4.5: Kamehameha The Great and the Unification of the Hawai'ian Islands episode artwork

EPISODE · Nov 25, 2025 · 31 MIN

4.5: Kamehameha The Great and the Unification of the Hawai'ian Islands

from History: Beyond the Textbook

Send us Fan MailUnfortunately, in your typical U.S History course, Hawai’i probably enters the narrative during a unit on imperialism, where Queen Lili’uokalani was forced into surrendering the throne and James Dole’s company established a fruit empire.  Pearl Harbor was bombed and prompted U.S. entry into World War II…Pearl Harbor is in Hawai’i.  Beyond these mentions, I would wager that not much of the rich history of Hawai’i seeps into a majority of American classrooms.  However, Hawai'i is an American state, and its story is an American story: competing leaders, warring kingdoms, commoners preserving their way of life, and outsiders attempting to make sense of it all.  In this episode of History: Beyond the Textbook, our second episode in our arc on foreign relations on the frontier, we explore Kamehameha the Great and the Unification of the Hawai’ian Islands.  Key PeopleKamehamehaKiwala’o KeouaKahekili Captain James CookKey Events/ConceptsUnification of Hawai'ian IslandsWe're back for Season Four of History: Beyond the Textbook!  This season will  focus on the stories of individuals who shaped "America's Federalist Era" in the years roughly 1789-1800.  The first six episodes will release every Tuesday from October 28-December 2, while the second six episodes will be released every Tuesday from February 17-March 24.   Catch up on Season One, "America's Colonial Era," Season Two, "America's Revolution," and Season Three, "America's Crucial Years," wherever you listen to your podcasts!Feel free to contact us with feedback or questions by clicking the "Send Us a Text" link or email us at: [email protected]

Send us Fan Mail Unfortunately, in your typical U.S History course, Hawai’i probably enters the narrative during a unit on imperialism, where Queen Lili’uokalani was forced into surrendering the throne and James Dole’s company established a fruit empire. Pearl Harbor was bombed and prompted U.S. entry into World War II…Pearl Harbor is in Hawai’i. Beyond these mentions, I would wager that not much of the rich history of Hawai’i seeps into a majority of American classrooms. Ho...

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4.5: Kamehameha The Great and the Unification of the Hawai'ian Islands

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This episode was published on November 25, 2025.

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Send us Fan MailUnfortunately, in your typical U.S History course, Hawai’i probably enters the narrative during a unit on imperialism, where Queen Lili’uokalani was forced into surrendering the throne and James Dole’s company established a fruit...

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