The last king of Hawaii was the first world leader to embark on a global diplomacy tour in 1881
Before it became a part of the US, the last king of Hawaii was the first head of state to embark on a diplomacy tour around the globe in the 19th century. Douglas Askman, a professor at Hawaii Pacific University, discusses King David Kalākaua’s journey with The World’s Host Marco Werman. The World September 16, 2025
By April Peavey
The very first head of state to circumnavigate the globe was the last king of Hawaii — before it became the 50th American state.
In 1881, King David Kalākaua embarked on a nine-month world tour. He met US President Chester A. Arthur, had tea with Queen Victoria in England, got a blessing from Pope Leo XIII and opened dialogue with China, Japan and Portugal.
Douglas Askman, a professor of history at Hawaii Pacific University, has studied King Kalākaua’s global diplomacy tour of 1881. He spoke to The World’s Host Marco Werman about the journey. Marco Werman: David, set the scene for us if you would. Who was King David Kalākaua and why did he feel the need to embark on this global diplomacy tour for nine months?
Douglas Askman: King Kalākaua was the last king of the Hawaiian islands, although not the last monarch. And his project to go on this world tour in 1881 was part of the bigger concept that he and other Hawaiian royals had, which was to establish diplomatic relations and contact, and friendly diplomatic relations, with other countries around the world. So, this trip was a world trip in 1881, but he’d already taken, early in his reign, a state visit to the United States, so it was part of the bigger project that the king conceived of. Who went with him? Describe his entourage.
He did not go with very many people, he went with a couple of officials who would work on issues like immigration to the kingdom and such, but it was not a large party.
He visited the UK, met with Queen Victoria. How was he received in Britain? His trip was very well received. He was at Windsor Castle, Buckingham Palace. He met with officials, royals, and government officials in the UK. How did he actually travel? I’m assuming by boat for the most part. What else? Yes, he traveled by boat. And so, this was a world tour, so it involved more than just Europe. But he traveled primarily by ship and then when he got to Europe he traveled by train quite a bit, as well. But, of course, he would have to take a ship between continental Europe and England. I’m also curious about the official dress on this tour. When I think of this time, my mind goes to sepia photographs, officials in their local finery. How did the king present himself? In traditional Hawaiian garb or in the latest Western styles? He would have worn Western clothes. By this time, Hawaiian royals primarily dressed in Western attire. He wore, sort of, civilian clothes but he also had uniforms, as well. He was very fond of military uniforms and he sometimes wore his decorations that he received from other countries and also those that he got from Hawaii, as well. So, he would’ve presented himself in a way that Western monarchs would’ve done. This nine-month trip that the king took around the globe, what was Hawaii’s standing internationally at that time? It was a diplomatically recognized country. So, it was very small, but Hawaii had contact with many countries — the United States, European countries, countries in Asia, as well. And toward the end of the 19 century, Hawaii had about a hundred diplomatic posts all around the world. I gather the king did some pre-trip publicity in the Hawaiian Islands, like even before going, he was meeting his subjects, explaining what he was setting out to do and where he was going. What were Hawaiians expecting from his diplomacy? Like what was riding on it for them? I think there were a couple of issues that the kingdom was facing. One was an issue about immigration. The kingdom was big into the sugar industry in the late 19th century, and there was a need for immigrants to work in the sugar industry. Immigration had already been going on but there was always a demand for more immigrants.
So, part of the king’s project was to seek out different places that immigrants might come from to Hawaii, and also to build diplomatic relations. I think this was a very important part of the trip to cement relations with other countries, to publicize the kingdom. So, in a lot of ways, it was a PR tour. It was a way to make Hawaii known all around the world. Were there critics? Like I can imagine locals raising an eyebrow for their king going on a nine-month world tour. For the most part, Hawaiians were very positive about the king’s trip, but there was a small group of Western businessmen who were in the kingdom who used this as a way to attack the king, especially the spending. The trip was expensive, although the exact amount of the trip is not known. So, there was small group of critics but they were quite vocal about the king’s trip and about some of his other projects, as well. In the end, was the trip judged a success, and what did it do for King Kalākaua’s reputation? I think he had been cultivating an international reputation, not only for himself, but for the Hawaiian kingdom, as well. And he was successful in his trip. He was covered in the press very positively, and then the kingdom was also covered very positively, as well. So, people around the world learned about the kingdom and its history and its people. And so, in that sense, it was very successful in promoting the kingdom around the globe. What do you think Hawaii gained from it? It gained diplomatic relations, better diplomatic relations. The late 19th century was a dangerous time for small Pacific Island nations. They were looking to avoid getting taken over by Western imperial powers. And one of the best ways to do that for a small country that didn’t have a large military was to have good diplomatic relations and that’s what the king cultivated on this trip. This tour the king took was in 1881. Hawaii wouldn’t become a US state until 1959, nearly 80 years later. But I wonder how the king’s tour connected to the moment that Washington started having designs in Hawaii. Because like, didn’t the US essentially stage a coup on the Hawaiian monarchy a few years after the king made this tour? Yeah so, the US had been interested in Hawaii before the king’s reign for economic reasons, eventually for strategic reasons, as well. I think that the king’s trip didn’t specifically lead to increased problems with the United States, but it did, as I had mentioned previously, lead to criticism from his opponents in the kingdom, some of which were strong supporters of annexation to the United States. What is King David Kalākaua’s reputation today in the Hawaiian Islands? How do people think of him? I think he has a very positive reputation. He built the royal palace, Iolani Palace, in downtown Honolulu, which is one of our major landmarks. He’s remembered for his diplomatic efforts, but also for his cultural efforts, as well. So, throughout the 19th century, Hawaiian culture was pressured by Western influence.
And Kalākaua was very instrumental in trying to promote Hawaiian culture and Hawaiian dance and Hawaiian music. Some of that had been suppressed under the influence of Westerners who had come to the kingdom. So, he’s remembered for his political trips and his diplomacy, but also for his cultural legacy, as well.
ChristopherBlackwell
That couldn't have been easy and perhaps not comfortable either given when
Suggests that he was more advanced than most world leaders of his time. Note how small a group his followers were on the trip. Can you imagine any world leader today traveling with so few people?ChristopherBlackwell
on September 17, 2025, 1:53 pm
