Treaty Essay

Historians believe that understanding the cause of a significant event is more important than the details of the event itself. In 1840, the Treaty of Waitangi was signed by the Maori and the British. The Treaty of Waitangi was a needed agreement in New Zealand as it helped to settle conflicts and establish rules surrounding behaviour and the way the New Zealand government was run. Despite how long ago the Treaty was signed, it is still quite essential and an important part of our past to understand. 

The disrespectful behaviour of the European whalers in the 1830s is an important reason as to why the Treaty of Waitangi was signed. Without the signing of the Treaty, the lawless actions of the Europeans would have continued. Thankfully, due to the Treaty, laws around behaviour were introduced and incidents of unlawfulness occurred much less. For example, prostitution of indigenous women happened frequently, alongside heavy drinking and fights between the Europeans while intoxicated. The treaty was introduced to create a lawful system where inadequate behaviour could be addressed and punished. 

The Missionaries tried to protect Maori rights. Due to helping the Maori and overall having their best interest at heart, the Missionaries had great influence over the Maori and their decision to sign the treaty. Literacy was one of the major things missionaries had helped with, they taught the Maori how to read and write and also about their religion, Christianity. During the time where land sales were up, Missionaries bought the Maori's land to provide reassurance that their sacred land would be safe and well looked after. The whaler's behaviour was also of major concern to the missionaries on behalf of the Maori, as well as the decrease in the Maori population due to the Musket Wars. The examples listed confirm that the Missionaries did everything they could to protect the Maori rights, which inevitably lead to the Treaty of Waitangi being signed.

Was there anything in place before the Treaty? Interestingly, the Declaration of Independence was signed on 28th October 1835. 34 Northland chiefs had made a deal with the British declaring that Maori had sovereignty over New Zealand although they could only trade resources with the British. The Maori also requested protection from the King in case other countries tried to take over New Zealand. A meeting was supposed to happen between the Maori chiefs to discuss and decide on laws but before this could happen, war broke out between the tribes. The impact/effect of no meeting is important because there were no laws created to protect Maori as had been agreed in the declaration. The treaty of Waitangi was needed to make sure that laws were put in place regarding behaviour as that did not happen with the Declaration of independence. 

New Zealand needed the treaty to settle conflicts. The major reasons for the treaty are the ones mentioned; the European whalers and their behaviour, the missionaries and the declaration of independence. It's quite obvious that New Zealand needed a treaty. A common consequence of all these reasons is that Maori are generally the ones that suffered. For example, before any laws could be put in place for the Declaration of independence, the Maori tribes broke out in wars against each other. This meant that the declaration was a bit useless in this sense. Overall, this is why a treaty was needed and introduced to New Zealand.