O'ahu

Oʻahu is a Hawaiian island of volcanic mountains, fertile valleys and coastal plains. Hawaiian chiefs ruled its communities and contested control of the island before it became part of a wider kingdom. Its southern shore offered a sheltered harbor at Honolulu, while mountain passes connected districts across the island.

In 1795 Kamehameha’s forces invaded Oʻahu after taking Maui, Molokaʻi and Lānaʻi. The invasion brought warriors and canoes across the channel from the islands to the east. At Nuʻuanu they defeated the defenders of Kalanikūpule, securing control of the island. Honolulu became a port for foreign ships in the early nineteenth century; in 1820 an American agent for commerce and seamen began work there as relations with overseas traders grew.

The later city of Honolulu lies here.