The Kingdom and the Republic: Sovereign Hawai'i and the Early United States

In 1823, American missionaries arrived in Hawaii, leading to the codification of oral law and the introduction of legal restrictions on foreigners' access to Hawaiian women. Noelani Arista's book, "The Kingdom and the Republic," reveals a previously untold story of native political formation, the creation of indigenous law, and the extension of chiefly rule over natives and foreigners. Arista argues that Hawaiian deliberations and actions in this period cannot be understood without considering Hawaiian understandings of the past and how this knowledge was mobilized to influence the present and secure a better future.

Format: Paperback / softback
Length: 312 pages
Publication date: 07 May 2021
Publisher: University of Pennsylvania Press

In 1823, a significant shift was underway in the governance of the Hawaiian archipelago as the first American missionaries arrived. For centuries, oral law had been the primary means of maintaining order, but now, through the medium of writing, a new legal system was emerging. This transformation was driven by the arrival of sailors seeking to exploit the lucrative sandalwood trade, which forced the ali i (chiefs) of the islands to impose restrictions on foreigners' access to Hawaiian women. The missionaries were mistakenly blamed for these rules, leading to attacks on two mission stations by sailors, fracturing relations between merchants, missionaries, and sailors. At the same time, the native rulers remained firmly in control.

In her book, The Kingdom and the Republic, Noelani Arista (Kanaka Maoli) delves into a previously unseen collection of Hawaiian language documents to chronicle the experiences of Hawaiians during the nineteenth century. Through this research, she explores the political deliberations between the ali i (chiefs) regarding the sale of a Hawaiian woman to a British ship captain in 1825 and the consequences of the attacks on the mission stations. Arista's work sheds light on a hitherto untold story of native political formation, the creation of indigenous law, and the expansion of chiefly rule over natives and foreigners alike.

By relying on the largest archive of written indigenous language materials in North America, Arista argues that understanding Hawaiian deliberations and actions during this period requires consideration of Hawaiian understandings of the past and how this knowledge was mobilized to influence the present and secure a better future. The Kingdom and the Republic reconfigures familiar colonial histories of trade, proselytization, and negotiation, offering a fresh perspective on the complex dynamics of power and colonization in the Hawaiian archipelago.

Dimension: 229 x 152 (mm)
ISBN-13: 9780812224917