New Zealand History
Maoris were the first inhabitants of New Zealand, arriving on the islands in about 1000. Maori oral history maintains that the Maoris came to the island in seven canoes from other parts of Polynesia. In 1642, New Zealand was explored by Abel Tasman, a Dutch explorer.The British captain James Cook made three trips to the islands, beginning in 1769. Britain formally inhabited the islands in 1840.
The Treaty of Waitangi (Feb. 6, 1840) between the British and several Maori tribes promised to protect Maori land if the Maoris recognized British rule. Pressure on the land by British settlers was relentless, however, and skirmishes between the two groups intensified.
