Year 13 students, Whanganui High School, visiting the Waahi Road Cemetery, just west of Hawera
Many secondary schools now teach the New Zealand Wars as an essential component of Year 12 or Year 13 history, with students undertaking research as to causes and consequences in particular.
Setting a good research question often turns on what evidence is readily available. A good background knowledge of the wars is also useful, to provide scope and context.
Below is a list of seven quick answers to some background questions which you may may have, providing a quick access to important aspects of the wars:
SEVEN QUICK QUESTIONS & ANSWERS
Massey University students visiting the site of the Waahi Redoubt and cemetery, near Hawera.
1. What caused the Wars? see CAUSES OF THE WARS
2. What campaigns made up the Wars? see CAMPAIGNS
3. Where can I see a map of the wars? see MAP OF THE WARS
4. What is the actual timeline of the campaigns / the wars? see WARS TIMELINE
5. What were the consequences of the Wars? see CONSEQUENCES
6. What is the wars ‘historiography’ ie what have historians been saying about the wars? see WHAT HISTORIANS SAY
7. What books should I be reading? see THE WARS LIBRARY
Young Jaydn standing on the Ruapekapeka Battlefield, in the far north. Photo by Bryn Thomas, Arrowtown (Jaydn’s Dad).