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New Zealand - Coggle Diagram
New Zealand
Early contact periods
The first Europeans known to reach New Zealand were the crew of Dutch explorer Abel Tasman. Over 100 years elapsed before Europeans returned to New Zealand; in 1769, British naval captain James Cook visited New Zealand.
From the 1790s, the waters around New Zealand were visited by British, French and American whaling, sealing and trading ships. Their crews traded European goods, including guns and metal tools, for Māori food, water, wood, flax.
Christianity was introduced to New Zealand in 1814 by Samuel Marsden. Beginning in 1820, linguist Samuel Lee worked with Māori chief Hongi Hika to transcribe the Māori language into written form. In 1835 the country's first successful printing was two books from the Bible produced.
Māori arrival and settlement
New Zealand was first settled by Polynesians from Eastern Polynesia. They formed a distinct culture of their own. The original settlers quickly exploited the abundant large game in New Zealand. Warfare increased in importance, reflecting increased competition for land and other resources.
Leadership was based on a system of chieftainship, which was often hereditary. Traditional Māori society preserved history orally through narratives, songs, and chants.
Colonial period
In response to complaints from missionaries, and a petition from Māori chiefs calling for King William IV to be a "friend and guardian" of New Zealand about lawless sailors and adventurers in New Zealand, the British Government appointed James Busby as British Resident in 1832. In 1834 he encouraged Māori chiefs to assert their sovereignty with the signing of the Declaration of Independence in 1835.
Captain William Hobson was sent to New Zealand by the British government with instructions to persuade Māori to cede their sovereignty to the British Crown.This represented the first clear expression of British intent to annex New Zealand.
At first New Zealand was administered from Australia as part of the colony of New South Wales, and from 16 June 1840 New South Wales laws were deemed to operate in New Zealand. However, this was a transitional arrangement and in May 1841 New Zealand became a colony in its own right.
The New Zealand Company was responsible for 15,500 settlers coming to New Zealand. This private colonisation project was part of the reason that the British Colonial Office decided to speed up its plans for the annexation of New Zealand. Wakefield's colonisation programmes were over-elaborate and operated on a much smaller scale than he hoped for, but his ideas influenced law and culture.
Dominion and Realm
New Zealand initially expressed interest in joining the proposed Federation of the Australian colonies, attending the 1891 National Australia Convention in Sydney. Interest in the proposed Australian Federation faded and New Zealand decided against joining the Commonwealth of Australia in 1901. New Zealand instead changed from being a colony to a separate "Dominion" in 1907, equal in status to Australia and Canada. Dominion status was a public mark of the self-governance that had evolved over half a century through responsible government.
Post-war era
Labour remained in power after the Second World War and in 1945, Labour Prime Minister Peter Fraser played an important role in the establishment of the United Nations, of which New Zealand was a founding member.
Cooperation with the United States set a direction of policy which resulted in the ANZUS Treaty between New Zealand, America and Australia in 1951, as well as participation in the Korean War.
1950s New Zealand culture was deeply British and conservative.
Irrespective of political developments, many New Zealanders still perceived themselves as a distinctive outlying branch of the United Kingdom. In 1973 Britain joined the European Community and abrogated its preferential trade agreements with New Zealand, forcing New Zealand to not only find new markets but also re-examine its national identity and place in the world.
