Individual Details

LINEAGE
A. Conflict: Peleioholani, Genealogy of the Robinson Family and Ancient Legends and Chants of Hawaii, p 3 lists parents as Kahekili and Kekuiapoiwa II (Kalola), stating: "It was generally admitted by the native historians that Kahekili was the real father of Kamehameha I"
B. Conflict: McKinzie, Hawaiian Genealogies, vol 2 p 102 claims Kahekili was Kamehameha's father; "Keaoua was married for seven years to his chiefly wife, but he did not have a child so Keaweaheulu (k), Kameeiamoku (k), Kamanawa (k) got Kahekiliahumanu (k), King of Maui, to come to Hawaii where Kekuiapoiwa was living and in this mating had that child, a famous conqueror..."
Conflict: McKinzie, Hawaiian Genealogies, vol 1 p 88 describes how Kahekili was Kamehameha's true father. Kamakau, Ruling Chiefs of Hawaii, p 68 states that "it was custom from ancient times among the chiefs of Hawaii for the chief of one island to give a child to the chief of another island. This is the reason why Kahekili has often been called the father of Kamehameha, for chiefs of Hawaii and Maui were closely related." Kamakau identifies father as Keoua, younger brother of Kalaniopuu.
LIFE
A. Historians are unsettled about his birth date. 1736 was selected because the chronologies of Kamakau, Fornander, Alexander, and Westervelt list 1736. It cannot be 1756 because his father Keoua died a few years before that in 1752.
Conflict: Birth date November, 1735 and place Kohala, Hawaii (Alexander, A Brief History of the Hawaiian People, p 320). 1736 on p 327.
Alexander, A Brief History of the Hawaiian People, p 101 claims Kamehameha I was born "on a stormy November night in the year 1736, at Halawa, in Kohala, Hawaii."
Conflict: Ahlo, Kamehameha's Children today, p 3 states birth year as 1736. However, Kuykendall favors 1753, see footnote in Kamakau, Ruling Chiefs of Hawaii, p 66). Thrum, Chronological Table of Important Events also indicates a birth year of 1753.
Conflict: Kalakaua, The Legends and Myths of Hawaii, p 385 states he was born in November, 1740.
"Nearly all account agree that Kamehameha was born at Ainakea, Kohala, on a stormy night in the month of Ikuwa, or October, while Alapainui was mustering his army for the invation of Maui, between the years 1736 and 1740, A. D." (Alexander, Nineteenth Annual Report of the Hawaiian Historical Society, p 6)
B. The newborn was taken as soon as it was born by "Nae-ole, chief of Kohala, who wished by thus getting possession of the chief's child to be appointed his kahu to care for the child" (Kamakau, Ruling Chiefs of Hawaii, p 67). Kahaopulani, ancestress of chiefess Nancy Sumner, was his nurse (Record of foster parents of the Kamehamehas and other chiefs, HEN v1 p 763-765). "Kauhiiliulaapiilani (w) this is the lady who took Kamehameha in the night of his birth Naeole and his brother Kalawa" (Iaukea Genealogy, M70-1-2, p 2). He was taken from his parents by Halawa chief Naeole, who retained him for 5 years, whereafter he was taken to be raised in the court of king Alapainui. He was 12-14 when his father Keoua died (Kalakaua, The Legends and Myths of Hawaii, p 386).
Mrs. Kamaka Stillman presented an alternative story: "Alapainui had gained his position as Moi of Hawaii by a civil war in which the legitimate heirs to the throne, the two sons of Keawe II., had been killed. As soon as he was firmly established in authority as Moi, he caused their two sons, viz; Kalaniopuu, afterwards Moi of Hawaii, and Keoua, the father of Kamehameha, to be brought to him, and kept at his court, where they were treated as high chiefs, and especially trained in the arts of war. The mother of Kamehameha, Kekuiapoiwa II,, was a niece of Alapai... According to this tradition, after having lived with Keoua a long time without having any children, Kekuiapoiwa made a visit to the court of Kahekili, the great king of Maui. After her return certain morbid fancies of hers attracted