The first settlers who came to New Zealand

The first settlers who came to New Zealand

Firstly the Maori were the first settlers who came to New Zealand. When the Europeans arrived, Maori were already settled in New Zealand so they were known as the first people to settle in New Zealand. 

The Maori were the first settlers so they called themselves Tangata Whenua (People of the land).  

In December 1642, the first European explorer arrived in New Zealand, known as Able Tasman, he came to New Zealand for an Expedition. He was given two small ships and a crew from the company he worked for, Dutch East India Company. 

While in New Zealand Abel Tasman and his crew only encountered the Maori once and it ended badly with 4 of his crew members beaten and killed by the Maori. 

Then another European explorer came to New Zealand in October 1769 known as James Cook, he came to New Zealand for a scientific expedition. James Cook also encountered the Maori once and it was very unsuccessful with some of the Maori dead. 

It won't be another 127 years before the next encounter between the Maori and Europeans.

 

Pakeha kept coming to New Zealand and some even made the Maori mad and very unhappy, Maori couldn’t have peace because they kept getting disturbed. 

Finally, the Maori could have peace they thought, while they signed the Treaty with the British on the 6th of February 1840, but the British kept making the Maori unhappy. 

Then the New Zealand war started in 1845 and went for 27 years and ended in 1872 but even though the war is over, Maori are still fighting the system to this day for retribution.