Though the wars were initially localised conflicts triggered by tensions over disputed land purchases, they escalated dramatically from 1860 as the government became convinced it was facing united Māori resistance to further land sales and a refusal to acknowledge Crown sovereignty.
Contents
What were the causes of the NZ land wars?
The causes of the conflict have been much debated, but settler hunger for land and the government’s desire to impose real sovereignty over Māori were key factors.
- A shift in power.
- Kingitanga – the King movement.
- The Kohimarama conference.
- The New Zealand Wars.
When did the NZ land wars start?
Between the 1840s and the 1870s British and colonial forces fought to open up the interior of the North Island for settlement in conflicts that became known collectively as the New Zealand Wars.
Why was NZ confiscated land?
The New Zealand land confiscations took place during the 1860s to punish the Kingitanga movement for attempting to set up an alternative, Māori, form of government that forbade the selling of land to European settlers.
What were the causes of the Waikato War?
Causes of the Waikato War
The causes of the war go back beyond the signing of the Treaty of Waitangi in 1840. According to the British interpretation, the Maori signatories acknowl- edged the sovereignty of Queen Victoria, while the Crown had sole right to pur- chase their lands, if they chose to sell.
What was the cause of the start of the war in Taranaki?
The war was sparked by a dispute between the government and Māori landowners over the sale of a property at Waitara, but spread throughout the region.
What caused Northern wars?
The Northern War was in part a reaction to the colonial government’s increasing control over Māori affairs. New rules and regulations cost Māori in the Bay of Islands trade and other economic opportunities. The imposition of customs duties and shipping levies increased prices and deprived Māori of sources of revenue.
Did Māori fight each other?
Māori warfare traditionally involved hand-to-hand combat, with weapons designed to kill. Reasons for war could be practical, such as for land or resources, but could also be to increase mana or as revenge for insults.
Has NZ ever been invaded?
The New Zealand Wars were a series of wars fought between Māori on one side and a mixture of settler troops, imperial troops and Māori on the other.The Flagstaff or Northern War took place in the far north of New Zealand, around the Bay of Islands, in March 1845 and January 1846.
How did NZ wars end?
The End of the Wars
By 1872, the wars against Māori were over. The last shots were fired by the Armed Constabulary at Mangaone, south of Waikaremoana, on 14 February 1872.
When did Māori get their land back?
The Treaty of Waitangi gave the Crown the exclusive right to buy Māori land, but things changed from the 1860s. As the conflict of the 1860s drew to a close, the government backed up its conquest through the law and a new court system.
Why did the Māori lose their land?
The land was lost through a combination of private and Government purchases, outright confiscation, and Native Land Court practices that made it difficult for Māori to maintain their land under traditional ownership structures. There were some purchases of Māori land made before the Treaty was signed.
What caused raupatu?
3 December 1863
Parliament passed legislation enabling the confiscation (raupatu) of Māori land from tribes deemed to have ‘engaged in open rebellion against Her Majesty’s authority’. Pākehā settlers would occupy the confiscated land.
Why did British want Māori land?
Reasons why chiefs signed the treaty included wanting controls on sales of Māori land to Europeans, and on European settlers. They also wanted to trade with Europeans, and believed the new relationship with Britain would stop fighting between tribes.
Why did Governor GREY want to invade the Waikato?
In another attempt to undermine the authority of the Kīngitanga, Grey appointed John Gorst as resident magistrate and civil commissioner for Waikato. Central to any plans to invade Waikato was a reliable transport route for men and supplies. The Waikato River, the region’s ‘highway’, was dominated by Māori traffic.
How much land was confiscated after the NZ wars?
The land confiscations devastated those tribal areas affected. A total of 3,490,737 acres was ultimately confiscated.
Who started the Taranaki land wars?
1795, Manukorihi, New Zealand—died January 13, 1882, Kaingaru), Māori chief whose opposition to the colonial government’s purchase of tribal lands led to the First Taranaki War (1860–61) and inspired the Māori resistance throughout the 1860s to European colonization of New Zealand’s fertile North Island.
Why did the settlers want Waitara?
Governor Gore Browne was under increasing pressure from New Plymouth settlers concerned about the future of the province. Men with capital were leaving and it was felt that more should be done to support the Māori who were willing to sell land.
What were the NZ Northern wars?
The New Zealand wars began with fighting between Ngāpuhi and government troops at Kororāreka (Russell) in the Bay of Islands. The major causes were the concern of some Ngāpuhi that the moving of the capital from the Bay to Auckland had hurt them economically, and that the Crown was exceeding its authority in the area.
How many Māori died in the northern war?
The death toll was most balanced in the 1840s and in Titokowaru’s War. Pai Mārire followers suffered the highest proportionate losses.
Casualties.
| Anti-government Māori | British/Colonists/Kūpapa | |
|---|---|---|
| Northern War (1845–6) | 94 | 82 |
| Wellington/Whanganui (1846–7) | 15 | 14 |
| Taranaki (1860–61, 1863) | 196 | 64 |
How many Māori died in Ruapekapeka?
Ruapekapeka
| Battle of Ruapekapeka | |
|---|---|
| Strength | |
| Military 68 officers + 1110 men Maori Allies 450 warriors | Ruapekapeka ~ 500 warriors |
| Casualties and losses | |
| Military 13 killed 30 wounded Maori Allies 8–10 killed 15–20 wounded | Unknown |
