Walter M. Gibson
Encyclopedia
Walter Murray Gibson was an American adventurer and a government minister in the Kingdom of Hawaii
prior to the kingdom's 1887 constitution
.
, though he sometimes claimed to be born in England
.
He was the captain of a ship and became involved in gunrunning
in the Caribbean
. Later, he was jailed in the East Indies
by the Dutch
on charges of fomenting rebellion, but managed to escape from his prison in Java. In 1859 he went to Utah Territory
and joined The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, persuading church president Brigham Young
to allow him to establish a Mormon
colony in the Pacific.
Gibson arrived in the Hawaiian Islands
in 1861, and founded a colony
among Mormons already in the islands. He purchased land on the island of Lānai
with funds from the colony in his own name, and was excommunicated after a church investigation regarding accusations of preaching false doctrine, maladministration of the colony, and embezzlement
of church funds. Upon excommunication, he expelled those who didn't support him from his colony and church and began angling for secular political office and power.
In 1873 he started his own newspaper to extol his virtues in English and Hawaiian called the Nuhou. He successfully ran for the House of Representatives
in 1878
as a candidate of the King’s Party, allying himself with King Kalakaua
and portraying himself as the "voice of Hawaiians". In 1880 he bought the Pacific Commercial Advertiser (now the Honolulu Advertiser
). In 1882 he was appointed Minister of Foreign Affairs, and then on June 30, 1886 prime minister
of the Kingdom of Hawaii
by King Kalākaua. He also served on various boards, as Attorney General, Minister of Interior, and Secretary of War.
Gibson was widely credited for introducing race-based politics to the islands, and encouraging Kalākaua to make rash political moves, which eventually led to the imposition of the 1887 Constitution of the Kingdom of Hawaii
. One of his bolder plans included an attempt to build a Pacific Empire, which drew the ire of both the international and local Hawaiian communities.
Gibson's fortunes fell dramatically after being taken out of power in 1887. He fled the islands for fear of losing his life and died penniless in San Francisco in January 21, 1888. His body was returned to Hawaii for a funeral and burial.
Kingdom of Hawaii
The Kingdom of Hawaii was established during the years 1795 to 1810 with the subjugation of the smaller independent chiefdoms of Oahu, Maui, Molokai, Lānai, Kauai and Niihau by the chiefdom of Hawaii into one unified government...
prior to the kingdom's 1887 constitution
1887 Constitution of the Kingdom of Hawaii
The 1887 Constitution of the Kingdom of Hawaii was a legal document by anti-monarchists to strip the Hawaiian monarchy of much of its authority, initiating a transfer of power to American, European and native Hawaiian elites...
.
Life
Gibson was generally thought to be born March 6, 1822 in the southern United StatesUnited States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
, though he sometimes claimed to be born in England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
.
He was the captain of a ship and became involved in gunrunning
Gunrunning
Arms trafficking, also known as gunrunning, is the illegal trafficking or smuggling of contraband weapons or ammunition.The 1997 Report of the UN Panel of Governmental Experts on Small Arms provides a more refined and precise definition, which has become internationally accepted...
in the Caribbean
Caribbean
The Caribbean is a crescent-shaped group of islands more than 2,000 miles long separating the Gulf of Mexico and the Caribbean Sea, to the west and south, from the Atlantic Ocean, to the east and north...
. Later, he was jailed in the East Indies
East Indies
East Indies is a term used by Europeans from the 16th century onwards to identify what is now known as Indian subcontinent or South Asia, Southeastern Asia, and the islands of Oceania, including the Malay Archipelago and the Philippines...
by the Dutch
Dutch Empire
The Dutch Empire consisted of the overseas territories controlled by the Dutch Republic and later, the modern Netherlands from the 17th to the 20th century. The Dutch followed Portugal and Spain in establishing an overseas colonial empire, but based on military conquest of already-existing...
on charges of fomenting rebellion, but managed to escape from his prison in Java. In 1859 he went to Utah Territory
Utah Territory
The Territory of Utah was an organized incorporated territory of the United States that existed from September 9, 1850, until January 4, 1896, when the final extent of the territory was admitted to the Union as the State of Utah....
and joined The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, persuading church president Brigham Young
Brigham Young
Brigham Young was an American leader in the Latter Day Saint movement and a settler of the Western United States. He was the President of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints from 1847 until his death in 1877, he founded Salt Lake City, and he served as the first governor of the Utah...
to allow him to establish a Mormon
Mormon
The term Mormon most commonly denotes an adherent, practitioner, follower, or constituent of Mormonism, which is the largest branch of the Latter Day Saint movement in restorationist Christianity...
colony in the Pacific.
