This section discusses some significant aspects of 19th Century politics in New Zealand which together provide an important background and context for the wars fought against Māori.
During the 19th century, before 1890, elections were not held every three years, as they are today. The government of the day simply came from those who could, at any time, muster a majority. This led to a very unstable form of government. Between 1854, when our first...
The Māori Franchise In 1867, Māori were finally awarded the vote, 27 years after the signing of the Treaty of Waitangi in 1840. It had taken that long for the Crown to grant Māori the right to participate in New Zealand's political process. By the Māori...
Māori Land After the Wars As Māori throughout New Zealand returned to their villages and cultivations in order to once again secure themselves socially and, more critically, economically, the government embarked upon its vigorous legislative programme to change the...
The Māori Population When Pākehā first arrived in New Zealand, the Māori population by some estimates stood at about 90,000 people, spread all over Aotearoa though most lived near the coast. By the time the war at Waitara began in 1860, the Māori population had fallen...
Power in the Ancient Times When Pākehā first arrived in New Zealand, political power resided amongst Māori. Most of the tribes (there were about 50) were large informal groups; real power lay at the level of the hapū, or the sub-tribe. Māori Jurist Eddie Durie has...