safety
Committee of Safety (Hawaii)
The Committee of Safety, formally the Citizen's Committee of Public Safety, was a 13-member group of the Hawaiian League also known as the Annexation Club...
readied the Honolulu Rifles for war. During this time Wilcox, who was then a politician, was Requested by Liliuokalani for his training in artillery to be put in command the field pieces of the Royal Guard as they prepared themselves to defend the queen. Before any battle began, Liliuokalani surrendered to avoid bloodshed.
Rebellion of 1895
Following the overthrow, The Liberal resumed publication January 25, 1893. The English language editor Clarence Ashford supported the Provisional Government of HawaiiProvisional Government of Hawaii
The Provisional Government of Hawaii abbreviated "P.G." was proclaimed on January 17, 1893 by the 13 member Committee of Safety under the leadership of Sanford B. Dole...
, and expressed the view that the Queen had brought about her own downfall. On January 28 the paper argued for becoming a state of the United States, but protested the lack of any native Hawaiians as leaders of the new government. Neither the monarchy nor the provisional government was a representative democracy. Editorials in February proposed becoming part of the state of California
California
California is a state located on the West Coast of the United States. It is by far the most populous U.S. state, and the third-largest by land area...
, which would enable popular elections.
However, the "Big Five" who dominated the economy wanted to avoid statehood, since as a territory they would not be subject to the American labor laws. They depended on cheap labor for their sugar plantations in Hawaii
Sugar plantations in Hawaii
Sugarcane was introduced to Hawaii by its first inhabitants in approximately 600 AD and was observed by Captain Cook upon arrival in the islands in 1778. Sugar quickly turned into a big business and generated rapid population growth in the islands with 337,000 people immigrating over the span of a...
for example. By March 1893 American President Grover Cleveland
Grover Cleveland
Stephen Grover Cleveland was the 22nd and 24th president of the United States. Cleveland is the only president to serve two non-consecutive terms and therefore is the only individual to be counted twice in the numbering of the presidents...
decided against annexation anyway. The Liberal attacked the efforts of Princess Kaiulani when she travelled to America to argue for supporting re-instating the monarchy. Wilcox applied for a position in the new government but was denied. The newspaper shut down on April 15, 1893. Rumors circulated that Wilcox was preparing to proclaim a liberal republic.
The leaders of the overthrow proclaimed their own Republic of Hawaii
Republic of Hawaii
The Republic of Hawaii was the formal name of the government that controlled Hawaii from 1894 to 1898 when it was run as a republic. The republic period occurred between the administration of the Provisional Government of Hawaii which ended on July 4, 1894 and the adoption of the Newlands...
on July 4, 1894.
By the end of the year, royalists were planning a counter-revolution to restore Liliuokalani. The key conspirators were Sam Nowlein, head of the Queen's guard, Charles T. Gulick
Charles T. Gulick
Charles Thomas Gulick was a politician in the Kingdom of Hawaii. He was one of the few members of missionary families to side with the monarchy in the 1893 overthrow of the Kingdom of Hawaii.-Life:...
, advisor to both Kalākaua and Liliuokalani, and William H. Rickard, a sugar planter of British parentage. They needed a military leader, and approached Wilcox. At first he hesitated, but since he was frustrated with lack of progress on annexation as well as spurned by the republic, he agreed to lead the forces into battle.
Royalist and republican forces clashed at the base of Diamond Head
Diamond Head, Hawaii
Diamond Head is the name of a volcanic tuff cone on the Hawaiian island of Oahu and known to Hawaiians as Lēahi, most likely from lae 'browridge, promontory' plus ahi 'tuna' because the shape of the ridgeline resembles the shape of a tuna's dorsal fin...
on January 6 and 7, 1895, and in Mōiliili on January 7. Mānoa
Manoa
thumb|240px|right|Vintage shot of University of Hawaii, Manoa240px|thumb|right|Vintage photo of Manoa ValleyMānoa is a valley and a residential neighborhood of Honolulu CDP of the City and County of Honolulu, Hawaii, United States; the community is approximately three miles east and inland from...
