It is argued amongst historians that the cause of a historical event is more important than the event itself. The Treaty of Waitangi was a written agreement between the Maori and British settlers, signed in 1840. Due to various complications and conflicts between the Maori and the British, a treaty was - and to this day, is - required in order to establish peace throughout New Zealand and provide a common understanding of boundaries and laws for all. Today, the Treaty of Waitangi is actively recognised and upheld by both the tangata whenua of New Zealand and the New Zealand government.
The questionable behaviour and lawless acts of the European whalers in Kororareka were a large reason contributing to support for the signing of the Treaty. The signing of the Treaty of Waitangi allowed the British to establish laws and consequences for such behaviour, reducing the occurrence of these incidents and making the Treaty an effective and necessary solution. For example, heavy drinking - which lead to fighting, severe prostitution and lawlessness - was an unhelpful reactant in the problems effecting the people of Kororareka, specifically the Maori. As the British whalers were getting well out of hand, writing a formal agreement (the Treaty of Waitangi) was needed to decide on how people could and could not act.
The Missionaries went to great lengths in order to earn the Maori's trust and protect their rights. By working to protect the rights of the Maori and earning their trust, the Missionaries had substantial influence over the Maori and their decision to sign the Treaty of Waitangi. For example, the British Missionaries taught Maori how to read and write in Te Reo Maori, introduced new agricultural technology and methods, purchased and protected land on their behalf, and demonstrated considerable concern for the number of Maori being either killed, enslaved, or both during the Musket Wars. By making a conscious and active effort to protect the people's rights, the Missionaries had great influence on the Maori's decision to sign the treaty. The fact the rights of the native people needed to be protected - and this alone - proves that a treaty was required.
By gaining muskets through trading with the Europeans, certain tribes obtained power never before seen by the Maori, and immediately abused it, using these new weapons to wage war on their enemies. As more tribes hurried to follow in pursuit - trading anything and everything they could to get their hands on the guns and raise their chances of survival - a bloody and merciless series of wars began. These wars played out throughout the course of 35 years. Between the years these wars took place (1807-1842), it is estimated that more than 20,000 Maoris were killed in action. The introduction of muskets to New Zealand lead to violence and tens of thousands of deaths. As a result of this new source of power, the Maori population declined rapidly. Multiple wars were declared amongst numerous tribes, leading to many people losing their lives, and many more being enslaved. When muskets were introduced to New Zealand and traded between Maori and Europeans, it set off a chain reaction of violence, war, and inevitably death. If there were laws and regulations in place, mutually agreed upon by all - such as those in the Treaty of Waitangi - this could have been avoided.
But what came before the Treaty, surely there was something, anything? Well, there was. The Declaration of Independence, also known as 'He Whakaputanga o te Rangatiratanga o Nu Tireni', was a declaration signed by a number of Maori chiefs and ratified in 1835. This piece of paper declared sovereign independence of New Zealand and created peace between Maori and Europeans. In this declaration, it was agreed that the two groups would meet annually to discuss current affairs/issues and establish laws. It also ensured that Maori had supreme power over the country and - for the most part - independence. Although the Declaration of Independence was effective in regards to fostering a positive relationship between the Maori and Europeans, it clearly wasn't enough to keep everyone in line and to keep everything running completely smoothly. They still required something more - a treaty.
This series of previous events and information demonstrates why New Zealand so desperately needed the Treaty of Waitangi. The Musket Wars, the inexcusable behaviour of the British Missionaries in Kororareka and the Europeans having considerable concern for the rights of Maori being violated - and rightfully so - all give adequate reasoning for why a treaty was needed in New Zealand. The consequences of these events were far greater. Throughout the course of the Musket Wars, tens of thousands of Maori were killed, all of which could have been avoided with a simple set of gun regulations putting restrictions on the ownership and use of these new dangerous weapons. The alcohol-fuelled violence and misconduct of the British Missionaries in Kororareka did not only lead to negative outcomes for themselves, but also affected those around them - more specifically, the Maori. The declaration - although it was signed by both parties - made little to no difference in regards to how both groups acted towards themselves and each other. If it weren’t for the Treaty of Waitangi, events such as these may still be a recurring sight to this day.
The Missionaries went to great lengths in order to earn the Maori's trust and protect their rights. By working to protect the rights of the Maori and earning their trust, the Missionaries had substantial influence over the Maori and their decision to sign the Treaty of Waitangi. For example, the British Missionaries taught Maori how to read and write in Te Reo Maori, introduced new agricultural technology and methods, purchased and protected land on their behalf, and demonstrated considerable concern for the number of Maori being either killed, enslaved, or both during the Musket Wars. By making a conscious and active effort to protect the people's rights, the Missionaries had great influence on the Maori's decision to sign the treaty. The fact the rights of the native people needed to be protected - and this alone - proves that a treaty was required.
By gaining muskets through trading with the Europeans, certain tribes obtained power never before seen by the Maori, and immediately abused it, using these new weapons to wage war on their enemies. As more tribes hurried to follow in pursuit - trading anything and everything they could to get their hands on the guns and raise their chances of survival - a bloody and merciless series of wars began. These wars played out throughout the course of 35 years. Between the years these wars took place (1807-1842), it is estimated that more than 20,000 Maoris were killed in action. The introduction of muskets to New Zealand lead to violence and tens of thousands of deaths. As a result of this new source of power, the Maori population declined rapidly. Multiple wars were declared amongst numerous tribes, leading to many people losing their lives, and many more being enslaved. When muskets were introduced to New Zealand and traded between Maori and Europeans, it set off a chain reaction of violence, war, and inevitably death. If there were laws and regulations in place, mutually agreed upon by all - such as those in the Treaty of Waitangi - this could have been avoided.
But what came before the Treaty, surely there was something, anything? Well, there was. The Declaration of Independence, also known as 'He Whakaputanga o te Rangatiratanga o Nu Tireni', was a declaration signed by a number of Maori chiefs and ratified in 1835. This piece of paper declared sovereign independence of New Zealand and created peace between Maori and Europeans. In this declaration, it was agreed that the two groups would meet annually to discuss current affairs/issues and establish laws. It also ensured that Maori had supreme power over the country and - for the most part - independence. Although the Declaration of Independence was effective in regards to fostering a positive relationship between the Maori and Europeans, it clearly wasn't enough to keep everyone in line and to keep everything running completely smoothly. They still required something more - a treaty.
This series of previous events and information demonstrates why New Zealand so desperately needed the Treaty of Waitangi. The Musket Wars, the inexcusable behaviour of the British Missionaries in Kororareka and the Europeans having considerable concern for the rights of Maori being violated - and rightfully so - all give adequate reasoning for why a treaty was needed in New Zealand. The consequences of these events were far greater. Throughout the course of the Musket Wars, tens of thousands of Maori were killed, all of which could have been avoided with a simple set of gun regulations putting restrictions on the ownership and use of these new dangerous weapons. The alcohol-fuelled violence and misconduct of the British Missionaries in Kororareka did not only lead to negative outcomes for themselves, but also affected those around them - more specifically, the Maori. The declaration - although it was signed by both parties - made little to no difference in regards to how both groups acted towards themselves and each other. If it weren’t for the Treaty of Waitangi, events such as these may still be a recurring sight to this day.
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