David William Pua

David William Pua (c. 1836 – October 13, 1896), also known as D. W. Pua, was a Native Hawaiian politician during the Kingdom of Hawaii. He served as a legislator during the last years of the Legislature of the Kingdom of Hawaii and became a member of the Hui Aloha ʻĀina (Hawaiian Patriotic League), founded after the overthrow of the monarchy to protest attempts of annexation to the United States.

David William Pua
Member of the Kingdom of Hawaii
House of Nobles
for the island of Oahu
In office
1890–1893
Personal details
Born
David William Pua

c. 1836
Niihau, Kingdom of Hawaii
DiedOctober 13, 1896
Honolulu, Oahu, Kingdom of Hawaii
Resting placeHonolulu Catholic Cemetery
NationalityKingdom of Hawaii
Political partyNational Reform
National Liberal
Spouse(s)Mary Nahakuelua
ChildrenSamuel K. Pua and 3 others
OccupationPolitician, Businessman
Committee members, selected to present a memorial to U.S. Special Commissioner, James H. Blount. D. W. Pua is standing in the center

Life

He was born c. 1836, on the island of Niihau. He married Mary Nahakuelua (1832–1922) on Niihau in March 1867, and settled in Honolulu on the island of Oahu after the marriage. The couple had two sons: Samuel K. Pua (1867–1932) and William K. Pua and two daughters: Mele Pua, later Mrs. Vivichaves, and Susan Pua, later Mrs. John Henry Nye. His eldest son Sam later served on the legislative assembly with his father.[1][2][3] In Honolulu, Pua worked as a businessman and owned property and a large homestead in the Palama area of Honolulu.[1]

Pua ran unsuccessfully for a seat in the House of Representatives, the lower house of the legislature, in 1884. After the signing of the Bayonet Constitution in 1887, membership in the House of Nobles, the upper house of the legislature, was changed from the traditional life-appointments to limited elected terms.[1] In the election of 1890, Pua ran and was successful elected to the House of Nobles for a four-year term. He sat in the legislative assemblies of 1890 during the reign of King Kalākaua and during the 1892–93 session under his successor Queen Liliʻuokalani.[4][5] In July 1891, Pua with other legislators and dignitaries accompanied the queen on her customary royal tour of the island of Kauai.[6] He was a member of the Hawaiian National Reform Party in the 1890 election and possibly became a National Liberal in 1892, although he was listed as a National in the later Blount Report in 1893.[4][5][7]

From May 28, 1892 to January 14, 1893, the legislature of the Kingdom convened for an unprecedented 171 days, which later historian Albertine Loomis dubbed the "Longest Legislature".[8] This session was characterized by a series of resolutions of want of confidence ousting a number of Queen Liliʻuokalani's appointed cabinet ministers, debates over the passage of the controversial lottery and opium bills and also attempts to replace the unpopular Bayonet Constitution by means of a constitutional convention.[9] During this session, Pua was one of legislators to submit petitions from the people requesting for a new constitution.[10]

Following the proroguing of the legislature and the unsuccessful attempts of the queen to promulgate a new constitution, the monarchy was overthrown on January 17, 1893. After a brief transition under the Provisional Government, the oligarchical Republic of Hawaii was established on July 4, 1894. During this period, the de facto government, which was composed largely of residents of American and European ancestry, sought to annex the islands to the United States against the wish of the Native Hawaiians who wanted to remain an independent nation and for the monarchy to continue.[11][12] Pua and his son Sam protested against the new de facto government. He became an executive member of Hui Aloha ʻĀina (Hawaiian Patriotic League), a patriotic group founded to protest the attempt of Hawaiian annexation to the United States, and represented the case of the monarchy and the Hawaiian people to the United States Commissioner James H. Blount who was sent by President Grover Cleveland to investigate the overthrow. His son was arrested and convicted of treason during the unsuccessful 1895 Counter-revolution of Hawaii to restore the monarchy.[2][13][14]

Pua retired from politics around this time. He died unexpectedly, in his sleep, at his Palama residence in Honolulu, on October 13, 1896. He was about sixty years old at the time of his death. He was survived by his father, wife, four children, and grandchildren. His funeral was held at the Cathedral Basilica of Our Lady of Peace and he was buried at the Honolulu Catholic Cemetery.[1] His widow Mary Nahakuelua died in 1922. A grave marker at Diamond Head Memorial Park bears their name, although it isn't certain if their remains were removed at a later date.[3][15] Pua Lane in Honolulu is named after him.[16]

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References
  1. "Topic Of The Day". The Independent. Honolulu. October 13, 1896. p. 2.; "A Sudden Death". The Independent. Honolulu. October 13, 1896. p. 3.; "D. W. Pua Dies Suddenly". The Pacific Commercial Advertiser. Honolulu. October 13, 1896. p. 1.; "D. W. Pua Dies Suddenly". The Hawaiian Gazette. Honolulu. October 13, 1896. p. 9.; "David William Pua Dead". Evening Bulletin. Honolulu. October 13, 1896. p. 1.
  2. Siddall 1917, p. 217; Siddall 1921, pp. 321–323
  3. "Mrs. Mary Pua". The Maui News. Wailuku. October 24, 1922. p. 7.
  4. Hawaii & Lydecker 1918, p. 178; "Composition of the Legislature". The Daily Bulletin. Honolulu. February 14, 1890. p. 3.
  5. Hawaii & Lydecker 1918, p. 182; Blount 1895, p. 1138; "List Of Candidates". The Pacific Commercial Advertiser. Honolulu. February 3, 1892. p. 4.; "Legislature Of 1892". The Pacific Commercial Advertiser. Honolulu. February 26, 1892. p. 1.
  6. Liliuokalani 1898, p. 220.
  7. "Pua, David W. office record" (PDF). state archives digital collections. state of Hawaii. Archived (PDF) from the original on February 23, 2017. Retrieved February 23, 2017.
  8. Loomis 1963, pp. 7–27
  9. Kuykendall 1967, pp. 543–559.
  10. Kuykendall 1967, p. 548.
  11. Kuykendall 1967, pp. 586–605, 649; Loomis 1963, pp. 25–26
  12. Silva 2004, pp. 129–163.
  13. "Representative Committee of Delegates of the Hawaiian People to present a memorial to Hon. James H. Blount, praying for the restoration of the monarchy under Queen Liliuokalani". Library of Congress. c. 1970. Retrieved December 19, 2016.
  14. Blount 1895, pp. 1294–1298; "Patriotic Leaguers – They Determine On Secret Actions – A Demand for the Restoration of the Monarchy Favored". The Pacific Commercial Advertiser. Honolulu. May 2, 1893. p. 5.
  15. "David William Pua". Find a Grave. Retrieved November 15, 2016.
  16. Pukui, Elbert & Mookini 1974, p. 190.

Bibliography
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