Vacation Rental in Princeville Kauai

and Kauai Travel Guide

©B.Pruitt 2009

History of Kauai and Hawaii

People Come to Kauai

Strangers From a Strange Land

From Force and Might Come Unity

The Russian Affair

The End of Kapu

All God’s Children Must Go to Heaven

The Whalers Tale

Add Sugar To The Mix

Kauai Timeline

A Succession of Monarchs

A Succession of Monarchs

Kamehameha I, 1795-1819

Towering above others at six feet, six inches, Kamehameha was to become Hawaii’s greatest warrior-chief.  He was royal born in the Kohala district of the island of Hawaii.  Perhaps Halley’s comet, which in 1758 marked the year of his birth, foreshadowed his destiny as an unusual and auspicious man.  In 1791, Kamehameha became the sole chief of the island of Hawaii.  After conquering Maui and Molokai, he invaded Oahu in 1795 and established his reign there as well.  Stormy seas and an outbreak of disease turned his troops back on two attempts to invade Kauai.  Accepting the inevitable and wanting to avoid bloodshed, the king of Kauai yielded to Kamehameha's rule in 1810.  With his grand design of unification completed, he had earned the title, Kamehameha the Great.  The first Hawaiian to rule all the islands died in 1819.  His bones were buried at a secret location on the island of Hawaii.

Kamehameha II, 1819-1824

Liholiho, bestowed upon himself the title of Kamehameha II, but he did not mirror his father's image of a strong and autocratic ruler.  With the overbearing influence of Ka‘ahumanu, his father's favorite wife, he disassembled the kapu system.  During his reign, foreign trade decimated the sandalwood forests and whalers and missionaries strengthened their holds on his kingdom.  Seeking the advice of King George IV, Liholiho set sail for England, accompanied by Queen Kamamalu.  Before the couple could enjoy an audience with the British monarch, Liholiho and his wife contracted measles and died.

Kamehameha III, 1825-1854

At 30 years, Kauikeaouli, titled Kamehameha III, was Hawaii's longest-reigning monarch.  Ka‘ahumanu continued as Queen Regent when the nine-year-old brother of Liholiho became king.  The child received a Christian education from Rev. Hiram Bingham, who attempted to instill in him a love for Western values.  Kamehameha III grew up however, to be steadfastly pro-Hawaiian in culture and beliefs.  His most significant act was an edict issued in 1848, which became known as the Great Mahele.  The act divided Hawaii's land ownership among the monarchy, the government and the common people.  Hawaiians, who were not used to the concept of land ownership, allowed foreigners to buy two thirds of all land sold by 1886.

Kamehameha IV, 1854-1863

Before his death, Kamehameha III named his nephew and grandson of Kamehameha the Great, Alexander Liholiho, to succeed him.  While a prince, Alexander traveled in Europe and America.  His experiences in Europe were pleasant and enriching, but he was insulted and humiliated by being ordered off a train in New York City because of his race.  During his short reign he tended to shift Hawaii closer to the British Empire in both spirit and policy.  After his son, Prince Albert, died at fours years, the 29-year-old king, run down by grief, guilt and alcohol, died during an asthmatic attack.

Kamehameha V, 1863-1872

Lot Kamehameha was the older brother of Alexander Liholiho and the last Hawaiian monarch to carry the lineage of Kamehameha the Great.  He baptized his strong, autocratic style of leadership by refusing to take an oath to uphold the constitution of 1852, believing it weakened the powers of the monarchy.  In its place he offered a new constitution that established a one-chamber legislature for nobles and elected representatives, and required that persons pass literacy tests and own property before being allowed to vote.  His determination to strengthen the monarchy sparked resentment among non-royalists, fueling the forces that would later bring down the monarchy.  The "bachelor king" died without leaving a successor.  Future kings would be elected.

Lunalilo, 1873-1874

"Whiskey Bill" Lunalilo was a favorite of the Hawaiian commoners and the fact that he was a drunkard did little to diminish his charm.  Three of his four cabinet ministers were Americans and were instrumental in paving the way for a treaty of reciprocity whereby the Hawaiian government would lease Pearl Harbor to the United States in return for duty free access to the American sugar market.  Lunalilo died after just 13 months as monarch.

David Kalâkaua, 1874-1891

After defeating Queen Emma, the widow of Kamehameha IV, in a colorful campaign, David Kalakaua put high priority to reviving Hawaiian heritage.  He resuscitated the hula, which had been banned for many years by the missionaries–even contributing his own new dances.  He ushered in a renewed appreciation for Hawaiian music and composed Hawai‘i Pono‘i, Hawaii's state song.  Because of his jovial style and his love for the performing arts, the haoles dubbed him "The Merrie Monarch."  Kalakaua elevated his critic's rancor by incurring huge debts to build the opulent ’Iolani Palace and treating himself to a lavish coronation ceremony nine years after becoming king.  An armed insurrection in 1887 forced Kalākaua to accept a "Bayonet Constitution" that stripped the Chinese of the vote and limited Hawaiian political power while shifting more power to the land-owning American and British residents.  Kalākaua died in San Francisco, leaving his sister to become queen of what was essentially an American-controlled nation.

Lydia Lili‘uokalani, 1891-1893

Like her brother, Lydia Lili‘uokalani had a talent for music and wrote some of the most beautiful and delicate songs in the Hawaiian language, including "Aloha Oe."  Lili‘uokalani charged that the constitution of 1887 was illegally forced upon King Kalākaua.   She penned a new constitution that promised only true Hawaiians could vote and they would not have to be rich men to cast a ballot or run for office.  The Queen, however, could not effect her new constitution.  Anti-royalist forces made Lili‘uokalani the last Hawaiian monarch and the first to take leave before death.

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