2. What is “The Treaty of Waitangi?”
Treaty of Waitangi(Te Tiriti o Waitangi) was a written agreement made in
1840 between the British crown and more than 500 Māori chiefs this
allowed them to live together in New Zealand under a common set of laws
or agreements. After the Treaty of Waitangi was established, New
Zealand became a colony of Britain and Māori became British subjects,
the Māoris, and the Europeans had different understandings and
expectations of the treaty which caused many conflicts, which was later
solved. And so every year in New Zealand, “Waitangi Day”, a public
holiday is held on 6th February to commemorate the signing of the Treaty
of Waitangi.
3. The Māori chiefs changed their mind
about the agreement and didn’t sign
the treaty at all because their strong
expectations knew what the effect
would be on them and their tribe in
the future, so they decided not to sign
it and therefore the Treaty of Waitangi
wasn’t signed.
Point Of Divergence of the
Treaty of Waitangi:
5. Evidence:
Because without the treaty the
Māoris weren’t under any law
they were independent without
any government and so they
were at a risk of being
attacked by other countries.
6. Event 2:
The British wouldn’t be
able to claim the land or
anything and wouldn’t
have come together with
the Maoris.
7. Evidence:
Because New Zealand was
an independent country, the
British couldn’t just walk in
and make demands. Māori
chiefs ruled their tribes, so
the British needed them to
accept first.
8. Event 3:
The Māori chiefs might not
have lost their power and
their ownership of their
lands, forests, fisheries and
other possessions.
9. Evidence:
Because the Māori and the
English version of the treaty
had differences. The wrong
understandings on the
Māoris side lead them to lose
their power.
10. What would be different?
Without the Treaty of Waitangi the British and Māori wouldn’t have
come together and the Māori’s would have been in a much weaker
place today and without the treaty the Māori’s wouldn’t have been
safe because other people like the French, Spanish, Russians and
the Americans could have caught interest in New Zealand and
would have been ready to strike.
