4.5: Kamehameha The Great and the Unification of the Hawai'ian Islands

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Unfortunately, in your typical U.S History course, Hawai’i probably enters the narrative during a unit on imperialism, where Queen Lili’uokalani was forced into surrendering the throne and James Dole’s company established a fruit empire.  Pearl Harbor was bombed and prompted U.S. entry into World War II…Pearl Harbor is in Hawai’i.  Beyond these mentions, I would wager that not much of the rich history of Hawai’i seeps into a majority of American classrooms.  However, Hawai'i is an American state, and its story is an American story: competing leaders, warring kingdoms, commoners preserving their way of life, and outsiders attempting to make sense of it all.  In this episode of History: Beyond the Textbook, our second episode in our arc on foreign relations on the frontier, we explore Kamehameha the Great and the Unification of the Hawai’ian Islands.  

Key People

Kamehameha

Kiwala’o 

Keoua

Kahekili 

Captain James Cook

Key Events/Concepts

Unification of Hawai'ian Islands

We're back for Season Four of History: Beyond the Textbook! This season will focus on the stories of individuals who shaped "America's Federalist Era" in the years roughly 1789-1800. The first six episodes will release every Tuesday from October 28-December 2, while the second six episodes will be released every Tuesday from February 17-March 24. Catch up on Season One, "America's Colonial Era," Season Two, "America's Revolution," and Season Three, "America's Crucial Years," wherever you listen to your podcasts!

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