Individual Details

LIFE
A. Firstborn of her parents (Kamakau, Ruling Chiefs of Hawaii, p 309).
Conflict: Stokes, New Bases for Hawaiian Chronology, p. 57 states she was born in 1777. Thrum, Chronological Table of Important Events states 1733, as does Oukah, Hawaiian Royal & Noble Genealogies, p 59.
Conflict: Bingham, A Residence of Twenty-One Years in the Sandwich Islands, p 29 indicates 1773 as the birth year.
B. Kaahumanu means "the feather mantle" (Jarves, History of the Hawaiian and Sandwich Islands, p 214).
C. Joined to Kamehameha in 1785 at 17 years old (Fornander, An Account of the Polynesian Race, vol 2 p 320; Kamakau, Ruling Chiefs of Hawaii, p 126).
Conflict: Forbes, A Chronological Table of Remarkable Events, lists union date as 1775.
Kamehameha "was already the husband of two recognized wives; but Kaahumanu was ambitious, and, with admiration but no affection for him, she consented to become his wife" (Kalakaua, The Legends and Myths of Hawaii, p 366). She became his principal mate; she was "the wife he loved best of all." (Kamakau, Ruling Chiefs of Hawaii, p 315,184)
D. "The chief [Kamehameha] treated her as if she were a goddess. Any condemned person could be saved if Ka-ahu-manu said the word. Her lands were also turned into places of refuge" "It was said that Kamehameha's long control of the government was due to [Kaahumanu] alone; through her all the chiefs became reconciled to Kamehameha to whom she was devoted" (Kamakau, Ruling Chiefs of Hawaii, p 313,311).
E. She had no children with Kamehameha (McKinzie, Hawaiian Genealogies, vol 1 p 9)
Conflict: Ahlo, Walker & Johnson, Kamehameha's Children today, p 4 indicates 1 child.
F. She became kuhina nui in May 1819 (Oukah, Hawaiian Royal & Noble Genealogies, p 59).
G. "During the brief residence of Liholiho at Kawaihae [in the 5 months following the death of Kamehameha I), Kaahumanu inaugurated a vigorous conspiracy against the priesthood, and resolved to persuade the young king to repudiate the religion and tabus of his fathers. In this scheme she was assisted by Keopuolani, the mother of Liholiho; Kalaimoku, the prime minister [and uncle to one of Liholiho's mates], and Hewahewa, the high-priest...
Kaahumanu, the favorite mate of Kamehameha I., but the mother of none of his children, was bold, ambitious, and unscrupulous. Left second in authority under the young king, she chafed at the restraints imposed by the tabu upon her sex." Kaahumanu told the young king that she would defy the tabu when he completed his mourning. By her encouragement and that of his mother and the high-priest, Liholiho demonstrated that the tabu was broken (Kalakaua, The Legends and Myths of Hawaii, p 432,434).
H. She joined with Kaumalii in 1821, and also joined with his son, Kealiiahonui (Alexander, A Brief History of the Hawaiian People, p 178). This placed both their lives under her protection (Oukah, Hawaiian Royal & Noble Genealogies, p 59).
I. Not long after receiving Kaumualii and his son, she became seriously ill and was nursed back to health by Hiram Bingham's wife. Thereafter, she was "much more receptive to Christian teachings" (Daws, Shoal of Time, p 67).
J. She lived in Honolulu at least from 1822 to 1825, while married to Kaumualii (Kamakau, Ruling Chiefs of Hawaii, p 265).
K. Contemporaries: Kaahumanu, Kekua-i-piia (sister), Namahana , Kinau , Kalani-pauahi , and Ke-ka-ulu-ohi were all taught to read (Kamakau, Ruling Chiefs of Hawaii, p 271).
L. She became Christian in 1826 and was christened Elizabeth Kaahumanu (Kamakau, Ruling Chiefs of Hawaii, p 275). Thereafter, she traveled Oahu preaching the word of God.
Conflict: Kamakau, Ruling Chiefs of Hawaii, p 323 states it was December 4, 1825.
Kuykendall, The Hawaiian Kingdom, vol 1 p 123 indicates early December, 1825.
"The chiefs upheld the hands of Ka-ahumanu, and the nation turned to the truth. No one during those years could be seen worshipping in the old way; no sorcery; there was not much awa drinking" (Kamakau, Ruling Chiefs of Hawaii, p 425).
After her conversion she was a champion for education and for "God's work." She also befriended common people and banished those of the chiefly class if they misled the king. She removed the burdensome tax on commoners to support the alii (Kamakau, Ruling Chiefs of Hawaii, p 307-308).
M. She was Queen Regent 1824-1832 (Bingham, A Residence of Twenty-One Years in the Sandwich Islands, p 80).
N. She took ill in May 1832 after traveling to Maui and Hawaii and returning to Oahu; after a week she moved to Manoa. She died in her 64th year (Kamakau, Ruling Chiefs of Hawaii, p 306,308).
O. Fragment: Ancestor is Kawelo (Kawelo-a-Mahuna-alii) son of Mahuna-alii (Kamakau, Ruling Chiefs of Hawaii, p 251).

Birth	1768	Hana, Maui
Marriage	Abt 1785	Kamehameha I
Marriage	Oct 1821	Keliiahonui
Marriage	Oct 1821	Kaumualii
Death	5 Jun 1832	Manoa, Oahu
Alt name		Elizabeth Kaahumanu

Spouse	Kamehameha I (1736 - 1819)
Child	Pelelulu (1798 - )

Spouse

Kaumualii (1780 - 1824)

Spouse

Keliiahonui (1800 - 1849)

Father	Keeaumoku ( - 1804)
Mother	Namahana ( - )
Sibling	Kuakini (1791 - 1844)
Sibling	Kaheiheimalie (1778 - 1842)
Sibling	Keeaumokuopio ( - 1823)
Sibling	Kalua ( - )
Sibling	Kekuaipiia ( - 1829)
Sibling	Hakuole ( - )