Pā‘ula‘ula State Historical Site and King Kaumuali‘i

King Kaumuali‘i

Centuries before King Kamehameha I, the great unifier of the Hawaiian Islands, four ali‘i (chiefs) ruled their respective islands. Cloaked in the plumage of native birds, the ali‘i of these islands were revered by their people for their mana (spiritual energy). Today, we care for their legacies by preserving their history and sharing their stories.

King Kaumuali‘i was Kaua‘i’s last ali‘i nui (great chief). Kaumuali‘i was born in 1780 along the Wailua River on Kaua‘i’s eastern shore. According to local historians, Kaumuali‘i was an engaging and inquisitive leader who not only assumed the wisdom of his elders but realized the importance of understanding the customs of seafaring visitors who arrived on these shores. He learned English as a young man in order to communicate with the English and American explorers, traders and missionaries who would make an indelible impact on the island and the entire Kingdom of Hawai‘i.

Following two failed attempts by King Kamehameha I to travel to Kaua‘i, King Kaumuali‘i journeyed to O‘ahu to meet with King Kamehameha I. To avoid the bloodshed of his people (on the islands of Kaua‘i and Ni‘ihau), a treaty was signed in 1810 uniting the Hawaiian Islands under the rule of King Kamehameha I, while retaining King Kaumuali‘i as Kaua‘i's king.

Pā‘ula‘ula State Historical Site

The initial Russian visit to the islands occurred in June 1804, during the first of a series of round-the-world voyages to provide supplies and naval support to the Pacific colonies. Russians found the promise of trade and opportunity on the island of Kaua‘i through a relationship with King Kaumuali‘i. A signed agreement placed the Kingdom under the protection of Russia to fend off attacks from King Kamehameha I. Fort Elizabeth, named for Russian Emperor Alexander I’s wife, was built by Kaumuali‘i’s people around 1816. Its Hawaiian name is Pā‘ula‘ula, or “red enclosure.” This wahi pana (sacred and storied site) was King Kaumuali‘i’s ancestral home from where he ruled. Today, a statue stands at Pā‘ula‘ula to honor Kaua‘i’s last ali‘i ‘ai moku (ruler).