Everything about Robert William Wilcox totally explained
» This article is about the Hawaiian revolutionary; for the English martyr, see Bl. Robert Wilcox
Robert William Kalanihiapo Wilcox (
February 15,
1855 –
October 23,
1903), nicknamed the
Iron Duke of Hawaii, was a
native Hawaiian revolutionary, soldier and delegate to the
United States Congress for the
Territory of Hawaii. He was considered a menace to both the government of the
Kingdom of Hawaii under Kalakaua and the
Republic of Hawaii under Sanford Dole, for his participation in what are now known as the
Wilcox rebellions.
Education
Wilcox was born in
1855 on the island of
Maui. His father was a native of Newport, Rhode Island, and his mother was a native of Maui, related to King
Kaulahea II, who reigned over Maui about 1700. 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.
Military career
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
1881, Wilcox left the island for
Turin,
Italy to study at the Royal Military Academy. 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.
Planned Rebellion of 1888
In
1887, in the
Kingdom of Hawaii,
King David Kalākaua had signed the
Bayonet Constitution stripping the rights of Asians to vote in elections, and placing income and property requirements on voters limiting the electorate to wealthy native Hawaiians, Americans, and Europeans. Wilcox had been studying abroad at the expense of the Kingdom, and the Reform Party which took power in 1887 ended the costly program. 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. Wilcox along with Charles Wilson and Sam Nowlein, participated in planning a coup to replace Kalākaua with Liliuokalani, but the plot was never executed. On February 11, 1888, Wilcox left Hawaii for San Francisco, intending to return to Italy with his wife.
Rebellion of 1889
Instead of returning to Italy, Wilcox took up residence in
San Francisco, California, 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 executed an attempt to have Kalākaua 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. He was tried for treason but acquitted. Following his uprising, Wilcox was elected to the royal legislature where he served from
1890 to
1894.
Rebellion of 1895
Following the
overthrow of the Hawaiian monarchy, Wilcox was brought into a conspiracy in support of the queen to effect a counter-revolution against the newly created Republic of Hawaii. The key conspirators in the plans for rebellion 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. Royalist and republic forces clashed at the base of
Diamond Head on January 6 and 7, 1895. Another skirmish took place in Moiliili on January 7.
Manoa was the scene of action on January 9. Casualties were minor, the only fatality being
C. L. Carter, a member of a prominent island family. 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 the Queen was taken in custody at
Washington Place and imprisoned in
Iolani Palace. Wilcox was arrested and tried for treason. He was sentenced to death but was pardoned by
Sanford B. Dole.
Congress
After the
Newlands Resolution was adopted in
1898 and the Hawaiian Organic Act created the office of Delegate to Congress for the new territory, Wilcox organized a campaign to get elected. Helping transform previously anti-annexation native Hawaiian political clubs into the Hawaiian Independent Party (later called the Home Rule Party), he advocated for "Equal rights for the People". 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. Wilcox served in Congress from
November 6,
1900 to
March 3,
1903, and was succeeded by Prince Kūhiō (Republican) after the Home Rule Party tore itself apart.
Robert had a knack at marrying royal women his first wife was an Italian Baroness and his second wife a Hawaiian princess. Robert's first wife was Baronesa Gina Sobrero, eldest daughter of Baron Lorenzo Sobrero of Piedmont and the Princess Victoria Colona Stigleano of Naples. His daughter from his first marriage died shortly after his breakup with Baronesa Gina Sobrero. Robert's second wife was
Princess Theresa Owana Kaohelelani Laanui of the Kamehameha Dynasty.
They had a son,
Prince
Robert Kalanikupuapaikalaninui Wilcox and two daughters, Princess
Virginia Kahoa Kaahumanu Kaihikapumahana Wilcox and Princess
Elizabeth Kaakualaninui Wilcox.
Memorial
The same year he left Congress, Wilcox died on
October 23. He was buried at the
Honolulu Catholic Cemetery. In
1993, a bronze statue of Wilcox was unveiled at Fort Street Mall. The statue now stands prominently in
downtown Honolulu at Wilcox Park, also named in his honor.
Further Information
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