Kamehameha III

Kamehameha III issued the first written constitution of Hawaii, transforming the absolute monarchy into a constitutional monarchy. It established a legislature, a supreme court, and protected certain rights, though the monarch retained significant power.

British Captain Lord George Paulet seized control of Hawaii for five months, forcing Kamehameha III to cede sovereignty. The king appealed to the British government, which restored Hawaiian independence on 31 July 1843, a date still celebrated as Ka La Ho'iho'i Ea (Restoration Day).

Kamehameha III officially moved the capital of the Hawaiian Kingdom from Lahaina on Maui to Honolulu on O'ahu. This centralized government and commerce in what became the main port city.

Kamehameha III oversaw the Great Mahele, a land redistribution that privatized land ownership in Hawaii. This allowed foreigners to own land for the first time, leading to economic changes but also loss of native Hawaiian land.