The New Zealand Wars

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What were the New Zealand Wars?

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A series of armed conflicts between the indigenous Māori tribes and the British settlers and the New Zealand government from 1845 to 1872.

Front

What were the primary issues fought over in the New Zealand Wars?

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Land ownership, sovereignty, and the integration of Māori communities into the colonial system.

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What was one of the primary causes of the New Zealand Wars?

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Land confiscation by the British colonial government and European settlers.

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What was the Treaty of Waitangi?

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A treaty intended to protect Māori land rights and give them citizenship under the British crown, but often not respected in practice.

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What sparked the First Māori War (1845–1846)?

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A land dispute over the Ngāpuhi and Ngāti Toa peoples and the Northern Governor's Land Purchases.

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Who led the British forces in the First Māori War?

Back

Governor George Grey.

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What was the Waikato War (1863–1864)?

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The largest and one of the most significant of the New Zealand Wars, sparked by tensions between the British government and the Māori King Movement.

Front

Who led the Māori resistance in the Waikato War?

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King Tāwhiao.

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What was the Taranaki War?

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A conflict between British forces and the Taranaki Māori tribe, triggered by the purchase of disputed land in the Taranaki region.

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Who was Te Kooti?

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A Māori leader who led resistance movements against the British in the Urewera region during the 1860s.