attention, and Alapai sent his kahuna to investigate the case. The kahuna returned and reported to his master that she would have a child who would be ... a rebel, and ... one who would slaughter the chiefs. On hearing this prediction, he ordered his ... executioner, to be on the watch for the birth of the child.... It will be remembered that infanticide was fearfully prevalent in Hawaii in olden time. Kekuiapoiwa, having heard of the plot ... took a kukini, or king's runner ... and gave him secret instructions to carry the infant as soon it should be born." (Alexander, Nineteenth Annual Report of the Hawaiian Historical Society, p 7).
C. Paiea was a nickname of Kamehameha (Beckwith, Hawaiian Mythology, p 109). Paiea means hard-shelled crab (Silverman, The Young Paiea, p 91).
"the young prince was being nursed by Kahaopulani, lest Alapai's kahunas should see them ... and the secret was kept for several years until it was deemed safe to bring the child back to his parents. He was nursed together with Kahaopulani's little daughter Kuakane ... and during that time he went by the name of Paiea"
(Alexander, Nineteenth Annual Report of the Hawaiian Historical Society, p 8).
The name Kamehameha means "the lonely one" (Jarves, History of the Hawaiian and Sandwich Islands, p 214).
D. "As he grew to maturity he sought the friendship of his uncle, King Kalaniopuu, becoming a great favorite at the royal court" (Pratt, Keoua: Father of Kings, p 19).
E. Kalaniopuu sent Kamehameha to Kohala about 1775 and in 1782 granted to him Hamakua, Kohala, and Kona before his death (Ahlo, Kamehameha's Children today, p 3). He was sent to Kohala because some of Kalaniopuu's chiefs plotted to kill him because he violated heiau rituals (Kamakau, Ruling Chiefs of Hawaii, p 109). From 1775 - 1782 before Kalaniopuu's death, Kamehameha lived in Kohala and Hamakua "among his own kinfolk, the Mahi, that he acquired wives from their ohana and with whom he had more children." His wives during this time were Kauhilanimaka, Kahailiopua, Wahinepalama, Maounalika, and Kaloi. "More than likely the other members of his family from Kau and Kona remained behind, continuing to live in their own familiar surroundings. Given the marriage customs and patterns of those times, it seems hardly likely that Kamehameha would have moved them back and forth..." (Ahlo, Kamehameha's Children Today, p 41).
F. He was over forty years old when the Kona chiefs - Keeaumokupapaiahiahi, Kameeiamoku, Kamanawa, and Keawe-a-Heulu - sought him out to battle against Keawemauhili and Keoua Kuahuula (Fornander, Account of the Polynesian Race, vol 2 p 314). Chiefs and relatives who fought alongside Kamehameha against Keoua and Kiwalao were Kamanawa, Kakuhaupio, and younger relatives Kalaimamahu, Kawelookalani, and Kalanimalokulokuikapo'ookalani (Kamakau, Ruling Chiefs of Hawaii, p 120). In the battle following the death of Kiwalao, Keoua Kuahuula gained ruled over Kau and Puna, Keawemauhili over Hilo and half of Puna and Hamakua, while Kamehameha ruled Kona, Kohala, and half of Hamakua (Kamakau, Ruling Chiefs of Hawaii, p 122). While holding most of Hawaii, his trusted advisers were: Keeaumoku, Keaweaheulu, Kameeiamoku, and Kamanawa (Kamakau, Ruling Chiefs of Hawaii, p 124). His efforts to conquer Hawaii were repelled by Keoua for quite some time. Kahekili of Maui, assisted by Kaeo of Kauai, also harassed him in Hawaii. However, after Keeaumoku assassinated Keoua during a peace offering, he quickly became sovereign of the island. His reign of island of Hawaii estimated to begin 1782 (Kalakaua, The Legends and Myths of Hawaii, p 396,31). Kamehameha became ruler of Hawaii in 1782 (Ahlo, Kamehameha's Children Today, p 4).
