King Kamehameha Statue

King Kamehameha Statue, Oahu

The King Kamehameha Statue stands proudly in front of Aliiolani Hale in downtown Honolulu on the island of Oahu. It is one of four statues of King Kamehameha I. The other three are located in Kohala on the Big Island of Hawaii, near downtown Hilo (which is a replica of the Kohala statue) and another one stands in Statuary Hall in Washington, D.C. The statue was cast in Paris from a model made by American artist T.R. Gould.

King Kamehameha I, also known as Kamehameha the Great, who was born 1758 or 1737 or 1738 (there is some debate as to the precise year of his birth) and who died in 1819, was one of the most beloved of Hawaii's heroes. Kamehameha I was the one who conquered the Hawaiian Islands, unified them and established the Kingdom of Hawaii in 1810. Even during times of intense Western influence, his government managed to maintain peace and the traditional values. He developed alliances with the major Pacific colonial powers and by doing so preserved Hawaii's independence.

Until today, King Kamehameha is remembered for the Mamalahoe Kanawai, the Law of the Splintered Paddle, which, in times of battle, protects the human rights of non-combatants. Kamehameha's full Hawaiian name is Kalani Paiea Wohi o Kaleikini Keali`ikui Kamehameha o `Iolani i Kaiwikapu kaui Ka Liholiho Kunuiakea.