What Were the Motivations for Signing and Why Did the Agreement Between Maori and the Crown Lead to Conflict?

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What were the motivations for signing and why did the agreement between Maori and the Crown lead to conflict? The argument whether the signing of the Treaty of Waitangi was for the Maori to be disadvantaged and for the profit for the British or whether it was a partnership that could be of benefit to both parties. However, mistranslations caused both sides to have differed expectations and caused conflict with what they expected and what they had actually gotten. This essay will cover both Maori and European views of the Treaty and the conflicts that had happened since then. There were many motivations for the Maori to sign the treaty. In the first article, Maori thought that they gave the Queen ‘te kawanatanga katoa’ or complete government over the land in return for the promise of ‘protection and all rights accorded to British subjects’ stated in article three. This could be useful especially with the commotion happening in Kororareka, also known as ‘the hellhole of the Pacific’. Drunken sailors would often come to Kororareka forgetting their duty, Kororareka was full of prostitutes, drunk men and fights among sailors often started. To the Maori, this meant that proper laws would be put into place and Maori were under the Queens protection while having the same rights as a normal British citizen. Maori had also thought that signing the Treaty would encourage more trading with the Pakeha as the Queen promised ‘full and undisturbed possession’ as stated in article two. This meant to the Maoris that they could keep all of their possessions and land without disturbance. The laws put into place meant a safer environment for trade between the Europeans and the Maori, in turn promoting and encourage traders. Maori thought that the Treaty would be a good end of the bargain for them. On the other hand, the British had intentions to protect Maori interests from the
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