With the signing of the Treaty of Waitangi
Treaty of Waitangi
The Treaty of Waitangi is a treaty first signed on 6 February 1840 by representatives of the British Crown and Māori chiefs from the North Island of New Zealand. It is a document of central importance to the history and political constitution of the state of New Zealand, and has been highl…
Full Answer
How did the British colonize New Zealand?
British colonists reach New Zealand. Whalers, missionaries, and traders followed, and in 1840 Britain formally annexed the islands and established New Zealand’s first permanent European settlement at Wellington. That year, the Maori signed the Treaty of Waitangi, by which they recognized British sovereignty in exchange for guaranteed possession...
What was the first European settlement in New Zealand?
Whalers, missionaries, and traders followed, and in 1840 Britain formally annexed the islands and established New Zealand’s first permanent European settlement at Wellington. That year, the Maori signed the Treaty of Waitangi, by which they recognized British sovereignty in exchange for guaranteed possession of their land.
How did European settlers in New Zealand interact with the Maori?
The first wave of European settlers were most interested in exploiting the coastline, for whales and seals mainly. Later the hinterland itself was targeted, for timber, flax and food. However, inland access was always difficult. These first Pākehā settlers normally established peaceful relations with Māori communities.
How did the British decide to annex New Zealand?
In 1838 the British government decided upon at least partial annexation. In 1839 it commissioned William Hobson, a naval officer, as lieutenant governor and consul to the Māori chiefs, and he annexed the whole country: the North Island by the right of cession from the Māori chiefs and the South Island by the right of discovery.
How was New Zealand affected by the British Empire?
New Zealand officially became a separate colony within the British Empire, severing its link to New South Wales. North, South and Stewart islands were to be known respectively as the provinces of New Ulster, New Munster and New Leinster.
What impact did the Europeans have on NZ?
As Europeans settled in New Zealand, they brought more changes to the remaining forests, animal diversity and landscape stability. Along with immigrants came new animals, crop plants, parasites and diseases. The remaining lowland forests and scrubland were burnt, drained, logged and cleared for farms and cropping.
When was New Zealand colonized by the British?
The Colony of New Zealand was a British colony that existed in New Zealand from 1841 to 1907. It was created as a Crown colony. The power of the British government was vested in the governor of New Zealand, but the colony was granted self-government in 1852.
What happened when the European settlers came to New Zealand?
The effects of European infectious diseases, the New Zealand Wars and the imposition of a European economic and legal system led to most of New Zealand's land passing from Māori to Pākehā (European) ownership, and Māori became impoverished. The colony gained responsible government in the 1850s.
Why did the British want New Zealand land?
Later, the British Government encouraged British families to come here. The British Government thought that Aotearoa would be a good base in the Pacific for Britain. Many British families packed their bags and boarded ships to start a new life in a land they had never seen on the other side of the world.
Who originally settled New Zealand?
Māori were the first to arrive in New Zealand, journeying in canoes from Hawaiki about 1,000 years ago.
Why did New Zealand leave the British Empire?
In 1860 this led to war. Because government troops were provided by the British government, the New Zealand government couldn't take over responsibility for Māori affairs until it provided its own military. It did this from 1864, leading to more independence from Britain.
How did the European settlers affect the Māori?
The influx of settlers led to a demand for land, and from the 1840s Māori were under great pressure to sell their ancestral territories. Loss of Māori land – through confiscation following the 1860s wars, Crown purchase and the Native Land Court – led to the displacement of large numbers of Māori.
Why did the Europeans want New Zealand?
Apart from convicts escaping from Australia and shipwrecked or deserting sailors seeking asylum with Māori tribes, the first Europeans in New Zealand were in search of profits—from sealskins, timber, New Zealand flax (genus Phormium), and whaling.
Why did Europeans immigrate to New Zealand?
James Cook claimed New Zealand for Britain on his arrival in 1769. The establishment of British colonies in Australia from 1788 and the boom in whaling and sealing in the Southern Ocean brought many Europeans to the vicinity of New Zealand, with some settling.
What were the effects of Colonisation on Māori health?
ABSTRACT. Colonisation has deeply harmed Maori communities, seriously and consistently undermining their vitality, aspirations and potentials, particularly since the 1860s, at inestimable cost to the entire nation.
Who was the first European to settle in New Zealand?
