Kamehameha V
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| Kamehameha V | |
|---|---|
| King of Hawaiian Islands | |
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| Reign | 30 Nov 1863 — 11 Dec 1872 (9 years) |
| Predecessor | Alexander Liholiho King Kamehameha IV |
| Successor | King William Charles Lunalilo |
| Full name | |
| Lota (Lot) Kapuāiwa Kalanikapuapaikalaninui Ali`iolani Kalanimakua | |
| Titles and styles | |
| HM The King HRH The Prince |
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| Royal house | House of Kamehameha |
| Father | High Chief Mataio Kekuanaoa |
| Mother | Princess Elizabeth Kinau |
| Born | December 11, 1830 Honolulu, Oahu |
| Died | 11 December 1872 (aged 42) Honolulu, Oahu |
| Burial | Mauna Ala Royal Mausoleum |
Kamehameha V — born as Lot Kapuāiwa — reigned as monarch of the Kingdom of Hawaiʻi 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.[1]
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[edit] Early Life
He was born Lot Kapuaiwa to Elisabeta Kīnau and her husband Mataio Kekuanaoʻa. 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.
[edit] 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 Hawaiʻi were convinced that he had adopted an anti-American policy. In reality, his foreign policy remained the same.
[edit] 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 will never sign the death warrant of my people." Alcoholism was the many causes of the already declining population of the native Hawaiians.
[edit] Growth in travel to Hawaiʻi
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
[edit] Building projects under Kamehameha's reign
The Hawaiian Hotel was not 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 Aliʻiōlani Hale was laid in 1872 and the building completed in 1874. The original purpose was to replace the contemporary ʻIolani Palace built by Kamehameha III. Its purpose was dropped in favor of a more useful one. Currently, it is the home of the Hawaiʻi State Supreme Court and the statue of Kamehameha the Great. Some other building projects included the ʻIolani 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 Hawaiʻi's resources and by March 31, 1874, Hawaiʻi's national debt stood at over $355,000.
[edit] Choosing an heir to the Hawaiian throne
A bachelor, he did not have any direct heirs to the throne. He was once deeply in love with his cousin Bernice Pauahi, but she would 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 Hawaiʻi, 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.
[edit] External Links
- Kamehameha V (Lot) 1830-1872
- Kamehameha V
- The Honolulu Advertiser Kamehameha V
- Ali`iolani - Mele Inoa for Kamehameha V]
- Biography from the Hawaiʻi Royal Family's official site
- KAMEHAMEHA V: LAST OF THE KAMEHAMEHA KINGS
- The Prince Lot Hula Festival
- Kamehameha V at Find a Grave
[edit] References
| Preceded by Kamehameha IV |
King of Hawaiʻi 1863 - 1872 |
Succeeded by Lunalilo |
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