was the scene of battle on January 9. Casualties were minor, and only C. L. Carter, a member of a prominent island family, was killed. The royalists were quickly routed and Wilcox spent several days in hiding before being captured. All royalist leaders had been arrested by January 16, when Liliuokalani was taken into custody at Washington Place
Washington Place
Washington Place is a Greek Revival palace in the Hawaii Capital Historic District in Honolulu, Hawaii. It was where Queen Liliuokalani was arrested during the overthrow of the Hawaiian Kingdom. Later it became the official residence of the Governor of Hawaii. It is a National Historic Landmark,...
and imprisoned in Iolani Palace. Wilcox was arrested and tried for treason. This time he was convicted on February 23, 1895 and was sentenced to death with five other leaders. Some were freed due to giving testimony against the others, and his sentence was commuted to 35 years in prison. On January 1, 1898 he was pardoned by Sanford B. Dole
Sanford B. Dole
Sanford Ballard Dole was a lawyer and jurist in the Hawaiian Islands as a kingdom, protectorate, republic and territory...
, President of the Republic.
Congress
On July 4, 1898, by passing the Newlands ResolutionNewlands Resolution
The Newlands Resolution, was a joint resolution written by and named after United States Congressman Francis G. Newlands. It was an Act of Congress to annex the Republic of Hawaii and create the Territory of Hawaii....
, the United States annexed Hawaii, and Dole appointed Governor. The Hawaiian Organic Act
Hawaiian Organic Act
The Hawaiian Organic Act of April 30, 1900 was a United States federal law enacted to provide a government for the territory of Hawaii.-Background:...
of April 30, 1900 created the office of Delegate to Congress for the new Territory of Hawaii
Territory of Hawaii
The Territory of Hawaii or Hawaii Territory was an organized incorporated territory of the United States that existed from July 7, 1898, until August 21, 1959, when its territory, with the exception of Johnston Atoll, was admitted to the Union as the fiftieth U.S. state, the State of Hawaii.The U.S...
. Wilcox organized an election campaign for the office. Helping transform previously anti-annexation native Hawaiian political clubs into the Hawaiian Independent Party (later called the Home Rule Party of Hawaii
Home Rule Party of Hawaii
As soon as the United States annexed the Hawaiian Islands and established the Territory of Hawaii, native Hawaiians became worried that both the Democratic Party of Hawai‘i and Hawai‘i Republican Party were incapable of representing them...
), he advocated for "Equal rights for the People". Opponents accused him of bigamy since his first marriage in Italy had only been annulled by the church. The Republican Party nominated wealthy rancher and former cabinet minister Samuel Parker
Samuel Parker (Hawaii)
Samuel Parker, known as Kamuela Parker was a major landowner and businessman on the island of Hawaii, heir to the Parker Ranch estate...
, and the Democratic Party of Hawaii
Democratic Party of Hawaii
The Democratic Party of Hawaii is an arm of the Democratic Party of the United States based in Honolulu, Hawaii. The party is a centralized organization established to promote the party platform as drafted in convention biennially...
nominated Prince David Kawānanakoa
David Kawananakoa
Prince David Laamea Kahalepouli Kinoiki Kawānanakoa Piikoi , was the patriarch of the House of Kawānanakoa. He was in the line of succession to the throne of the Kingdom of Hawaii around the time of the kingdom's overthrow.-Life:...
. Wilcox easily won the election to the 57th Congress. He hoped that his seat in Washington, DC could be used to advocate for native Hawaiians, a community he feared would be neglected by the American government.
Asked to contribute a short autobiography for the congressional directory, instead of the usual bland list of credentials, he described himself as "an indefatigable and fearless leader for his countrymen." He called the current government "the Dole oligarchy". Later versions of his biography removed the editorial remarks.
However, quickly on his arrival he found himself an outsider. English was his second language, and his populist rhetoric was gave him few allies in Congress, which dealt with slow deal-making. The Racial segregation in the United States
Racial segregation in the United States
Racial segregation in the United States, as a general term, included the racial segregation or hypersegregation of facilities, services, and opportunities such as housing, medical care, education, employment, and transportation along racial lines...
at the time meant he had to use "colored" facilities due to his mixed background. His service was also clouded by charges that he did not support the U.S. effort in the Philippines
Philippines
The Philippines , officially known as the Republic of the Philippines , is a country in Southeast Asia in the western Pacific Ocean. To its north across the Luzon Strait lies Taiwan. West across the South China Sea sits Vietnam...
during the Philippine–American War.
