
Kauikeaouli was the last son of Kamehameha the Great to rule Hawai'i. He was only ten years old when he ascended the throne as Kamehameha III. Once again now regent Kaahumanu pulled the strings from the background, for a while. Nevertheless the kingdom was transformed into a constitutional monarchy under his rule and he signed the Great Mahele which opened the way to private ownership of land. Until then all lands were the property of the king. There's a little known fact about him, he actually asked the United States to annex Hawai'i. The papers were being readied for signing when he died. His successor Kamehameha IV withdrew the offer and never signed them. He was deeply in love with his sister Nahienaena, a practice encouraged by royalty in the old days, to preserve and strengthen the "mana", or supernatural power of the elite. Nahienaena died at the age of twenty one, torn between her love for her brother and her already christian religion. The king never recovered completely from the loss.
CAT# 25/HS, 26/HS