Kamehameha I's Conquest of Northern Hawaii

Background. Kamehameha, known as Paiʻea at birth, was born to Kekuʻiapoiwa II during the civil war that followed the death of Keaweʻīkekahialiʻiokamoku, the chief over the whole island of Hawaii. His father Keōua and half-brother Kalaniʻōpuʻu served Alapaʻinui, the usurping ruler of Hawaii Island who had killed the two legitimate heirs of Keawe during that conflict.

Rise and Conflict with Kīwalaʻō. Kamehameha achieved prominence in 1782 upon the death of Kalaniʻōpuʻu. Kīwalaʻō, who had become aliʻi nui of the island of Hawaii, was defeated at the Battle of Mokuohai in July 1782 and overthrown by Kamehameha. During a raid that year, Kamehameha caught his foot in a rock. The victory gave Kamehameha control of the northern part of the island.

Aftermath and Later Context. After securing power, Kamehameha and his council of chiefs planned to unite the rest of the Hawaiian Islands. Two westerners living on Hawaiʻi island, Isaac Davis and John Young, married native Hawaiian women and assisted Kamehameha in his subsequent campaigns, though the full unification of the kingdom lies beyond this event.