John Lot Kaulukoʻu (June 1, 1841 – June 2, 1917) was Attorney General of the Kingdom of Hawaii under the monarchy of

Kalākaua Kalākaua (David Laʻamea Kamanakapuʻu Māhinulani Nālaʻiaʻehuokalani Lumialani Kalākaua; November 16, 1836 – January 20, 1891), was the last king and penultimate monarch of the Kingdom of Hawaiʻi, reigning from February 12, 1874, u ...

Early life

Kaulukoʻu was born of Spanish and Hawaiian ancestry, in

Keauhou, Hawaii Keauhou is an Unincorporated area, unincorporated community on the island of Hawaii (island), Hawaii in Hawaii County, Hawaii, Hawaii County, Hawaii, United States. Its elevation is 13 feet (4 m). Because the community has borne multi ...

. Orphaned at a young age, his grandfather enrolled him at

Lahainaluna Lahainaluna High School is a public high school serving grades 9–12, located in Lahaina on the island of Maui. Operated by the Hawaii Department of Education, Lahainaluna High School is also a public boarding school. It was founded in 1831 as ...

on Maui. At that time, the institution was a

Protestant Protestantism is a branch of Christianity that emphasizes Justification (theology), justification of sinners Sola fide, through faith alone, the teaching that Salvation in Christianity, salvation comes by unmerited Grace in Christianity, divin ...

missionary school, where he spent several years under the direction of Christian ministers John Fawcett Pogue and

Sereno E. Bishop Sereno Edwards Bishop (February 7, 1827 – March 23, 1909) was a scientist, Presbyterian Church (USA), Presbyterian minister and publisher. He was an avid proponent of the United States annexation of the Hawaiian Islands, and aligned himself wit ...

. Upon his 1869 graduation, he taught school for several years in Kona.

Legal career

He decided to pursue a legal career in 1873, taking on odd jobs in Honolulu, while studying under Charles Coffin Harris, who had served in cabinets of both

Kamehameha IV Kamehameha IV (Alekanetero ʻIolani Kalanikualiholiho Maka o ʻIouli Kūnuiākea o Kūkāʻilimoku; Anglicisation, anglicized as Alexander Liholiho) (February 9, 1834 – November 30, 1863), reigned as the List of Hawaiian monarchs, fourth monar ...

and

Kamehameha V Kamehameha V (Lota Kapuāiwa Kalanimakua Aliʻiōlani Kalanikupuapaʻīkalaninui; December 11, 1830 – December 11, 1872), reigned as the fifth monarch of the Kingdom of Hawaiʻi from 1863 to 1872. His motto was "Onipaʻa": immovable, firm, s ...

. He also studied under

Albert Francis Judd Albert Francis Judd (January 7, 1838 – May 20, 1900) was a judge of the Kingdom of Hawaii who served as Chief Justice of the Supreme Court of Hawaii through its transition into part of the United States. Life Judd was born January 7, 1838, at ...

, Attorney General under Kamehameha V. Both of his legal mentors would be appointed to individual terms as Chief Justices of the

Supreme Court of Hawaii The Supreme Court of Hawaii is the highest court of the State of Hawaii in the United States. Its decisions are binding on all other courts of the Hawaii State Judiciary. The principal purpose of the Supreme Court is to review the decisions ...

. In 1877, Kaulukoʻu was appointed district magistrate of Koolaupoko. Kaulukoʻu successfully ran for office to the House of Representatives of the

Legislature of the Kingdom of Hawaii The Legislature of the Hawaiian Kingdom () was the bicameral (later unicameral) legislature of the Hawaiian Kingdom. A royal legislature was first provided by the 1840 Constitution and the 1852 Constitution was the first to use the term Legislat ...

in 1880, being re-elected in 1882 and 1884. In 1882, Kalākaua appointed him secretary to John Mākini Kapena, to participate in contract labor negotiations with Japan. In 1884, he was elected sheriff of

Hawaii County Hawaiʻi County (; officially known as the County of Hawaiʻi) is a county in the U.S. state of Hawaii in the Hawaiian Islands. It is coextensive with the Island of Hawaiʻi, often called the "Big Island" to distinguish it from the state as a wh ...

. He had a short-lived political appointment as Postmaster General, prior to the king appointing him as Attorney General in 1886. After Antone Rosa was appointed Attorney General a short time later, Kaulukoʻu went into private law practice. After the overthrow of the monarchy, 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 Stephen Grover Cleveland (March 18, 1837June 24, 1908) was the 22nd and 24th president of the United States, serving from 1885 to 1889 and from 1893 to 1897. He was the first U.S. president to serve nonconsecutive terms and the first Hist ...

to investigate the overthrow.; Later, Kaulukoʻu switched his stance against the overthrow and was elected to the House of Representatives of the

Republic of Hawaii The Republic of Hawaii (Hawaiian language, Hawaiian: ''Lepupalika o Hawaii'' epupəˈlikə o həˈvɐjʔi was a short-lived one-party state in Hawaii, Hawaii between July 4, 1894, when the Provisional Government of Hawaii had Black Week (H ...

, and served as the Speaker for the legislative session February 16 – July 7, 1898.

Personal life

He married a woman named Susie in 1870, and they had six children. His three daughters were un-named at the time of his death. His three sons were John Lot Kaulukoʻu, Jr., Kauai county treasurer Abraham Gilbert Kaulukoʻu, and Lot Kalani Kaulukoʻu who had an international career as a dancer under the stage name Lot Sebastian. Kaulukoʻu died June 2, 1917, after a lengthy period battling the complications of diabetes.

References

Bibliography

* *

External links

* :"A List of All the Cabinet Ministers Who Have Held Office in the Hawaiian Kingdom" * :Includes a list of Attorneys General for the Kingdom of Hawaii, their salaries and budgets {{DEFAULTSORT:Kaulukoʻu, John Lot 1841 births 1917 deaths Hawaiian Kingdom politicians Hawaiian Kingdom attorneys general Native Hawaiian politicians Members of the Hawaiian Kingdom House of Representatives Members of the Hawaiian Kingdom Privy Council Republic of Hawaii politicians Hawaiian Kingdom people of Spanish descent People from Hawaii (island) Marshals of Hawaii Lahainaluna School alumni