1790 Footprints
| East Hawaiʻi Battles of 1790 | |||||||
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| Part of Unification of Hawaii | |||||||
 Ash layer from 1790 eruption. |
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| Belligerents | |||||||
| Kamehameha I's army | Keōua Kuahuʻula | ||||||
| Commanders and leaders | |||||||
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Kamehameha I Keawemauhili |
Keōua Kuahuʻula | ||||||
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1790 Footprints
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| Location | 9.1 mi. SW of park headquarters on Hwy. 11, then foot trail to SE for 1 mi., Hawaii Volcanoes National Park, Hawaii |
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| Coordinates | 19°20′49″N 155°21′12″W / 19.34694°N 155.35333°WCoordinates: 19°20′49″N 155°21′12″W / 19.34694°N 155.35333°W |
| Area | 4,284 acres (17.34 km2) |
| Built | 1790 |
| NRHP Reference # | 74000351 |
| Added to NRHP | August 7, 1974 |
The 1790 Footprints refer to a set of footprints found near the Kīlauea volcano in present-day Hawaii Volcanoes National Park on the island of Hawaiʻi. Resulting from an unusually explosive eruption, they are associated with a series of battles in the area in 1790.
The 1782 Battle of Mokuʻōhai gave Kamehameha I control of the west and north sides of the island of Hawaiiʻi, but Keōua Kuahuʻula and his uncle Keawemauhili were able to escape.
For a few years, Kamehameha was occupied with Maui and the arrival of Europeans to Kona, Keōua ruled Kaʻū and Keawemauhili ruled Hilo.
Keawemauhili finally recognized Kamehameha as his help. This angered Keōua who raided some of the lands of Kamehameha while he was in Maui at the Battle of Kepaniwai.
Keōua then attacked and killed his uncle at Hilo. Kamehameha returned from Maui to the Big Island, and Keōua ambushed them in a thick forest of Paʻauhau, but the battle was inconclusive (near coordinates 20°3′45″N 155°26′59″W / 20.06250°N 155.44972°W). Kamehameha counterattacked and drove Keōua back, in what is known as the Battle of Koapapaʻa. Kamehameha had brought a cannon salvaged from the ship Fair American captured at Kaʻūpūlehu. Keōua captured the piece, but did not have gunpowder nor expertise to use it effectively. After heavy losses on both sides, the commanders each decided to retreat to their secure territory.
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Wikipedia