G. As he prepared for the final struggle on Oahu, "it is said that his army numbered sixteen thousand warriors, some of them armed with muskets, and that so great was the number of his canoes that they almost blackened the channels through which they passed" (Kalakaua, The Legends and Myths of Hawaii, p 404). In his conquest over Kalanikupule at the battle of Nuuanu, Oahu, Molokai, and Lanai were taken in 1797. Kauai was the final island to be conquered (Kamakau, Ruling Chiefs of Hawaii, p 172-173).
H. After uniting the islands (except Kauai) into one kingdom, Kamehameha established a council which "handled the affairs of government in matters of war or of the welfare of the people" (Kamakau, Ruling Chiefs of Hawaii, p 175). This type of council, known as aha, was first established on the island of Hawai'i at the time of Haho (Kamakau, Tales and Traditions of the People of Old, p 156).
I. "Kamehameha made laws to protect both chiefs and commoners..." He organized labor into specialties for fishing, making wood implements, canoe transportation, farming, clothes-making, teaching, healing (Kamakau, Ruling Chiefs of Hawaii, p 175-179).
J. He arranged for the cessation of Kauai peacefully in 1809 (Kamakau, Ruling Chiefs of Hawaii, p 195-197).
K. When there was a famine in Kona, he labored for his own sustenance. "Kamehameha was a wise and considerate man. He looked ... especially to the welfare of his kingdom" and his people (Dibble, History of the Sandwich Islands, p 74).
L. Order of spouses (Ahlo, Kamehameha's Children today, p 3-6). "He had some twenty wives" (The Pacific Commercial Advertiser, 21 Dec 1872, p 3, This is the Truth). "By twelve of his twenty-one wives, he had no children, and by nine others, he had twenty-four" (Bingham, A Residence of Twenty-One Years in the Sandwich Isles, p 53).
Conflict: his first 2 wives were Kalola and Peleuli (Kalakaua, The Legends and Myths of Hawaii, p 398).
Conflict: The Polynesian, 13 May 1848, p 1, Hawaiian Chronological Table indicates union with Kaahumanu in 1785.
M. Even in peacetime, he was a man of anger and violence. He had beat his favorite wives, Kaahumanu and Kalakua. Those close to him feared him rather than loved him (Bingham, A Residence of Twenty-One Years in the Sandwich Isles, p 54).
N. "There were many noted and wealthy foreigners who arrived in the time of Kamehameha, but he would not give his daughters to any of them. Instead, he gave them to poor, homely chiefs because he preferred children of high rank to wealth" (Pukui, Hawaiian Genealogies, p 87).
O. "Kamehameha I was born between 1736 and 1740 at Kokoike, North Kohala, Hawaii; ruled as king for the entire island of Hawaii in 1791 after the plundering death of Keoua Kuahuula at Kawaihae; in 1795 ruled as king of the combined islands after the inheriting war at Nuuanu; on 1810, Kauai entered under his protection; on May 8, 1819 he died at Kailua, North Kona, Hawaii" (McKinzie, Hawaiian Genealogies, vol 1 p 9).
P. "He was ill a long time in Kailua... Some of [the] chiefs were sorcerer or medicine priests.... When they saw their king they knew that his illness was beyond their reach and that no medicine could heal him, so they agreed to tell him that he must look to his gods for life or death.... A heiau or temple for this god was made of cut or hewn ohia trees... When the people saw this house of ohia wood buit, they were greatly frightened, thinking that men would be caught and killed and laid on the altar.... Kamehameha, however, did not permit any such sacrifice." (Westervelt, Twenty-first Annual Report of the Hawaiian Historical Society, p 29-30).
Q. "Kamehameha's last words were 'E 'oni wale no 'oukou i ku'u pono -' ('Carry on my good work -'), at this point he expired, his sentence unfinished" (Kwan, et al., Na Lani Kamehameha, p 1).
R. "He died May 8, 1819, at the age of eighty-three years. Fourteen years he fought to unite the islands and he ruled twenty-three years.... at heart he was a father to the orphan, a savior to the old and weak, a helper to the destitute, a farmer, a fisherman, and cloth maker for the needy" (Kamakau, Ruling Chiefs of Hawaii, p 210).

