Statue of King Kamehameha I (1758?–
1819), warrior and king. Unified all
the inhabited islands of Hawaii under
his rule. Encouraged trade and opened
Hawaii to the rest of the world. Also
called Kamehameha the Great. Shown
wearing the gilded regalia of Hawaiian
royalty including a helmet and a cloak of
Hawaii Mamo bird feathers.
On December 18, 2007, Congress passed legislation to name the
Capitol Visitor Center’s central
space “Emancipation Hall” to recognize
the contributions of the enslaved laborers
who helped build the U.S. Capitol.
Emancipation Hall is a central gathering
place for visitors coming to see the Capitol.
The busts of two people who fought
against oppression — abolitionist and
women’s rights advocate Sojourner
Truth and Swedish humanitarian Raoul
Wallenberg — can be seen near the plaster
model for the Statue of Freedom on the
west side of Emancipation Hall.
The bronze portrait bust of Sojourner
Truth is the fi rst sculpture to honor
an African-American woman in the
U.S. Capitol.
http://www.visitthecapitol.gov/exhibition-hallhttps://www.visitthecapitol.gov/sites/default/files/documents/content/brochure/2511/emancipation-hall-en.pdf
