Description
Book Synopsis King Kamehameha the Great had 30 wives. Ka''ahumanu (c.1768-1832) was his favorite. Descended from Oceanian voyagers, she grew up in a society completely isolated from the rest of the world, her life enmeshed in dynastic wars and constrained by an elaborate system of taboos. In 1778, she was shocked by the arrival of alien ships, followed by an influx of foreigners. In their wake came devastating epidemics.
Seizing power after the King''s death, Ka''ahumanu overturned those taboos and guided her nation through revolutionary change, crucial to the Hawaiian Islands'' unification. Through sicknesses, romances, infidelities, murders, rebellions, pardons, travels, missionary work, and more, her story challenges many beliefs about American history, Christianity, and gender. Further, it has implications for current debates about immigration, sexuality, and religious diversity.
Drawing on seldom-analyzed French and Russian sources, this biography covers neglected aspe
Table of Contents
- Acknowledgments
- Preface
- Key People
- Chapter 1—Islands and Aliens
- Chapter 2—Royal Romance
- Chapter 3—Ka'ahumanu Breaks the Rules
- Chapter 4—Burning the Temples
- Chapter 5—The Coming of a New God
- Chapter 6—Reading, Writing and Religion
- Chapter 7—The New Ka'ahumanu
- Chapter 8—New Rules, New Riots
- Chapter 9—Law and Order, Church and State
- Chapter 10—Going Where the Mansions Are Ready
- Places to Visit
- Glossary
- Timeline
- Explore Further
- Chapter Notes
- Bibliography
- Index
