Hawai'i State Motto Shirt

This shirt has the official state motto of Hawai'i: Ua mau ke ea o ka aina i ka pono with an alternative translation: The sovereignty of the nation is perpetuated in righteousness. This phrase was uttered by King Kamehameha III upon the restoration of crown rule by Rear-Admiral Richard Thomas following the Paulet affair. On Februrary 25, 1843, the lands of Hawai'i were ceded to Britain under protest due to the threat of bombardment by Captain Lord George Paulet. When Paulet's commanding officer Rear-Admiral Thomas learned of this, he sailed to Hawai'i to meet King Kamehameha III. He quickly reversed Paulet's actions and restored Hawaiian sovereignty. The word 'ea' is usually translated as 'life'. However, another definition of 'ea' is 'sovereignty'. Given the circumstances in which it was first uttered, the context implies that the correct translation of the word 'ea' should be 'sovereignty' and not 'life'.