What if Ching Shih had established a pirate kingdom in Hawaii?

Note: Not my work. I found a thread discussing this on reddit, and thought I'd share it here. Link to original comment here.

In 1810, rather than accepting China's offer of amnesty, Ching Shih orders her fleet deep into the Pacific. Stocked with months of supplies, they intend to establishes bases among several islands and continue raids, now against ships engaged in the increasingly valuable New World to Asia trade routes. Ching Shih, following stories of Captain Cook's misadventures in Hawaii, goes to the islands.

Upon arrival, Ching Shih negotiates with the Hawaiians for a secure port. Many are sick from smallpox brought by the English. China's deeper knowledge of disease theory, especially innoculation, leads Ching Shih to promise medicine in exchange for some land. She also offers weapons and metal to the currently destabilized Hawaiian kingdom. Kamehameha the Great accepts and gains a large fleet commanded by Ching Shih, with hundreds of ships and tens of thousands of pirates.

The partnership flourishes fast. Ching Shih's pirate code and Hawaii's own legal system blend and govern the new relationship. The pirate fleet continues its raids, but transforms swiftly into something resembling a proper navy. The Hawaiian Fleet patrols large swaths of the Pacific, collecting "tolls" from all ships it finds, and "taxes" from many of the surrounding islands.

Many of Ching Shih's captains take husbands and wives from among the Hawaiians. Their adventurers attract many young people to join, especially women, who are drawn to the egalitarian fleet and the promise of wealth. Ching Shih and Kamehameha work together to promote ambitious Hawaiian men and women to the rank of captain, which creates a strong, motivated, and loyal fleet to serve the Islands.

In 1814, Kamehameha and Ching Shih begin a public relationship. They produce no children, but the relationship enhances the legitimacy of the fleet and ensures their loyalty to the royal family. Queen Kaʻahumanu fears loss of influence and begins maneuvering against Ching Shih. This prompts a months-long political scuffle, which ultimately leads to the King declaring that a council of captains will decide inheritance of the throne upon his death by electing one of his own family.

After his death in 1819, political powers effectively transfers to the fleet itself. They elect Kamehameha II, who inherited the throne in OTL, but in this ATL, rather than being a figurehead for the Queen, he is a more active leader with the respect of the fleet, having already served on some of its ships.

Kamehameha II leads for 10 years - his adventures in the Pacific stop him from visiting Great Britain, so he does not die of measles. Instead, he dies in a great storm in 1829. His decade of popular rule cements the Fleet Election system.

Ching Shih remains very influential after 1829 but largely retires. She sets a precedent that captains should not accumulate too much political power by turning down many official positions and offers of land. She also eschews new offers of marriage. She settles into the role of elder stateswoman.

In 1830, the Pirate Kingdom of Hawaii is recognized by the USA. American merchants had been dealing with them for a few years, accepting the taxes they must pay to travel the Pacific, since payment guarantees safe passage as well as protection from much worse pirate attacks. President Jackson decides to recognize Hawaii formally to thwart Britain in the Pacific, and also hopes that Hawaii will be a platform for greater trade with China and Japan. Martin Van Buren sails to Hawaii to sign the treaty with the PKH.
 
During the Mexican-American War, the PKH lends assistance in the Pacific. With its very large and experienced fleet, it easily captures California from Mexico and handles nearly all of the Pacific Campaign. The War ends sooner, and the PKH is a signatory to the treaty. The USA gains most of the territory, but Ching Shih, still the de facto Secretary of State for Hawaii, wins several chunks of land along the coast: The biggest gains are San Francisco (renamed New Lahaina, the greater Los Angeles Area (New Honolulu), and some other smaller coastal cities. The Kingdom isn't very interested huge chunks of interior land, preferring instead to secure ports for the fleet and have access to trade.

Many of the former Mexican-territory residents, especially young men and women of the Chumash Tribe on the Central Coast, are recruited into the fleet, all voluntarily seeking their wealth.

In 1848, prospectors find gold in numerous places in California. Although most of the land went to the USA, the PKH profits enormously from the flow of gold through its new cities in the coming years and decades. New Lahaina and New Honolulu grow rapidly. PKH's own immigration "laws" only require that new citizens serve as needed in the fleet for a period of a few years if required, so many new citizens join the country from China and elsewhere in Asia.