European migration to New Zealand really got underway after 1840 when increasing waves of settlers began to arrive at the instigation of Edward Gibbon Wakefield , and his New Zealand Company. Wakefield planned to send hundreds of English migrants to new settlements in New Zealand, settlements modeled upon a vision of pre-industrial England that probably had never existed. However, it was a concept powerful enough to bring many thousands of English migrants across the world to New Zealand.
Why did the New Zealand Wars happen?
New Settlers from Britain. As Keith Sinclair has argued, the New Zealand Wars came about because new settlers from Britain had arrived in New Zealand. New Zealand was first settled by Europeans from Australia and Britain in the 1790s.
How many people were in New Zealand in 1840?
However, some earlier violence was recorded, especially in the far south between sealing gangs and Māori. Increasingly, settlers moved here from Australia. By 1840, the European population of New Zealand was about 2000. The Māori population at that time, by one projection, was about 90,000.
What were the first European settlers interested in?
The first wave of European settlers were most interested in exploiting the coastline, for whales and seals mainly. Later the hinterland itself was targeted, for timber, flax and food. However, inland access was always difficult. These first Pākehā settlers normally established peaceful relations with Māori communities.
Where were the Wakefield settlements?
Wakefield settlements were established at Wellington, Nelson, Whanganui, New Plymouth, Canterbury (Christchurch) and Otago (Dunedin). It is important to remember that Auckland was not a Wakefield settlement which, in the early days at least, really did set Auckland apart from the rest of the country.
What was the conflict over land?
Some historians like Keith Sorrenson and Keith Sinclair have argued that land was the critical factor contributing to the outbreak of war. This is certainly the view of most Maori.
Why did the British intervene in New Zealand?
British intervention. In the 1830s the British government came under increasing pressure to curb lawlessness in New Zealand, to protect British traders, and to forestall the French, who also had imperial ambitions. The missionaries, for their part, wanted to protect Māori from the ill-effects of European settlement.
Who was the colonial promoter of New Zealand?
European settlement begins. Even before the treaty had been signed, the New Zealand Company, inspired by the colonial promoter Edward Gibbon Wakefield, had despatched British settlers to Wellington. In the next two years, the company also founded Whanganui, Nelson and New Plymouth.
Why did the South Island escape being French?
The French had only minor interests in New Zealand, but the myth persists that the South Island only escaped being French because in the scramble to colonise Akaroa the British got there first.
When did New Zealand become self-government?
Self-government. When the British settlers sought self-government, the British Parliament passed the New Zealand Constitution Act of 1852. This set up a central government with an elected House of Representatives, an appointed Legislative Council, and six (later 10) provincial governments.
When did James Busby arrive in New Zealand?
The Treaty of Waitangi. In 1833 James Busby was sent to the Bay of Islands as British Resident. At Busby’s instigation, northern chiefs adopted a flag in 1834 and signed a declaration of independence in 1835. Seven years after Busby’s arrival, at Waitangi on 6 February 1840, William Hobson, New Zealand’s first governor, ...
Who sent Captain Stanley of the Britomart to New Zealand?
But by the time the French settlers and their naval escort reached New Zealand, the whole country was securely British. Lieutenant-Governor Hobson, learning the French were heading for Akaroa, did send Captain Stanley of the Britomart to demonstrate British sovereignty there.
Who was the first governor of New Zealand?
Seven years after Busby’s arrival, at Waitangi on 6 February 1840, William Hobson, New Zealand’s first governor, invited assembled Māori chiefs to sign a treaty with the British Crown. The treaty was taken all round the country, as far south as Foveaux Strait, for signing by local chiefs, and eventually more than 500 signed.
Why did the Europeans settle in New Zealand?
Apart from convicts escaping from Australia and shipwrecked or deserting sailors seeking asylum with Māori tribes, the first Europeans in New Zealand were in search of profits— from sealskins, timber, New Zealand flax (genus Phormium ), and whaling. Australian firms set up tiny settlements of land-based bay whalers, and Kororareka (now called Russell ), in the northeastern North Island, became a stopping place for American, British, and French deep-sea whalers. Traders supplying whalers drew Māori into their economic activity, buying provisions and supplying trade goods, implements, muskets, and rum. Initially the Māori welcomed the newcomers; while the tribes were secure, the European was a useful dependent.
When did Auckland come into existence?
Meanwhile, Hobson moved the seat of government south from the Bay of Islands, bringing Auckland into existence (1840) . In the early 1840s settlement and government began to alarm the Maori.
Why did the company move so quickly?
