Question

Which of these best describes the impact of the Great Mahele of 1848?

a) It created a land classification system that included Moku-puni (entire islands), Moku (divisions of land within islands), Ahupua'a, which were triangular strips of land within Moku, etc.
b) It distributed ownership of lands previously owned by the kings to high chiefs and chiefs who further distributed some of it to commoners who could work the land as tenants.
c) It permitted commoners to own land previously owned by the king.
d) It resulted in an overturn of the allodial ownership system and reverted ownership of all privately owned lands to the king, the high chiefs, and the chiefs.

Answer 1

The Great Mahele of 1848 led to the distribution of lands from the monarchy to high-ranking individuals and initiated private land ownership in Hawai'i, displacing many maka‘āinana from their ancestral lands.

Step-by-step explanation:

The impact of the Great Mahele of 1848 can best be described as it distributed ownership of lands from the kings to high chiefs and chiefs, who in turn distributed some land to the commoners to work as tenants. This marked the beginning of private land ownership in Hawai'i. The Mahele required commoners, or maka‘āinana, to file a claim and complete several steps to be awarded newly privatized land, of which only around 30% succeeded. The resulting average award was 3.3 acres, which ultimately displaced a considerable number of maka‘āinana from their ancestral lands.