An Integrative Historical and Archaeological Study of the Rise to Leadership of Kamehameha the Great, Hawaii

FAIN: RZ-50440-05

Regents of the University of New Mexico (Albuquerque, NM 87131-0001)
Michael W. Graves (Project Director: November 2004 to March 2012)

A study of the rise to power of Kamehameha, the 18th-century Hawaiian chief who united the Hawaiian Islands socially and politically. The project makes use of a variety of archival and archaeological resources. (18 months)

This study uses oral traditions, genealogies, historical documents, and archaeological materials to examine the rise to power in late 18th-early 19th century Hawaii of Kamehameha the Great. Specifically, four factors are identified that contributed to his leadership success in Kohala, Hawaii Island: personal attributes, management of natural resources, socio-political context, and human resources. This research poses a series of questions regarding these four factors and the answers we develop for the questions will be integrated into a new synthetic account of societal development and historical change in Hawaii.