New Zealands rich history

The first people to settle in New Zealand were of Māori descent. The first settlers may have originated from Polynesia in the 1200s or 1300s. They discovered New Zealand while exploring the Pacific, using the ocean currents, winds, and stars to navigate. Some tribes believe that Kupe was the first Polynesian to discover New Zealand. The Dutch were the first Europeans to arrive in New Zealand, and Abel Tasman was their first arrival. The name "New Zealand" originated from the Dutch "Nieuw Zeeland," which was given to the country by a Dutch mapmaker. For a surprisingly long time, New Zealand was the only place in the world that wasn't visited by an European. Captain James Cook first arrived in 1769 on one of three voyages. The Europeans started visiting regularly, and then the sealers and whalers followed.

By the 1830s, the British government was being pressured to reduce lawlessness in the country and to settle the country before the French, who were considering New Zealand as a potential colony. On February 6th, 1840, William Hobson — New Zealand’s first Governor — invited Māori chiefs to sign a treaty with the British Crown. The treaty established the relationship between the British Crown and the Māori chiefs and laid the groundwork for future negotiations and agreements. The treaty was signed by local chiefs all around the country. More than 500 chiefs from all over New Zealand signed the Treaty of Waitangi in 1840. This historic treaty set out the rights and relationships of Māori and Pākehā.