Daniel

Maori Land Wars In the 1800’s New Zealand was at civil war. Between The **__Crown__**, the **__Maori__**, and the **__New Zealand Company__** there was much fighting which lasted about 30 years. In New Zealand today, it is not generally realized that a New Zealand war was waged across the North Island for so long. The term “New Zealand land wars” is referring to the conflicts between the European settlers and the Maori between 1843 and 1872. In this essay I will explain how the European settlers wanted more and more land from the Maori,, how the British longed for dominance over the new Maori king and about Hone Heke, who was one of the active protesters who started out peaceful but turned violent.

 Since the 1790’s Europeans have started to settle New Zealand by buying chunks of land off the Maori to build houses and burn the land to make suitable to farm. In 1839, Edward Gibbon Wakefield founded the “New Zealand Company” to sending hundreds of English settlers to New Zealand. Wakefield settlements were set up at Wellington, Nelson, Wanganui, New Plymouth, Canterbury and Otago. Auckland was not a Wakefield settlement. Little or no thought was spared for the Maori and the “New Zealand Company” aggressively purchased land from the Maori and ripped them off regularly. They claimed that they didn’t have to comply with the Treaty of Waitangi as they were a private company. In 1858 land buying started to dry up as the Maori began to unite as one with a Maori King. When an individual named Teria offered to sell a large chunk of land in the Taranaki Area to the Europeans, it caused great disturbance between the Maori and the Europeans as it was against Maori traditions as the land was communally owned while the chief was the trustee. This set the first scene to the series of engagement in the New Zealand land wars. Before Europeans came to New Zealand they didn’t think of themselves as on Nation but members of tribes. To European eyes the tribal government seamed weak and informal. When the Europeans came to New Zealand, the Maori noticed that they were ruled by a King or Queen. The Maori began to think if they wanted to be in unity that they should have to be a King. In 1858 a Maori chief called a meeting to elect a Maori King. From this meeting a King was elected, Te Wherowhero. The King was supported by tribes in the central North Island, Waikato, Taupo, and later some tribes from the East Coast. This was known as the King Movement. The Movement had its own newspaper and laws. It was a big frustration to the Europeans as little land could be bought. The Europeans resented the King movement as they thought it was disloyal to the British Queen. Five Years after the rise of the Maori King, the British sent in troops to break up the power of the King Movement. This started a series of conflicts between 1963 and 1964 called the Waikato war. Hone Heke was the chief of the Nga puhi tribe. His tribe was based in the top of the north island around the bay of islands. In the bay of Islands was the first capital of New Zealand, Kororareka. When French and American whalers told Heke that the flag on the flagpole represented that the Queen had taken control of the country. Heke became angry that the British set all the restrictions and that the Treaty of Waitangi that he had also signed had promised them equal partnership. Heke formed a war party and cut down the flagpole. He did so another two times. The European government saw this as rebellion and set a $100 reward for the capture of Hone Heke. A New Flag pole was put up and guarded by a blockhouse. The Chief joined forces with the Kawiti tribe and planed another attack on the flagpole. He did so by looting the town to create a diversion so he could walk up the hill and cut down the flagpole. After a heated fight Europeans left Kororareka. In conclusion as I have explained a civil war had broken out in New Zealand around the mid 1800’s between the Maori and the Europeans. This was for a number of reasons including how the Europeans wanted control, and land and how the Maori rebelled against them in various means in witch many lives were lost. For more information see the books and websites below. References **__The New Zealand Land Wars__** – By **__James Belich__** – Published by **__University Printing services__** in **__1986__** **__The land Wars__** – By **__Kevin Boon__** – Published by **__Waiatarua Publishing__** in **__1999__** __** __** __**
 * __ http://www.newzealandwars.co.nz/causes.html
 * __ http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Flagstaff_War
 * __ http://www.teara.govt.nz/1966/H/HekePokaiHone/HekePokaiHone/en