National Anthropological Archives, Smithsonian Institution NAA INV 08527400
The youngest child of Kamehameha I and Keōpūolani, Kauikeaouli (Kamehameha III) became leader of his father’s kingdom in 1825, when he was still a boy. Manipulated by both foreigners and ali`i vying for power as the young kingdom grew, he was also torn between the cultures of his principal advisors and apprehensive about the many different peoples now present in his kingdom. Although plagued by alcohol and haunted by the death of his young wife in childbirth, Kauikeaouli grew into his role as leader of his kingdom, and did his best to lead his people through troubling times. Sometimes maligned as the weakest of the Kamehameha rulers, his reign was the longest of them all, and his life reflects the same trials and tribulations that many of his people faced in that period of Hawai`i’s history. Tonight, Big Island historian Boyd D. Bond considers how the King’s story—and those of his people—reveal an amazing strength, perseverance, and sense of purpose in a difficult era.
