Kamehameha was born in 1758 in North Kahala on the big island. A kahuna told his mother that he would be a strong ruler, so the reigning king was going to kill, him but his mother hid him. His name means “lonely one”. At the time Kamehameha's uncle (Kalaniopu'u) decided that Kamehameha should rule the district of Ka'u.
Once Kamehameha was a high chief he was in charge of the war god image. Once He took over the district of Ka'u, and 3 other places in Hawaii , he caught his foot in a crack. A fisherman took his paddle and tried to kill Kamehameha, but the paddle splintered and fell to pieces. When the man was brought to Kamehameha for punishment, he was forgiven and Kamehameha declared a new law. “The law of the Splintered Paddle”. It said that the aged men women and children will walk the roads safe from danger.
After a couple years, Kamehameha started taking over more islands. He took Maui , Lanai , and Molokai . When he arrived at Waikiki , Oahu . Most warriors were driven off the edge of the Pali cliffs, but Kamehameha won. Later Kauai and Ni'ihau were given to him without a fight.
Then he married a woman named Ka'ahumanu. Her name means feathered cape. She was 6 feet tall and weighed over 300 pounds, but they had no children, so Kamehameha got married again to a woman named Keopuolani, witch meant “Gathering of the Clouds. They had 11 children, but only 3 lived.
In 1819, Kamehameha died. His last words were “I have planted in the soil of our land the roots of a plan for your happiness.
