Kauikeaouli was Hawai‘i’s longest-reigning monarch, ruling as Kamehameha III from 1825 – 1854. Born to Keōpūolani and Kamehameha I, he carried the highest kapu, the most sacred of the ali‘i. While his name has been translated as “placed in the dark clouds,” both “uli” and “ao” are powerful concepts with deeper meanings, vaulting the combined term into a name appropriate for the future king.
This exhibit is named “Ke Ao Uli” excerpted from his name, to recognize the King’s pivotal rule during this period. Translated as the time of darkness or dark clouds, the phrase is associated with Kāne, and culturally reminiscent of times of change or transcendence. It reminds us of the great uncertainty that swept the islands during his rule as Kauikeaouli led Hawai‘i’s transformation from kingdom to constitutional monarchy. This was an epic undertaking.
From 1825 – 1841, a span of 26 years, Kauikeaouli surmounted a series of cultural, social and governmental changes that monarchies in Europe had taken 150 years to navigate.1 During this period, the King and his ali‘i sought to balance the urgent need for change against the imperative to retain Hawai‘i’s sovereignty. For insight and guidance, they turned to trusted allies, the American missionaries.
Explore the timeline below.
Mission Stations (1825)
View the interactive map of the islands of Kaua‘i, O‘ahu, Maui and Hawai‘i to see key Ali‘i and mission members during this time.
Teaching, Preaching and Printing: Ka Pule (Prayer)
Hawaiians quickly took to reading and writing but were slower to accept Christianity.
Teaching, Preaching and Printing: Ka Palapala (Reading and Writing)
From the time of Captain Cook, Hawaiians saw that foreigners used writing to both formalize agreements and communicate ideas.
Teaching, Preaching and Printing: The Printing Press
The printing press made an indelible impact on Hawaiian history.
Teaching, Preaching and Printing: The Lands of Kapunahou
Kapunahou has long been celebrated for its legendary freshwater spring.
Teaching, Preaching and Printing: The Chiefs’ Children’s School
In 1839, Kauikeaouli (Kamehameha III) established the Chiefs’ Children’s School in Honolulu, to educate Hawai‘i’s future leaders.
Hiram Bingham
The Rev. Hiram Bingham led the first company of missionaries to Hawai‘i in 1819 – 1820.
Ka‘ahumanu
Queen Ka‘ahumanu was the favorite wife of Kamehameha I, who united the Hawaiian Islands.
Troubled Times: Making the Laws
International trade brought an influx of foreigners to Hawai‘i.
Troubled Times: “War Will Immediately Commence”
In 1827, a small group of Catholics from France arrived in Honolulu to establish a mission.
Troubled Times: The Emergence of Plantation Agriculture
With the arrival of foreigners, Hawai‘i’s economy expanded beyond traditional systems.
Troubled Times: “Scenes of Death and Carnage”
From the first arrival of foreigners in Hawai‘i in 1778, Hawaiians perished from introduced diseases at an alarming rate.
David (Davida) Malo
David Malo was a Hawaiian scholar and royal adviser, who is perhaps best remembered today for his book, Hawaiian Antiquities, which illuminates Hawaiian cultural traditions.
John Papa ʻĪʻī
John (Ioane) Kāneiakama Papa ‘Ī‘ī was an esteemed statesman and royal adviser, who ultimately served four consecutive monarchs, from Kamehameha I to Alexander Liholiho (Kamehameha IV).
Forming the Hawaiian State: Land and Pono
For Hawaiians, land was not something to be bought and sold but a living ancestor.
Forming the Hawaiian State: No Ke Kālai‘āina (1839)
By the mid-1830s, Hawai‘i had endured a series of escalating foreign conflicts.
Forming the Hawaiian State: Embracing a Constitutional Monarchy (1839 – 1840)
Though sometimes criticized for being a product of Western ideas, the Declaration of Rights and Constitution transformed Hawai‘i.
Kauikeaouli (Kamehameha III)
Kauikeaouli was the son of Kamehameha I and his sacred wife, Keōpūolani.
The Rev. William Richards
William Richards arrived in Hawaiʻi in 1823 with the second company of missionaries.
Founding of Punahou School
On July 11, 1842, Levi Chamberlain, business agent for the Mission, bundled four of his children and two others into his horse-drawn wagon and set out from the Mission compound in Honolulu across the treeless plain to Kapunahou.
Rev. Daniel Dole
A graduate of Bowdoin College and Bangor Seminary, Dole was a classical scholar who arrived with his wife, Emily, in the Ninth Company of missionaries in May 1841.
Aftermath: The 1840s and Resistance
During the 1840s, the Hawaiian government continued to reorganize, establishing departments and administrative structures.
Mission Stations (1841)
View the interactive map of the islands of Kaua‘i, O‘ahu, Maui and Hawai‘i to see key Ali‘i and mission members during this time.
Conclusion
On this anniversary marking the 200th year of the missionaries’ departure from New England and arrival in Hawai‘i, we acknowledge the pivotal impact the missionaries had on Hawai‘i, its people and what the nation would become.
1 “It had taken a century and a half for European monarchs who ruled by divine right and brute force to be replaced by constitutional democracies and the rule of law.” Lepore, Jill, “In Every Dark Hour,” TheNew Yorker, Feb. 3, 2020, p. 20.