Jennifer Wada at 01:43, 4 April 2006

2006-04-04T01:43:25Z

Jennifer Wada at 10:25, 8 March 2006

2006-03-08T10:25:41Z

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The growth of trade with
foreigners, as the number of ships
stopping at the islands increased,
created a market economy alongside the
traditional subsistence economy.
Because the feudal character of the
society continued for the natives, the
ali'i made new demands on the
maka'ainana to service this trade.
The most extreme example of this
occurred in the sandalwood trade.
Hjr.areds of commoners were forced to
gather the fragrant wood for the ali' i
to trade with the foreigners. The
results of this subjugation included
the practical extinction of
sandalwood, the neglect of
agriculture, and the worsening of the
health of the natives, already
weakened from diseases introduced by
the foreigners. 38/
The Kapu System Falls _*/
More important than the political
and economic changes occurring in the
first part of the 1800's was the
religious and social significance of
the breaking of the kapu system after
the death of ICamehameha I in 1819. In
that year his son, Liholiho, succeeded
him to the throne as Kamehameha II.
The new king would not rule alone,
however. The dowager queen,
Kaahumanu, became the kuhina nui
(premier) and exercised substantial
authority in running the government.
Although she exercised substantial
power, Kaahumanu was still barred from
exercising it to the fullest because
of her sex. The kapu barring women
from the luakini heiau, where one
author states that political and
religious decisions were made, were
very strict. Therefore, soon after
Kamehameha died, Kaahumanu began
urging Liholiho to abolish the kapu
system altogether. 39/
*/ See also chapter below,
entitled "Native Hawaiian Religion,"
pages 232 to 234.
The new king hesitated at first,
but he eventually acquiesced to the
daring plan of the kuhina nui. The
breaking of the kapu system, a truly
revolutionary move, was symbolized by
ai noa or "free eating"—the king
eating with women, breaking the strict
kapu against men and women eating
together.
The erosion of belief by Hawaiians
in the kapu system had begun years
before. It is reported by some
historians that Kaahumanu herself,
along with numerous other women, had
begun to break the onerous kapu
against them years before. Despite
the kapu forbidding it, women had been
swimming out to the ships, risking
death to do so. The existence of
foreigners also served to weaken
belief in the kapu system. The ali'i
themselves "often had trouble deciding
where kapu began and ended in
connection with [foreigners]." 40/
Then again, the ali 'i may have been
convinced by the fact that foreigners
did not observe kapu of "the
ineffectiveness of the taboos, and,
observing the superiority of haole
cannon over Hawaiian clubs, of haole
ships over native canoes,...began to
doubt the power of their ancient
gods." _4_y
The decision to make such a radical
departure from tradition was made by a
"handful of chiefs. The commoners, as
usual, followed where their ali'i
led." 42/ Although they were probably
relieved that the more onerous
religious restrictions had been
lifted, many did not abandon the old
faith completely. When Liholiho
ordered all the heiau (worship places)
destroyed, some Hawaiians salvaged
images of their gods. There was some
resistance to the breaking of the kapu
system on the part of ali'i who were
champions of the gods, and a revolt
broke out. However, the king
succeeded in putting the revolt down
in December 1819.
{{p|153}}

