Two Hawaiian kings died without naming heirs, the 1874 election ended in a riot that killed a legislator, and King Lunalilo left his lands to a home for poor Hawaiians

Kamehameha V died on 11 December 1872 without naming a successor. William Charles Lunalilo told the public the throne was "without a successor appointed or proclaimed." In an unofficial vote on 1 January 1873 Lunalilo won heavy majorities, with 3,049 ballots from Honolulu alone, and on 8 January the legislature elected him king unanimously. He fell ill with tuberculosis and died on 3 February 1874, aged 39, after a reign of one year and 25 days. He also named no heir. His will left his lands to found the Lunalilo Home for poor, destitute or infirm Hawaiians. He was buried apart from the Kamehameha line at Kawaiahaʻo Church, partly over a feud about his mother's exclusion from the royal burial list. On 12 February 1874 the legislature met at the Honolulu courthouse and elected David Kalākaua over Queen Emma, widow of Kamehameha IV. Emma's supporters stormed the building and beat the legislators who had voted for Kalākaua. Thirteen were badly injured and one, J. W. Lonoaea, died. At the government's request about 150 American sailors and marines and 70 to 80 British sailors landed to restore order. Kalākaua took the oath the next day.