Gibson arrived in the Hawaiian Islands
Hawaiian Islands
The Hawaiian Islands are an archipelago of eight major islands, several atolls, numerous smaller islets, and undersea seamounts in the North Pacific Ocean, extending some 1,500 miles from the island of Hawaii in the south to northernmost Kure Atoll...
in 1861, and founded a colony
Colony
In politics and history, a colony is a territory under the immediate political control of a state. For colonies in antiquity, city-states would often found their own colonies. Some colonies were historically countries, while others were territories without definite statehood from their inception....
among Mormons already in the islands. He purchased land on the island of Lānai
Lanai
Lānai or Lanai is the sixth-largest of the Hawaiian Islands. It is also known as the Pineapple Island because of its past as an island-wide pineapple plantation. The only town is Lānai City, a small settlement....
with funds from the colony in his own name, and was excommunicated after a church investigation regarding accusations of preaching false doctrine, maladministration of the colony, and embezzlement
Embezzlement
Embezzlement is the act of dishonestly appropriating or secreting assets by one or more individuals to whom such assets have been entrusted....
of church funds. Upon excommunication, he expelled those who didn't support him from his colony and church and began angling for secular political office and power.
In 1873 he started his own newspaper to extol his virtues in English and Hawaiian called the Nuhou. He successfully ran for the House of Representatives
Legislature of the Hawaiian Kingdom
The Legislature of the Hawaiian Kingdom was the bicameral legislature of the Kingdom of Hawaii. A royal legislature was first provided by the 1840 Constitution and the 1852 Constitution was the first to use the term "Legislature of the Hawaiian Kingdom", and the first to subject the monarch to...
in 1878
as a candidate of the King’s Party, allying himself with King Kalakaua
Kalakaua
Kalākaua, born David Laamea Kamanakapuu Mahinulani Nalaiaehuokalani Lumialani Kalākaua and sometimes called The Merrie Monarch , was the last reigning king of the Kingdom of Hawaii...
and portraying himself as the "voice of Hawaiians". In 1880 he bought the Pacific Commercial Advertiser (now the Honolulu Advertiser
Honolulu Advertiser
The Honolulu Advertiser was a daily newspaper published in Honolulu, Hawaii. At the time publication ceased on June 6, 2010, it was the largest daily newspaper in the American state of Hawaii. It published daily with special Sunday and Internet editions...
). In 1882 he was appointed Minister of Foreign Affairs, and then on June 30, 1886 prime minister
Prime minister
A prime minister is the most senior minister of cabinet in the executive branch of government in a parliamentary system. In many systems, the prime minister selects and may dismiss other members of the cabinet, and allocates posts to members within the government. In most systems, the prime...
of the Kingdom of Hawaii
Kingdom of Hawaii
The Kingdom of Hawaii was established during the years 1795 to 1810 with the subjugation of the smaller independent chiefdoms of Oahu, Maui, Molokai, Lānai, Kauai and Niihau by the chiefdom of Hawaii into one unified government...
by King Kalākaua. He also served on various boards, as Attorney General, Minister of Interior, and Secretary of War.
Gibson was widely credited for introducing race-based politics to the islands, and encouraging Kalākaua to make rash political moves, which eventually led to the imposition of the 1887 Constitution of the Kingdom of Hawaii
1887 Constitution of the Kingdom of Hawaii
The 1887 Constitution of the Kingdom of Hawaii was a legal document by anti-monarchists to strip the Hawaiian monarchy of much of its authority, initiating a transfer of power to American, European and native Hawaiian elites...
. One of his bolder plans included an attempt to build a Pacific Empire, which drew the ire of both the international and local Hawaiian communities.
Gibson's fortunes fell dramatically after being taken out of power in 1887. He fled the islands for fear of losing his life and died penniless in San Francisco in January 21, 1888. His body was returned to Hawaii for a funeral and burial.