Context: Ka’ahumanu was the Queen regent over her stepson Kamehameha II and the favorite wife of Kamehameha the Great.

She was a key military advisor for her husband during his War of Unification which was out of the ordinary for Hawaiian women, and despite bearing him no children, she was still his favorite of his many wives.

She was described as being 6 ft tall, athletic and a skilled surfer.

After the death of her husband she became a co regent over Kamehameha II alongside the boy’s biological mother, Keōpūolani.

Ka’ahumanu was taught of Christianity by early missionaries who also taught her to read and write. She announced her conversion in 1824 and was baptized in 1825, taking the name Elizabeth

The pair of regents sought to bring an end to the oppressive system of belief that had governed the Islands for centuries, and had the support of the young King as well in this pursuit.

The Kapu system was formally abolished in 1819