In the 1850s, the PKH and USA cooperate with the opening of Japan, as each Pacific power sees great opportunity there.

Hawaii's "pirate" fleet is now a full mixed navy and merchant fleet, with piracy itself effectively dead, although every ship remains battle-ready. The PKH has the largest Pacific fleet and has nearly quashed piracy in all corners of the ocean.
 
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In the 1860s, the American Civil War puts the PKH in a bind: Their formal treaties are with Union, but secessionists surround New Honolulu in Souther California. Hawaii declares it's official neutrality, but the largely independent captains of the fleet occasionally throw in with the Union, as the Kingdom has a huge anti-slavery bent.

This agitates secessionists in Southern California, prompting the Battle of New Honolulu in 1862, in which Southern-sympathizers try to seize the city from the PKH. This triggers a declaration of war against secessionists in California - and due to the fluid nature of the pirate fleet's command, this swells into a more general war against the CSA.

Motivated almost entirely by nationalistic pride rather than much economic or strategic interest, thousands of volunteers sail to the Gulf of Mexico and lend their aid to the USA. They also agitate slave rebellions, leading to a few thousand slaves joining their fleet as new sailors.

The Civil War ends with a Union victory. Without any ports to take, the PKH instead claims reparation payments. Years down the road these payments will continue hurting the South.

In 1870, the transcontinental railroad has been completed and sends good across the USA to both oceans. This is a great boon for the PKH, which hasn't paid for the railroad, but which gets to send trade goods through ports in New Lahaina and New Honolulu in both directions.

Hawaii itself is a multicultural hotbed. Primary languages are Hawaiian, Mandarin, and English, and Chumash, but dozens of others are spoken. A creole language is also emerging, spoken by the diverse mixed nativeborn population. Religion is a mishmash of Christian, native Hawaiian, Buddhism, and others.
 
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Throughout its expansion, the PKH has been in conflict with the British Empire. Although typically careful to not overly harass British ships, the PKH has collected its tolls from them when it can throughout the 19th century. KPH also completely disregards most shipping restrictions - they trade anything but slaves, including alcohol, drugs, spices, and most any illegal goods.

Australia is the largest matter of dispute in the later 1800s. British efforts to colonize the continent with convicts have been thwarted, since the KPH fleet actively recruits convicts from both ships and settlements, offering them freedom after a few years' service on a ship.

The Pirates also detest Britain's treatment of Aboriginal Australians. With so many of the PKH being Hawaiian themselves and recalling their mistreatment at Captain Cook's hands, they see native Australians as cultural kinsmen.

Until the 1880s, there is little formal action from either state about these disputes. The PKH officially asks its captains to not engage in "unprovoked" piracy, and many ships therefore just tax and annoy the British. But British concern about the increasing encroachment into Australian waters is strained to the breaking point when several ships are taxed and liberated at once.

The conflict escalates into the Anglo-Hawaiian War in 1885. It only lasts several months, but ends with the British Navy victorious and seizing several Polynesian Islands from the PKH. The Pirate Fleet is humiliated, having never lost a war before. They only grudgingly surrender their several islands, which prompts a crisis back in Lahaina in which the current king is voted out and replaced by a veteran of the war.

For the next decade, the new Queen focuses on greatly enhancing the fleet. They buy many new ships from the USA and recruit lots of new captains. Soon, the kingdom's iron ships have replaced many of its older wooden craft. The Kingdom also reforms its military, introducing new layers of central control over the fleet, which are mostly welcomed.

In 1897, the PKH is ready to test its mettle again, but it's other countries that start the next conflict: The Spanish-American War starts over American interference in Cuba.

Once the Americans are fighting the Spanish, the Pirates' energy is unleashed in the Pacific. Resenting their loss to the British and whipping up anti-imperial sentiment, the PKH joins its ally against Spain, taking it upon itself to liberate the Philippines.

Popularly known later as the Pirate & Cowboy War, the brief conflict ends the Spanish Empire in about eight months. While the USA takes Spain's territories in the Caribbean, the PKH completely takes the Philippines. Manila becomes a new pirate port, and hundreds of thousands of Filipinos clamor to join the Fleet.
 
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