What Is Kamehameha III’s Birthplace?
There is a stone marking the spot where the second son of Kamehameha I and Keōpūolani was born!
What Makes It Historical?
No one knows exactly when the future king was born, but the plaque at his birth site says March 17, 1814. His mom, Keōpūolani, had traveled 50 miles by canoe to get to this royal center at Keauhou Bay! Here, in a pili hut, she had her second son, who appeared to be dead at first! A kahuna named Kapihe washed the body, put him on the boulder that now has a plaque with his face on it, and chanted until the baby came to life! He was named Kauikeaouli and given to an aliʻi named Kaikioʻewa to raise!
Kauikeaouli grew up in rapidly changing times, since his father died when he was four or five years old, leading to the collapse of the Hawaiian religion and the arrival of Christian customs. This caused trouble for his aikāne partner, Kaomi, because the relationship between two men, once a regular part of life in Hawaiʻi, was not accepted at all by missionaries! The converted chiefs had Kaomi removed from his position of power, and he was likely assassinated in 1833!
This was just the start of the troubles for Kauikeaouli! After taking the throne on June 6, 1825, King Kamehameha III weathered a British attempt to seize Hawaiʻi in 1843, then a French sacking of Honolulu in 1849! Foreign influence converted his absolute monarchy into a British-modeled constitutional one, and he redistributed Hawaiʻi’s land among chiefs and commoners, Hawaiians and foreigners in a process called the Great Māhele of 1848! Kamehameha III reigned for 29 years until his death on December 15, 1854. He was succeeded by his nephew, Alexander ʻIolani Liholiho.
How Can I #HelpTheHelpers?
- Become a member of the Hawaiian Historical Society!
- Donate to the Daughters of Hawaiʻi!
- Be a responsible visitor! Please respect the signs and pathways, and treat all structures and artifacts with respect. They’ve endured a lot to survive into the present. They’ll need our help to make it into the future!
How Do I Get There?
78-7130 Kaleiopapa St
Kailua-Kona, HI 96740
(Take Me There!)
When Should I Visit?
Whenever the mood strikes you!
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