Slavery was not a fringe part of New Zealand prior to 1840. To quote NZ Geographic:
In 1836, the missionary William Yate told a House of Commons select committee that about half of the Māori population in northern New Zealand were slaves, but that in the South Island it was more like one in 10. Samuel Hinds, who had never set foot in the country, told an 1838 select committee that by his estimate, 90 per cent of the population were enslaved.
We should celebrate 6 February 1840 as the day slavery was made illegal in New Zealand and tens of thousands of Maori slaves gained the rights of British citizens.
The proportion of the population who were slaves was very high in New Zealand. Even if you accept the lower estimate of around 50%, here is what other countries were at their max:
- Brazil 35%
- Roman Republic 15% to 30%
- United States 13%
- Spain under 10%
- Ottoman Empire 5% to 10%
- UK around 1% to 5%
David Farrar runs Curia Market Research, a specialist opinion polling and research agency, and the popular Kiwiblog where this article was sourced. He previously worked in the Parliament for eight years, serving two National Party Prime Ministers and three Opposition Leaders
5 comments:
A very salient point that those imbecilic reporters and journalists conveniently forget when they continue to ask that inane question: 'Was colonalisation good for Maori?'
Or is it that they're asking on behalf of that miniscule cohort of elite rangatira, who relinquished that right to enslave others?
Before the 6th of February 1840 there was no law in NZ.
Full stop - any crap about tikanga is a modern fabrication made up on the spot as required to gain another advantage for Maori.
Think about the situation had the USA colonized NZ, not the Brits who had stopped slavery in the early 1800s, meanwhile slavery was still legal in the US until 1865.
Imagine if Maori were still permitted to enslave other Maori until 1865 ?
Many Europeans arriving early in NZ were enslaved. Check out :
"Pakeha slaves, Maori masters : the forgotten story of New Zealand's white slaves" by Trevor Bentley
Maori lived short brutal lives with slavery as the core of their societies.
I have never heard Maori express any gratitude for their relief from their evil practices.
David, you can’t write stuff like this. Don’t you know that the NZ of the early 1800s was a cultural Nirvana?
Slavery was supposed to have ended in 1840 but in remote parts of the country, it actually continued almost to the end of the 19th century. Also, it wasn't just ordinary slavery, as practiced in Rome or America. It was virtually the cruelest treatment of human beings in the history of mankind. More akin to the treatment of prisoners in Nazi concentration camps.
More akin to Stalin's gulags
Post a Comment
Thank you for joining the discussion. Breaking Views welcomes respectful contributions that enrich the debate. Please ensure your comments are not defamatory, derogatory or disruptive. We appreciate your cooperation.