The Hawaiian Flag.
Cover Image: Masthead of Ka Nupepa Kuokoa published on August 5, 1898.
Aloha Nūhou Monday!
Dear Reader,
In celebration of the 181st anniversary of Lā Kūʻokoʻa, this week’s article features the Hawaiian flag. We hope to see many hae Hawaiʻi flying high this Thursday, November 28, in honor of Hawaiian Independence Day.
Awaiaulu, a partner organization of He Aupuni Palapala, offers free educational materials as part of its Kīpapa Educator Resources. Check out their content on Lā Kūʻokoʻa to learn more about Timoteo Haʻalilio and the events that led to the official diplomatic recognition of independence of the Hawaiian Kingdom by Great Britain, France, Belgium, and the United States of America.
Image: “Hawaiian Flag and Leis,” published by the Island Curio Store, Honolulu, HI. 1898-1906. Bishop Museum Archives Postcard Collection, SP 221583. Prior to 1906, one side of a postcard was reserved for the mailing address, and the flipped side was for messages. When pictures were first printed on postcards, one had to write over the picture in order to include a message. Thankfully, no message was included with this postcard so we can see the clean image we have in front of us today. Though eye-catching, note the difference between this depiction of the Hawaiian flag and others you have seen. Notice any discrepancies?
Image sharing on social media is welcome. For all other uses please contact Archives@BishopMuseum.org.
Image: “Ka Hae Hawaii,” Ka Nupepa Kuokoa, August 5, 1898, p. 2.
Image sharing on social media is welcome. For all other uses please contact Archives@BishopMuseum.org.
The Hawaiian Flag.
The story of how we got the Hawaiian flag, that is flying as an ensign of the government, a government that may vanish in the future, but that is uncertain.
This is what we have at present:
It was said that King George III of Great Britain gave a ship named Mermaid as a gift to Kamehameha I, and the ship was brought here by Captain Kent.
Mr. Ellis, the first English missionary to these islands came on this ship with some natives of Borabora, Auna and others.
When the ship arrived, Kamehameha I was dead and Liholiho was then the king. On the 15th of April, 1882, Captain Kent, the captain of the ship presented Liholiho with a letter from the Governor of New South Wales. In the letter was a command from the king of Great Britain to give the ship to the king of Hawaii.
Several days after Captain Kent had met with Liholiho, he (Liholiho), the Queen and the chiefs went on board to visit. At that time, the captain asked Liholiho to have the British flag pulled down and the Hawaiian flag raised and to have a salute fired for the Hawaiian flag. Liholiho refused to comply with this request of the captain’s.
Shown on page 409 of the story book written by Ellis (Missionary Tour on Hawaii) are the following words, the field on the Hawaiian flag was taken from the British flag, with eight or nine long stripes of red, white and blue. It was given by the British government many years before and the flag is recognized wherever the British flag is flown.
Let us go back to the origin of the Hawaii flag. This flag was first made in 1816 for Kamehameha I. The chief thought that a ship was going to China to trade in sandalwood. John Young, Isaacs and Alex of Kalihi, all Englishmen, sought to have a flag for Kamehameha’s ship. [Forester was the name of this ship.] This was a sort of a man-of-war, equipped with sixteen guns. The flag that was designed by John Young and others is the flag of the Hawaiian government. It is a flag with the cross of St. George of England.
Image: The Hawaiian flag, printed in color by Black & Auld, and published on the front page of Ka Nupepa Kuokoa on January 7, 1871. The text reads, “Beautiful flag of Hawaiʻi, May it wave for all times.” Interestingly, our team came across the same article featured in today’s blog in this older newspaper, published twenty-seven years prior, and accompanied by the illustration above.
Image sharing on social media is welcome. For all other uses please contact Archives@BishopMuseum.org.
This post is part of He Aupuni Palapala: Preserving and Digitizing the Hawaiian Language Newspapers, a partnership between Bishop Museum and Awaiaulu with assistance from Kamehameha Schools. Mahalo nui loa to Hawaii Tourism Authority for their support. Learn more about this project here.
