Look up at the golden statue of King Kamehameha I, the Great Unifier, warrior chief who forged the Hawaiian Islands into one kingdom. Born around 1758 on the Big Island, Kamehameha was a brilliant military strategist who adopted Western weapons and tactics while retaining deep roots in Hawaiian tradition. The pivotal moment of his conquest of O'ahu came at the Battle of Nu'uanu in 1795, when he drove O'ahu's defenders up the Nu'uanu Valley to the Pali cliff, where hundreds were killed or leaped to their deaths rather than surrender.
By 1810, all the major Hawaiian islands had come under his rule, creating the unified Kingdom of Hawaii. Kamehameha died in 1819, having established a dynasty that would rule Hawaii for nearly a century. This statue was commissioned in 1878 and cast in Florence, Italy by sculptor Thomas Gould.
The ship carrying it sank near the Falkland Islands, and a replacement was cast — then the original was recovered and sent to Kapa'au on the Big Island, near Kamehameha's birthplace. Every June 11, on Kamehameha Day, the statue's outstretched arms are draped with sixty-foot leis — a tradition of profound honor.