The company moved hastily because its founders were aware that British annexation was likely and would entail a crown monopoly of land sales and a consequent increase in price. Purchases were effected in great haste before Hobson could bring to an end such private transactions.
What happened in the late 1830s?
By the late 1830s, chiefly through the Australian link, New Zealand had been joined to Europe. Settlers numbered at least some hundreds, and there were certain to be more. Colonization schemes were afoot in Great Britain, and Australian graziers were buying land from the Maori. These circumstances determined British policy.
What were the effects of the Maori conversion?
All of these newcomers had a profound effect on Maori life. Warfare and disease reduced numbers, while new values, pursuits, and beliefs modified tribal structures.
Where did the bay whalers stop?
Australian firms set up tiny settlements of land-based bay whalers, and Kororareka (now called Russell ), in the northeastern North Island, became a stopping place for American, British, and French deep-sea whalers.
Where did the Maori go?
Initially the Maori welcomed the newcomers; while the tribes were secure, the European was a useful dependent. Maori went overseas, some as far as England. A northern chief, Hongi Hika, amassed presents in England and exchanged them in Australia for muskets; back in New Zealand he waged devastating war on traditional enemies.
When was New Zealand settled?
New Zealand was one of the last habitable land masses in the world to be settled. Archaeological records indicate that the country received its first set of East Polynesian migrants at around 1250-1300 AD, well before European colonisers set sights onto this stretch of the Pacific.
When did the British start making New Zealand a colony?
Whalers and sealers started making regular visits to New Zealand from then onwards. Trading ensued and by the 1830s, the British government had decided it was time to curb the lawlessness of the land and officially make it a colony. Time was a serious concern for the British Crown as the island nation was already under the watchful eye of French explorers.
What was the aftermath of colonization?
The aftermath of colonisation. The Treaty of Waitangi is a highly contentious document that still carries a lot of weight in present-day politics. Briefly, both the English and Maori versions stipulated different things: the former mandated that the Crown would have full control over New Zealand’s territories, while the latter indicated ...
Why was Tasman's New Zealand expedition cut short?
Tasman’s New Zealand expedition was cut short after he was attacked by Maori ; he subsequently sailed northward to Tonga. Tasman’s maps were a huge influence in the country’s name. The voyager originally called the newly discovered islands Staten Landt, after the States General of the Netherlands (his homeland’s bicameral legislative body) ...
Where did the Maori people come from?
The ancestors of New Zealand’s indigenous Maori people are said to have arrived from an East Polynesian region known as Hawaiki. But historians and archaeologists believe that the country’s original migrants came from several locations – DNA evidence indicates that the first round of settlers arrived from places like Society Island and Cook Islands.
When did refrigerated shipping become the basis of New Zealand's economy?
In fact, refrigerated shipping became the basis of New Zealand’s economy until the 1970s, while agriculture is believed to have helped New Zealand maintain its high standard of living. Add to Plan. Give us feedback.
When did gold come to New Zealand?
Gold was also found on the West Coast not much later. Thousands of British settlers began to arrive in New Zealand in the 1870s and the government began investing in the expansions of towns and railways in order to accommodate the country’s newest residents. In 1882, the first shipment of frozen meat reached England – thus solidifying New Zealand’s ...
Who colonized New Zealand?
History. The arrival of Europeans. Though a Dutchman was the first European to sight the country, it was the British who colonised New Zealand.
Who were the early European settlers?
Early European settlers. Prior to 1840, it was mainly whalers, sealers, and missionaries who came to New Zealand. These settlers had considerable contact with Māori, especially in coastal areas. Māori and Pākehā (Europeans) traded extensively, and some Europeans lived among Māori. The contribution of guns to Māori intertribal warfare, ...
What continent did Tasman discover?
He was on an expedition to discover a great Southern continent ‘Great South Land’ that was believed to be rich in minerals. In 1642, while searching for this continent, Tasman sighted a ‘large high-lying land’ off the West Coast of the South Island. Abel Tasman annexed the country for Holland under the name of ‘Staten Landt’ ...
Was Tasman's mission to New Zealand unsuccessful?
His mission to New Zealand was considered unsuccessful by his employers, the Dutch East India Company, Tasman having found ‘no treasures or matters of great profit’.
When did New Zealand join the British Empire?
In 1840 the Treaty of Waitangi was signed between representatives of the United Kingdom and various Māori chiefs, bringing New Zealand into the British Empire and giving Māori the same rights as British subjects.
How many settlers did the New Zealand Company have?
