Kamehameha V Totally Explained

Everything about Kamehameha V Of Hawaii totally explained

Kamehameha V — born as Lot Kapuāiwa — reigned as monarch of the Kingdom of Hawaii from 1863 to 1872. He was born 11 December, 1830, and died on his 42nd birthday December 11, 1872. His motto was "Onipa`a": immovable, firm, steadfast or determined; he worked diligently for his people and kingdom and was described as the last great chief of the olden type, like his grandfather Kamehameha I.

Early Life

He was born Lot Kapuaiwa to Elisabeta Kīnau and her husband Mataio Kekuanaoa. Kapuaiwa means mysterious kapu or sacred one protected by supernatural powers. His sibling include Moses Kekuaiwa, Alexander Liholiho, and Victoria Kamamalu. He was hanaied (adopted) by the Princess Nahienaena but she died in 1836 and so, High Chief Ulumaheihei Hoapili and Queen Kalakua Kaheiheimalie his grandmother. He was educated at Royal School like his cousins and siblings. He was betrothed to Bernice Pauahi at birth. Bernice eventually went against her parents' wishes and married Charles R. Bishop. Lot and Bernice remained friends for the rest of his life and he even asked her to take the throne.

A new constitution

In May 1864, he called for a constitutional convention to occur on July 7, 1864. He wanted to propose a new constitution that was in more favor to the crown rather than adding amendments to the old constitution. The convention started on time and ran smoothly up until the 62nd article. It limited voters to being residents who passed a literacy test and possessed property or had income qualifications. On August 20, 1864, he signed the new constitution and took an oath to protect it. The constitution was based on the original draft while 20 articles were deleted. When he appointed Charles de Varigny to the king's cabinet, Americans in Hawaii were convinced that he'd adopted an anti-American policy. In reality, his foreign policy remained the same.

Alcohol

In 1865 a bill was brought before the legislature permiting the selling of liquor in Hawaii. Kamehameha V surprised the supporters of the bill saying. " I'll never sign the death warrant of my people." Alcoholism was the many causes of the already declining population of the native Hawaiians.

Growth in travel to Hawaii

Growth in travel to the islands increased during Kamehameha's reign. Mark Twain came in March 1866 aboard the Ajax. He stayed for four months under his real name, writing letters back to the Sacramento Union describing the islands. Twain remarked: "There was no trivial royal nonsense about him... He dressed plainly, poked about Honolulu, night or day, on his old horse, unattended; he was popular, greatly respected, and even beloved." Queen Victoria sent her second son Alfred Ernest Albert on a state visit in 1869. With these people were envoys, politicians and merchants, creating the need for hotels. The Hawaiian Hotel was proposed in 1865 but not laid down until 1871. The Hotel is located on the corner of Hotel Street and Richards Street and was formally opened by a ball on February 29, 1872. The hotel changed names to Royal Hawaiian Hotel. During World War I, it was converted into the present Armed Forces YMCA. He appealed to Kaiser Wilhelm I of Germany, who sent Henri Berger to organize the Royal Hawaiian Band, a gift of music from the king to his people

Building projects under Kamehameha's reign

The Hawaiian Hotel wasn't the only ambitious building project that Kamehameha V had initiated. He wanted to create a credible and pleasing face for the government for those who visited. The cornerstone of the Aliiōlani Hale was laid in 1872 and the building completed in 1874. The original purpose was to replace the contemporary Iolani Palace built by Kamehameha III. Its purpose was dropped in favor of a more useful one. Currently, it's the home of the Hawaii State Supreme Court and the statue of Kamehameha the Great. Some other building projects included the Iolani barracks to house the royal guards, a new prison, the Royal Mausoleum, schoolhouses and warehouses, an insane asylum, a quarantine building to process the flood of immigrants, and other government structures. Because of so many new projects, there was heavy strain on Hawaii's resources and by March 31, 1874, Hawaii's national debt stood at over $355,000.

Choosing an heir to the Hawaiian throne

A bachelor, he didn't have any direct heirs to the throne. He was once deeply in love with his cousin Bernice Pauahi, but she'd later married Charles R. Bishop. He also was in love with his brother's widow Emma, but she wished to stay a widow for the rest of her life. His first heir was his sister Crown Princess Victoria Kamamalu but she died childless in 1866. Throughout the remainder of his reign, he stubbornly refused to name a successor. In his last years, he became obese and heavy set. Over time, he became unable to ride a horse and took to the indoors. Without physical activity, he became weaker and was eventually bedridden. On December 11, 1872, he made a final effort to name an heir to the throne. High Chief Bernice Pauahi refused, recommending Ruth Keelikolani his half-sister, then Queen Emma his brother's widow. Kamehameha passed on those suggestions and before it could be brought up again, he died while the preparations for his birthday celebration were underway. He was the last monarch of the House of Kamehameha. According to the Constitution of Hawaii, it fell on the legislature to name a new king. The legislature declared an open election for the office, an election won by Kamehameha V's cousin William Charles Lunalilo.

Further Information

Get more info on 'Kamehameha V Of Hawaii'.

External Link Exchanges

Do you know how hard it is to get a link from a large encyclopaedia? Well we're different and will prove it. To get a link from us just add the following HTML to your site on a relevant page:

<a href="http://kamehameha_v.totallyexplained.com">Kamehameha V Totally Explained</a>

Then simply click through this link from your web page. Our crawlers will verify your link, extract the title of your web page and instantly add a link back to it. If you like you can remove the words Totally Explained and embed the link in article text.
As long as your link remains in place, we'll keep our link to you right here. Please play fair - our crawlers are watching. Your site must be closely related to this one's topic. Any kind of spamming, dubious practises or removing the link will result in your link from us being dropped and, potentially, your whole site being banned.