Person

Kamehameha I

c. 1758–1819 · 18th century · Also known as Kamehameha the Great

Kamehameha I was a chief of Hawaiʻi Island who conquered Maui, Molokaʻi and Oʻahu in a series of campaigns, winning the decisive Battle of Nuʻuanu in 1795. He founded the Kingdom of Hawaii, and Kauaʻi accepted his rule in 1810. He used Western ships and firearms, controlled the sandalwood trade and kept the traditional kapu system until his death.

Kamehameha I
Image: Louis Choris · Public domain · Wikimedia Commons

Mentioned in 1 profile

Kingdom of HawaiiSocioeconomy, Military, Governance, Summary

Mentioned in 5 state histories

Chiefdom of OahuChiefdom of KauaiChiefdom of MauiChiefdom of Hawaii IslandKingdom of Hawaii

See also

Cite this entry
APA
The Epoch Institute. (2026). Kamehameha I. In The Epoch Institute Encyclopedia. https://the-epoch-institute.org/encyclopedia/kamehameha-i
MLA
“Kamehameha I.” The Epoch Institute Encyclopedia, The Epoch Institute, 2026, https://the-epoch-institute.org/encyclopedia/kamehameha-i. Accessed .
Chicago
The Epoch Institute. “Kamehameha I.” The Epoch Institute Encyclopedia. 2026. https://the-epoch-institute.org/encyclopedia/kamehameha-i.
Harvard
The Epoch Institute (2026) ‘Kamehameha I’, The Epoch Institute Encyclopedia. Available at: https://the-epoch-institute.org/encyclopedia/kamehameha-i (Accessed: ).

Last reviewed October 2026Random entry ↻