@@ Line 6: / Line 6: @@
 Because the feudal character of the
 society continued for the natives, the
-ali'i made new demands on the
+<u>ali'i</u> made new demands on the
-maka'ainana to service this trade.
+<u>maka'ainana</u> to service this trade.
 The most extreme example of this
 occurred in the sandalwood trade.
-Hjr.areds of commoners were forced to
+Hundreds of commoners were forced to
-gather the fragrant wood for the ali' i
+gather the fragrant wood for the <u>ali'i</u>
 to trade with the foreigners. The
 results of this subjugation included
@@ Line 19: / Line 19: @@
 health of the natives, already
 weakened from diseases introduced by
-the foreigners. 38/
+the foreigners. <u>38</u>/
-The Kapu System Falls _*/
 More important than the political
 and economic changes occurring in the
 first part of the 1800's was the
 religious and social significance of
-the breaking of the kapu system after
+the breaking of the <u>kapu</u> system after
-the death of ICamehameha I in 1819. In
+the death of Kamehameha I in 1819. In
 that year his son, Liholiho, succeeded
 him to the throne as Kamehameha II.
 The new king would not rule alone,
 however. The dowager queen,
-Kaahumanu, became the kuhina nui
+Kaahumanu, became the <u>kuhina nui</u>
 (premier) and exercised substantial
 authority in running the government.
 Although she exercised substantial
 power, Kaahumanu was still barred from
 exercising it to the fullest because
-of her sex. The kapu barring women
+of her sex. The <u>kapu</u> barring women
-from the luakini heiau, where one
+from the <u>luakini heiau</u>, where one
 author states that political and
 religious decisions were made, were
 very strict. Therefore, soon after
 Kamehameha died, Kaahumanu began
-urging Liholiho to abolish the kapu
+urging Liholiho to abolish the <u>kapu</u>
-system altogether. 39/
+system altogether. <u>39</u>/
-*/ See also chapter below,
 The new king hesitated at first,
 but he eventually acquiesced to the
-daring plan of the kuhina nui. The
+daring plan of the <u>kuhina nui</u>. The
-breaking of the kapu system, a truly
+breaking of the <u>kapu</u> system, a truly
 revolutionary move, was symbolized by
-ai noa or "free eating"—the king
+<u>ai</u> <u>noa</u> or "free eating"—the king
 eating with women, breaking the strict
 kapu against men and women eating
 together.
 The erosion of belief by Hawaiians
-in the kapu system had begun years
+in the <u>kapu</u> system had begun years
 before. It is reported by some
 historians that Kaahumanu herself,
 along with numerous other women, had
-begun to break the onerous kapu
+begun to break the onerous <u>kapu</u>
 against them years before. Despite
-the kapu forbidding it, women had been
+the <u>kapu</u> forbidding it, women had been
 swimming out to the ships, risking
 death to do so. The existence of
 foreigners also served to weaken
-belief in the kapu system. The ali'i
+belief in the <u>kapu</u> system. The <u>ali'i</u>
 themselves "often had trouble deciding
-where kapu began and ended in
+where <u>kapu</u> began and ended in
 connection with [foreigners]." 40/
-Then again, the ali 'i may have been
+Then again, the <u>ali'i</u> may have been
 convinced by the fact that foreigners
-did not observe kapu of "the
+did not observe <u>kapu</u> of "the
 ineffectiveness of the taboos, and,
-observing the superiority of haole
+observing the superiority of <u>haole</u>
-cannon over Hawaiian clubs, of haole
+cannon over Hawaiian clubs, of <u>haole</u>
 ships over native canoes,...began to
 doubt the power of their ancient
-gods." _4_y
+gods." <u>41</u>/
 The decision to make such a radical
 departure from tradition was made by a
 "handful of chiefs. The commoners, as
-usual, followed where their ali'i
+usual, followed where their <u>ali'i</u>
-led." 42/ Although they were probably
+led." <u>42</u>/ Although they were probably
 relieved that the more onerous
 religious restrictions had been
 lifted, many did not abandon the old
 faith completely. When Liholiho
-ordered all the heiau (worship places)
+ordered all the <u>heiau</u> (worship places)
 destroyed, some Hawaiians salvaged
 images of their gods. There was some
-resistance to the breaking of the kapu
+resistance to the breaking of the <u>kapu</u>
-system on the part of ali'i who were
+system on the part of <u>ali'i</u> who were
 champions of the gods, and a revolt
 broke out. However, the king
 succeeded in putting the revolt down
 in December 1819.
 {{p|153}}

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Jennifer Wada at 01:43, 4 April 2006

Jennifer Wada at 10:25, 8 March 2006