Wilcox served in Congress for one term from November 6, 1900 to March 3, 1903. Although he was also endorsed by the Democratic party in the 1902 election he was defeated by Prince Jonah Kūhiō Kalanianaole of the Republican party
Republican Party (United States)
The Republican Party is one of the two major contemporary political parties in the United States, along with the Democratic Party. Founded by anti-slavery expansion activists in 1854, it is often called the GOP . The party's platform generally reflects American conservatism in the U.S...
.
Family
Despite all his editorials against monarchy, Wilcox married two royal women. His first wife was an Italian Baroness and his second wife a Hawaiian princess. Wilcox's first wife was Baronessa Gina Sobrero, eldest daughter of Baron Lorenzo Sobrero of Piedmont and Princess Vittoria Colonna di Stigliano of Naples. His daughter from his first marriage died shortly after his breakup with Baronessa Gina Sobrero. On August 20, 1896 Wilcox married Princess Theresa Owana Kaohelelani LaanuiTheresa Laanui
Theresa Owana Kaohelelani Laanui was a member of the royal family during the last years of the Kingdom of Hawaii and into the territorial period.-Life:...
(1860–1944) who was descended from a brother of King Kamehameha I
Kamehameha I
Kamehameha I , also known as Kamehameha the Great, conquered the Hawaiian Islands and formally established the Kingdom of Hawaii in 1810. By developing alliances with the major Pacific colonial powers, Kamehameha preserved Hawaii's independence under his rule...
.
They had a son and a daughter, Prince Robert Kalanikupuapaikalaninui
Robert Kalanikupuapaikalaninui Wilcox
Robert Garibaldi Kalanikupuapaikalaninui Keoua Wilcox was a relative of the royal family of the Kingdom of Hawaii.-Life:Robert Garibaldi Kalanikupuapaikalaninui Keoua Wilcox was born January 17, 1893, a few days after the overthrow of the Hawaiian Kingdom.His mother was Princess Theresa Owana...
(1893–1934) and Princess Virginia Kahoa Kaahumanu Kaihikapumahana
Virginia Kaihikapumahana Wilcox
Virginia Kahoa Kaahumanu Kaihikapumahana Ninito Wilcox was related to the royal family of the Kingdom of Hawaii.-Life:Her father was military and political leader Robert Kalanihiapo Wilcox ....
(1895–1954). Another daughter Elizabeth Kaakaualaninui died young in 1898.
Memorials
The same year he left Congress, Wilcox ran for high sheriff of Honolulu. Wilcox had been in declining health for sometime, while making a campaign speech he suffered a hemorrhage, and died a few days later on October 23, 1903.He was buried in a simple grave at the Honolulu Catholic Cemetery
Honolulu Catholic Cemetery
The Honolulu Catholic Cemetery is a cemetery in Honolulu, Hawaii. The cemetery is for Roman Catholics and is located at 839-A South King Street, . It is maintained by the Roman Catholic Diocese of Honolulu and has been the final resting place for many Roman Catholics from Honolulu before 1930. The...
. In 1993, a bronze statue of Wilcox was unveiled at Fort Street Mall, 21°18′32"N 157°51′42"W. The inscription says "He was regarded by many of his countrymen as a national hero". The statue now stands prominently in downtown Honolulu
Downtown Honolulu
Downtown Honolulu is the current historic, economic, governmental, and central part of Honolulu—bounded by Nuuanu Stream to the west, Ward Avenue to the east, Vineyard Boulevard to the north, and Honolulu Harbor to the south—situated within the larger Honolulu District...
at Wilcox Park, also named in his honor in 1989, at the centennial of the "Wilcox Rebellion".
Further reading
External links
- Robert William Wilcox at Find A GraveFind A GraveFind a Grave is a commercial website providing free access and input to an online database of cemetery records. It was founded in 1998 as a DBA and incorporated in 2000.-History:...
i Royal Family web site |publisher= Keali'i Publishing |year= 2006 |url= http://keouanui.org/Wilcox.html |accessdate= 2010-01-04 }}