The New Zealand Company was responsible for 15,500 settlers coming to New Zealand. Company prospectuses did not always tell the truth, and often colonists would only find out the reality once they had arrived in New Zealand. This private colonisation project was part of the reason that the British Colonial Office decided to speed up its plans for the annexation of New Zealand. Edward Gibbon Wakefield (1796–1862) exerted a far-reaching influence by helping create the New Zealand Company. Due to his conviction and three-year imprisonment for abducting an heiress, his role in forming the New Zealand Company was necessarily out of sight from the public. Wakefield's colonisation programmes were over-elaborate and operated on a much smaller scale than he hoped for, but his ideas influenced law and culture, especially his vision for the colony as the embodiment of post- Enlightenment ideals, the notion of New Zealand as a model society, and the sense of fairness in employer-employee relations.
What was the New Zealand Constitution Act?
In response to increased petitioning for self-governance from the growing number of British settlers, the British Parliament passed the New Zealand Constitution Act 1852, setting up a central government with an elected General Assembly (Parliament) and six provincial governments.
How did the Great Depression affect New Zealand?
Like many other countries, New Zealand suffered in the Great Depression of the 1930s, which affected the country via its international trade, with steep decreases in farm exports subsequently affecting the money supply and in turn consumption, investment and imports. The country was most affected around 1930–1932, when average farm incomes for a short time dipped below zero, and the unemployment rate peaked. Though actual unemployment numbers were not officially counted, the country was affected especially strongly in the North Island.
What was the Treaty of Waitangi?
One of the few extant copies of the Treaty of Waitangi. In 1839 the New Zealand Company announced plans to buy large tracts of land and to establish colonies in New Zealand. This and the increased commercial interests of merchants in Sydney and London spurred the British Government to take stronger action.
What is the oldest building in New Zealand?
The Mission House at Kerikeri is New Zealand's oldest surviving building, having been completed in 1822. European ( Pākehā) settlement increased through the early decades of the 19th century, with numerous trading stations established, especially in the North Island.
How long has New Zealand been around?
The history of New Zealand ( Aotearoa) dates back approximately 700 years to when it was discovered and settled by Polynesians, who developed a distinct Māori culture. Like other Pacific cultures, Māori society was centred on kinship links and connection with the land but, unlike them, it was adapted to a cool, temperate environment rather than a warm, tropical one.
Pre- and post-contact life expectancy
Evidence suggests that Māori life expectancy at the time of Captain James Cook’s visits to New Zealand (between 1769 and 1777) was similar to that in some of the most privileged 18th-century societies. Māori may have had a life expectancy at birth of about 30. After European contact, however, there was a major decline in Māori life expectancy.
Musket warfare
There is a common belief that musket warfare between 1810 and 1840 caused heavy mortality among Māori. However, war deaths were not great in number compared with the deaths from other causes. From 1810 to 1840 there were around 120,000 deaths from illness and other ‘normal’ causes, an average of 4,000 a year.
Big and small islands
Although the impact of introduced diseases was severe, Māori were dispersed over a wide area and so were less at risk than Pacific Islanders living on small islands. The first New Zealand-wide epidemic of measles in 1854 may have killed 7% of the Māori population.
Impact of introduced diseases
Introduced diseases were the major reason for the Māori population decrease. In the 1890s the Māori population had fallen to about 40% of its pre-contact size. Decline accelerated after the Treaty of Waitangi was signed in 1840 and settlers began to arrive in greater numbers. This influx exposed Māori to new diseases, leading to severe epidemics.
Loss of land
The influx of settlers led to a demand for land, and from the 1840s Māori were under great pressure to sell their ancestral territories. Loss of Māori land – through confiscation following the 1860s wars, Crown purchase and the Native Land Court – led to the displacement of large numbers of Māori.
Mortality of children and girls
In 1886 over 50% of Māori who died were children. When Whina Te Wake (later Whina Cooper) was born in the 1890s, 25% of Māori girls died before reaching nine months of age, and 50% before they turned seven. In comparison, fewer than 10% of Pākehā girls died before nine months, and only about 15% before the age of seven.
British Intervention
The Treaty of Waitangi
Sovereignty and Rights
European Settlement Begins
European Exploration
Self-Government
- When the British settlers sought self-government, the British Parliament passed the New Zealand Constitution Act of 1852. This set up a central government with an elected House of Representatives, an appointed Legislative Council, and six (later 10) provincial governments. The settlers soon won the right to responsible government (by an executive s...