Battle of Nuʻuanu
- When
- 1795
- Where
- Hawaiian Islands staging of Kamehameha's forces; Intended target of Kalanikupule's invasion; Southern Oʻahu, site of the Battle of Nuʻuanu; Hawaiian archipelago after the Oʻahu conquest
- Episodes
- 4
In May 1795, King Kamehameha I fought the Battle of Nuʻuanu on southern Oʻahu, a decisive engagement in the final phase of his campaign to conquer the Hawaiian Islands. Known in Hawaiian as Kalelekaʻanae, "the leaping mullet," the battle ended Oʻahu resistance and left Kamehameha dominant over the archipelago, though Kauaʻi remained outside his control until Kaumualiʻi later submitted.
Episodes
- Aftermath: Kauaʻi's Submission
After conquering Oʻahu in summer 1795, Kamehameha prepared against Kauaʻi, whose king Kaumualiʻi submitted, yielding effective control of the islands.
- Kalanikupule's Abortive Invasion of Hawaii
Kalanikupule sailed for Hawaii on January 4, 1795, intending war on Kamehameha, before the Oʻahu defense.
- Kamehameha Assembles His Invasion Force
In February 1795 Kamehameha gathered the largest Hawaiian army yet recorded before moving against Maui and Molokaʻi.
- Battle of Nuʻuanu
In May 1795 Kamehameha defeated the Oahuans at Nuʻuanu on southern Oʻahu, a key battle in the final days of his conquest.
Background and detail
Background. Kamehameha I had pursued domination of the island chain since 1783, but before 1795 he controlled only the island of Hawaiʻi. In February 1795 he assembled the largest army the Hawaiian Islands had ever seen, reported at about 12,000 men and 1,200 war canoes, and in early spring 1795 conquered Maui and Molokaʻi before turning to Oʻahu.
Opposing Forces and Preceding Conflict. Kamehameha's opponent on Oʻahu was Kalanikupule, who had earlier clashed with Kaʻeokulani in the Kukiʻiahu war of November 16 to December 12, 1794, using artillery from Captain Brown's ships. After three weeks of preparation, Kalanikupule sailed for Hawaii on January 4, 1795, intending to make war on Kamehameha. His rival Kahekili II had died in mid-1794, and the two chiefs never met again.
Battle and Aftermath. The battle took its Hawaiian name from Oʻahu warriors driven off a cliff in its final phase. Histories of the engagement are described as varied and sometimes conflicting. After his conquest of Oʻahu in the summer of 1795, Kamehameha prepared to invade Kauaʻi, but before he could, King Kaumualiʻi submitted, giving Kamehameha effective control over all the Hawaiian Islands.
People involved
- Kamehameha I · King and conqueror leading the invading forces
- Kalanikupule · Oʻahu chief defending against Kamehameha's invasion
Sources
- Battle of Nuʻuanu Wikipedia, revision of 2026-08-21
- Kamehameha I Wikipedia, revision of 2026-09-13
Machine-drafted from the cited Wikipedia passages and checked by a reviewing model, not by a human editor. Every passage cites the revision it was written from; dates and places follow those passages.