Lorrin A. Thurston facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Lorrin A. Thurston
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| Born |
Lorrin Andrews Thurston
July 31, 1858 |
| Died | May 11, 1931 (aged 72) |
| Nationality | Kingdom of Hawaii United States |
| Occupation | Lawyer, politician, businessman |
| Spouse(s) |
Margaret Clarissa Shipman
(m. 1884; died 1891)Harriet Elvira Potter
(m. 1893) |
| Children | Robert Shipman Thurston Margaret Carter Thurston Lorrin Potter Thurston |
| Parent(s) | Asa Goodale Thurston Sarah Andrews |
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Lorrin Andrews Thurston (born July 31, 1858 – died May 11, 1931) was an important American-Hawaiian lawyer, politician, and businessman. He was a key figure in the events that led to the Overthrow of the Hawaiian Kingdom. This change replaced Queen Liliʻuokalani with the Republic of Hawaii.
Thurston also owned the Pacific Commercial Advertiser newspaper. This paper later became the Honolulu Star-Advertiser. He also owned other businesses. From 1906 to 1916, he worked hard to create a National Park to protect Hawaii's amazing volcanoes.
Early Life and Family
Lorrin Thurston was born in Honolulu, Hawaii, on July 31, 1858. His parents were Asa Goodale Thurston and Sarah Andrews. His grandparents, Asa and Lucy Goodale Thurston, were among the first American Christian missionaries to arrive in the Hawaiian Islands in 1820. His other grandfather, Lorrin Andrews, was also an early missionary.
Lorrin's father was the speaker of the house of representatives for the Kingdom of Hawaii. Sadly, his father died in December 1859, when Lorrin was only one and a half years old. After his father's death, Lorrin moved to Maui with his mother. He learned to speak the Hawaiian language fluently and even gave himself the Hawaiian nickname Kakina.
In 1872, Lorrin attended Punahou School, which was then called Oahu College. He played baseball there with the sons of Alexander Cartwright, who is known for inventing the modern game. Lorrin left school just before graduating. He then worked as a translator for a law firm and as a clerk at the Wailuku Sugar Company. Later, he studied law at Columbia University. He returned to Honolulu in 1881 and became a partner in a law firm.
Lorrin married Margaret Clarissa "Clara" Shipman in 1884. They had a son named Robert Shipman Thurston in 1888. Sadly, Margaret died in 1891 while giving birth. In 1893, Lorrin married Harriet Elvira Potter. They had a daughter, Margaret Carter, in 1895, and a son, Lorrin Potter Thurston, in 1899. Lorrin Andrews Thurston passed away on May 11, 1931.
Work and Influence
Lorrin Thurston was very important in both the political world and the business world of Hawaii.
Political Career
Following in his father's footsteps, Lorrin became a member of the legislature of the Hawaiian Kingdom in 1886. He held strong beliefs, similar to those of the missionaries. These beliefs often put him at odds with the Hawaiian royal family.
In July 1887, Thurston wrote what became known as the "Bayonet Constitution." This name came from the fact that it was forced upon King Kalākaua by a militia. This new constitution limited the king's power. Thurston became the powerful Interior Minister. The new rules meant that only wealthy Americans and Europeans had real control over voting and the legislature. He served in this role until 1890.
Queen Liliʻuokalani became queen in 1891. She tried to create a new constitution to gain more power for the monarchy. In 1892, Thurston led a group called the Annexation Club. This group later became the Committee of Safety. They planned to make Hawaii a territory of the United States. In 1893, the U.S. Military supported the Committee of Safety in an overthrow of the Hawaiian Kingdom. The new government, called the Provisional Government of Hawaii, was controlled by Thurston's committee.
Thurston led a group to Washington, D.C. to talk with President Benjamin Harrison about Hawaii joining the U.S. Queen Liliʻuokalani and Crown Princess Victoria Kaʻiulani also went to Washington. They argued that the new government did not have the support of most Hawaiians. Because of the force used, the plan for Hawaii to join the U.S. was not approved. Many years later, in 1993, the U.S. Congress apologized for the U.S. military's involvement in the overthrow.
In March 1893, Grover Cleveland became president and did not support the treaty. Thurston then helped write another constitution. The Republic of Hawaiʻi was declared on July 4, 1894. Thurston appointed Sanford B. Dole as the President of the Republic. In 1897, William McKinley became president, and Thurston again pushed for Hawaii to join the U.S. The Spanish–American War in 1898 made the U.S. more interested in the Pacific. By July 1898, Hawaii became the Territory of Hawaii. After this, Thurston left politics to focus on his businesses.
Business Ventures
In 1898, Lorrin Thurston bought the Pacific Commercial Advertiser newspaper. As the main owner and publisher after 1900, he promoted the sugar and pineapple industries in Hawaii. He also led the Hawaiian Promotion Committee, which later became the Hawaii Visitors & Convention Bureau.
When Hawaii joined the United States in 1898, it greatly helped his businesses. This change removed taxes on goods shipped to the U.S., which was Hawaii's biggest market. Thurston is known for helping expand Hawaii's sugarcane plantations and railroads. He also brought the first electric street cars to Honolulu. After World War I, he asked the government to limit Japanese-language schools. However, the U.S. Supreme Court later ruled that these restrictions were against the law.
Thurston was also very interested in volcanoes. He explored Haleakalā on Maui as a child. He often gave tours to visitors at the volcano's summit. In 1891, he bought and expanded the Volcano House hotel, which is located at the edge of the active Kīlauea volcano on the island of Hawaiʻi. He even created a special display of Kīlauea that he showed on his travels to the mainland.
Thurston later became friends with Dr. Thomas Jaggar, an early volcanologist (someone who studies volcanoes). In 1909, Thurston helped raise money to fund the Hawaiian Volcano Observatory in 1912. He used his newspaper to promote the idea of a national park. He convinced the local government to pay for a group of congressmen to visit Haleakalā and Kīlauea in 1907. He hosted other important visitors, including the Secretary of the Interior. His newspaper printed support for the park from President Theodore Roosevelt and famous conservationist John Muir. In 1913, he explored a lava tube in Hawaiʻi Volcanoes National Park that is now named after him. The park was finally created in 1916.
Legacy
Lorrin Thurston's impact can still be seen in Hawaii today. On Oahu, a street in the Punchbowl neighborhood is named after him. The Thurston Memorial Chapel at Punahou School also carries his name. On the Big Island, you can visit the Thurston Lava Tube at the Hawaii Volcanoes National Park.
In the 2009 movie Princess Kaiulani, Lorrin Thurston was played by actor Barry Pepper.
