2011-06-22

Kapuāiwa

Kamehameha V

This article is about the fifth King of Hawaii. For other kings of the same name, see King Kamehameha (disambiguation). For other meanings of "Kamehameha", see Kamehameha (disambiguation).
Kamehameha V
King of the Hawaiian Islands (more...)
Reign November 30, 1863 — December 11, 1872
(9 years, 11 days)
Predecessor Kamehameha IV
Successor Lunalilo
Full name
Lota (Lot) Liholiho Kapuāiwa Kalanimakua Kalanikupuapaikalaninui Aliʻiolani Kalani-a-Kekūanaō‘a
House House of Kamehameha
Father High Chief Mataio Kekūanāoʻa
Ulumāheihei Hoapili (hānai)
Mother Princess Elizabeth Kīnaʻu
Nāhiʻenaʻena (hānai)Kalākua Kaheiheimālie (hānai)
Born December 11, 1830
Honolulu, Oahu
Died December 11, 1872 aoremovetag(aged 42)
Honolulu, Oahu
Burial Mauna ʻAla Royal Mausoleum
Signature

Kamehameha V (1830–1872), born as Lot Kapuāiwa, reigned as monarch of the Kingdom of Hawaiʻi from 1863 to 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 traditional chief. His full Hawaiian name prior to his succession was Lota Liholiho Kapuāiwa Kalanimakua Kalanikupuapaikalaninui Aliʻiolani Kalani-a-Kekūanaōʻa.

Early life

He was born and given the name Lot Kapuāiwa December 11, 1830. His mother was Elizabeth Kīnaʻu and father was Mataio Kekūanāoʻa. His siblings included David Kamehameha, Moses Kekuaiwa, Alexander Liholiho, and Victoria Kamamalu. Kapu āiwa means mysterious kapu or sacred one protected by supernatural powers. He was adopted using the ancient Hawaiian tradition called hānai by Princess Nāhiʻenaʻena, but she died in 1836. He was then adopted by his grandmother Queen Kalākua Kaheiheimālie and step-grandfather High Chief Ulumāheihei Hoapili. His childhood was pretty rough. He felt that his hānai parents treated him as a stranger in their house and he felt the adoption had deprived him the love of his mother. Throughout his life he would have a deep dislike for this tradition as it could be later seen by his anger at his half-sister Ruth Keelikolani giving away her second son Keolaokalani to Bernice Pauahi Bishop.

It was planned that he would be his hanai father's heir as Governor of Maui, although this never happen. Since King Kamehameha III declared him eligible for the throne, he was educated at the Royal School like his cousins and siblings. He was betrothed to Bernice Pauahi at birth but she eventually married Charles R. Bishop. Lot and Bernice remained friends for the rest of his life.

Career

From 1852 to 1855 he served on the Privy Council, and from 1852 to 1862 in the House of Nobles. He was Minister of the Interior from 1857 to 1863, chief justice of the supreme court from 1857 to 1858, and held other offices. His more charismatic younger brother Prince Alexander was chosen to become King Kamehameha IV in 1854.

A new constitution

He came to power on November 30, 1863, but refused to uphold the previous constitution of 1852. In May 1864 he called for a constitutional convention. On July 7, 1864 he proposed a new constitution rather than amending the old one. The convention ran smoothly 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 1864 Constitution of the Kingdom of Hawaii and took an oath to protect it. The constitution was based on the original draft but 20 articles were deleted. When he appointed Charles de Varigny as minister of finance in December 1863, Americans in Hawaiʻi were convinced that he had adopted an anti-American policy. In reality, his foreign policy remained the same. Later de Varigny became minister of foreign affairs from 1865–1869.

He founded the Royal Order of Kamehameha I society on April 11, 1865 named to honor his grandfather.

Alcohol

In 1865 a bill was brought before the legislature permitting the sale of liquor to the native Hawaiians. Kamehameha V surprised the supporters of the bill, saying "I will never sign the death warrant of my people." Alcoholism was one of the many causes of the already declining population of the native Hawaiians.

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, Samuel Clemens, writing letters back to the Sacramento Union describing the islands. Twain described the king:

Queen Victoria sent her second son Alfred, Duke of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha 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 V's reign

St. Andrew's Cathedral had been planned under Kamehameha IV, but construction started in 1867. Besides these private buildings, Kamehameha V also initiated ambitious public projects. He wanted to create a credible and pleasing face for the government for those who visited. The Kamehameha V Post Office was begun in 1871. 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. Some other building projects included the ʻIolani barracks to house the royal guards, a new prison, the Royal Mausoleum, schools 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.

Choosing an heir to the Hawaiian throne

His sister and only named Heir Apparent to the throne, Crown Princess Victoria Kamāmalu had died childless in 1866 and through the remainder of his reign, Kamehameha V did not name a successor. He died on December 11, 1872 while the preparations for his birthday celebration were underway. As Lot lay bedstricken, he answered those that came to visit him: "The Good Lord cannot take me today, today is my birthday". He was buried in the Royal Mausoleum of Hawaii known as Mauna ʻAla.

He was the last ruling monarch of the House of Kamehameha. According to his Constitution of 1864, Article 24: "The Crown is hereby permanently confirmed to His Majesty Kamehameha V, and to the Heirs of His Body Lawfully Begotten, and to their Lawful Descendents in a Direct Line..." The legislature chose to use a later part of that same article to select a new king. The legislature declared an election for the office, won by Kamehameha V's cousin William Charles Lunalilo.

Legacy

The Prince Lot Hula Festival is named for him. It was held the third Saturday in July since 1977 at his former home called Moanalua Gardens.

Since some female students of the Royal School such as Abigail Maheha were expelled with hastily arranged marriages, due to scandalous pregnancies, some speculate that the 16 year old Kamehameha V or any of the other sexually matured male students at the school might have had a child, including his brothers, Moses Kekuaiwa aoremovetag(aged 18) and Alexander Liholiho aoremovetag(aged 12.5), and Lunalilo aoremovetag(aged 12), if the last two had a really early puberty. Thus he might have some descendants alive today.

References

Further reading

External links






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