King Kamehameha the Great, was only known as “the Great” after the reign of Kamehameha's ended of 4 generations. He was born in 1753, and ruled from 1795 until his death in 1819.
Features
His statue is right outside of Iolani Palace and Ali’iolani Hale on King Street in downtown Honolulu. He was the first ruler of the Hawaiian Kingdom, which he founded as the Hawaiian ruling chief.
He was a physical giant of Hawaiians, being a little over 7 feet tall. But he was known as being a great political leader.
He brought in technology, ideas and people from the western world to his 3,000-year-old Polynesian civilization.
With wisdom, he blended the two cultures to keep the kingdom Hawaiian in nature.
The Hawaiian flag was designed while he was in reign.
He stockpiled supplies and had many years of training for his men for his future of conquering the other islands. This was after he became the ruler of Big Island because his rival that was ruling was killed and his body offered as a sacrifice dedicating a temple. This temple was advised to Kamehameha to build if he wanted to rule all islands. It was a large heiau (a place of worship for a type of god) to the war god Ku-ka-’ili-moku and made on Pu’u Kohola at Kawaihae.
The traditional Hawaiian worship of their four major gods had one change from Kamehameha after he ruled all islands; no more human sacrifice to the god Ku. He consistently governed himself and others by the tenets of the Hawaiian religion and tradition of responsible ruling set by his ancestors.
The people most close to him and trusted were given land which they governed and it supported them.
He also knew that in order to rule all islands and in order to make progress he needed advice and help. He understood politics and social structure. So he brought the british into it.
Hawaii celebrates King Kamehameha Day on June 11.
Disclaimer: We're not affiliated, authorized, associated, endorsed by, or officially connected with the company or entities listed here, or any of their subsidiaries or affiliates. All trademarks cited, listed, or shown here are the property of their respective owners. We are not responsible for errors, omissions,
safety issues, or inaccurate information. This site is for entertainment purposes only and is not an official guide. Attempting anything you see here is done so at your own risk and we are not responsible for your safety, loss of life, legal or medical fees, or damages because of anything you see or read on this site.