The 1840 Constitution of the Hawaiian Kingdom titled was the first fully written constitution for the Hawaiian Kingdom. The need for a constitution was originally intended as a manner of laws set forth to control the Native Hawaiian population with a Western style and legal framework, giving less severe punishments, such as being exiled, than was the traditional custom until the 1840s. Christianity had failed to change many behaviors of the Hawaiian population, even with the support of the families. Adultery and many other sexual relations became forbidden. Hawaiians were arrested and sentenced to severe punishments that were not well organised. The exiled had little food and could easily swim away from the islands and the prison at Honolulu Fort. The issue became worse as fewer pardons from the were available, and the overall sentencing then became much more severe for the native population.

Overview

The constitution was enacted on October 8, 1840, by King Kamehameha III and

Kekāuluohi Miriam Auhea Kalani Kui Kawakiu o Kekāuluohi Kealiʻiuhiwaihanau o Kalani Makahonua Ahilapalapa Kai Wikapu o Kaleilei a Kalakua also known as Kaahumanu III (July 27, 1794 – June 7, 1845), was Kuhina Nui of the Kingdom of Hawaii, a queen cons ...

as '' Kuhina Nui'', an office similar to

Prime Minister A prime minister, premier or chief of cabinet is the head of the cabinet and the leader of the ministers in the executive branch of government, often in a parliamentary or semi-presidential system. Under those systems, a prime minister i ...

co-regent A coregency is the situation where a monarchical position (such as prince, princess, king, queen, emperor or empress), normally held by only a single person, is held by two or more. It is to be distinguished from diarchies or duumvirates such ...

. The constitution, compared to its predecessor, was extremely detailed. The June 7, 1839, document, sometimes called a

constitution A constitution is the aggregate of fundamental principles or established precedents that constitute the legal basis of a polity, organisation or other type of entity and commonly determine how that entity is to be governed. When these princ ...

but more similar to a declaration of rights, stated simply that the government was based on

Christian values Christian values historically refers to values derived from the teachings of Jesus Christ. The term has various applications and meanings, and specific definitions can vary widely between denominations, geographical locations and different schools ...

and equality for all. Incorporating the 1839 document, the 1840 Constitution of the Kingdom of Hawai’i was a turning point in Hawai’i government. This constitution organized the power of government and its functions by defining the House of Representatives as the legislative body, giving their people the power to vote, proclaiming the

House of Kamehameha The House of Kamehameha ''(Hale O Kamehameha)'', or the Kamehameha dynasty, was the reigning Royal Family of the Kingdom of Hawaii, beginning with its founding by Kamehameha I in 1795 and ending with the death of Kamehameha V in 1872 and Lunali ...

, establishing of the office of Kuhina Nui, creating of the office of royal governors of the various islands and recognizing

Christianity Christianity is an Abrahamic monotheistic religion based on the life and teachings of Jesus of Nazareth. It is the world's largest and most widespread religion with roughly 2.38 billion followers representing one-third of the global pop ...

as an authority.

Amendments

It could be changed by section 13, which gave the House of Nobles and the House of Representative the ability to change the constitution.

References

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External links

1839 and 1840 Constitutions
(scanned images)
1839 Constitution
(Full text, with access to an English translation, and other resources)
1840 Constitution
(Full text, with access to an English translation, and other resources) {{DEFAULTSORT:1840 Constitution Of The Hawaiian Kingdom Constitution of the Hawaiian Kingdom Hawaii law Constitution of Hawaii Hawaiian Kingdom 1840 in Hawaii Legal history of Hawaii 1840 documents