Birth	Abt 1736
Marriage	Abt 1785	Kaahumanu
Death	8 May 1819	Kona, Hawaii
Alt name		Kunuiakea Kamehameha
Alt name		"Paiea"
Alt name		Kalani Paiea WohioKaleikini Kealii Kui KamehamehaoIolaniiKaiwikapu KauiKaliholiho Kunuiakea
Alt name		KalaniPaieaWohioKaleikiniKealii KamehamehaoIolaniiKaiwikapuKauiKaliholihoKunuaka
Alt name		Kamehamehakunuiakea

Spouse	Kanekapolei ( - )
Child	Kahaaualani ( - )

Spouse	Keopuolani (1778 - 1823)
Child	Liholiho (1797 - 1824)
Child	Laamea ( - )
Child	Kukaoo ( - )
Child	Kauikeaouli (1813 - 1854)
Child	Nahienaena (1815 - 1836)

Spouse	Kaheiheimalie (1778 - 1842)
Child	Kamamalu (1802 - 1824)
Child	Kamehameha Kapuaiwa (1801 - )
Child	Kekuaiwa (1803 - )
Child	Kahoanoku Kinau (1805 - 1839)
Child	Kamehameha Kakaa ( - )

Spouse	Peleuli ( - )
Child	Maheha Kapulikoliko ( - )
Child	Kahoanoku Kinau ( - 1809)
Child	Kaikoolani ( - )
Child	Kiliwehi ( - )
Child	Lunalilo ( - )

Spouse	Kaahumanu (1768 - 1832)
Child	Pelelulu (1798 - )

Spouse

Kalola ( - )

Spouse	Kahulilanimaka ( - )
Child	Kahiwa Kanekapolei ( - )

Spouse	Kalolawahilaniakumukoa ( - )
Child	Kahiliopua (1767 - )

Spouse

Kekuaipiia ( - 1829)

Spouse	Kahailiopua ( - )
Child	Keoua ( - )
Child	Luahine ( - )

Spouse	Wahinepalama ( - )
Child	Kapapauai ( - )
Child	Haaloa ( - )

Spouse	Maunakalika ( - )
Child	Kaiwikuamoookekuokalani ( - )

Spouse	Kalanikaukooluaole ( - )
Child	Keawelaiki ( - )

Spouse

Kekuiapoiwa Liliha ( - 1815)

Spouse

Kalanikauiokikilo ( - 1809)

Spouse

Keohohiwa ( - )

Spouse

Kekikipua ( - )

Spouse	Kaakaupalahalaha ( - )
Child	Wanea Nahoaolelookamehameha ( - )

Spouse	Kanahoahoa ( - )
Child	Kekauonohi (1799 - )

Spouse

Kai ( - )

Spouse

Kahoa ( - )

Spouse	Kahakuhaakoi ( - 1826)
Child	Laakapu ( - )

Spouse

Kikipaa ( - )

Spouse

Kekauluohi (1794 - 1845)

Spouse

Kekupuohi ( - )

Spouse

Kekauonohi ( - 1851)

Spouse	Kaupekamoku ( - )
Child	Hoapili ( - )

Spouse	Haalou ( - )
Child	Haalou ( - )
Child	Aliipalapala ( - )
Child	Kamoakupa ( - )
Child	Kekuaina ( - )
Child	Nanaulu ( - )

Spouse	Kaloi ( - )
Child	Luhane ( - )
Child	Kalanialii ( - )
Child	Kupanihi ( - )
Child	Naaiowa ( - )

Spouse	Kamaeokalani ( - )
Child	Haole ( - )

Spouse	Manono ( - 1819)
Child	Kapapauai ( - )

Father	Keoua (1712 - 1752)
Mother	Kekuiapoiwa ( - )
Sibling	Kalanimalokuloku ( - 1809)
Sibling	Peleuli ( - )
Sibling	Piipii ( - )
Sibling	Manuamaa ( - )
Sibling	Lunalilo ( - )