Browne was governor from 1855 to 1861. During that time a Māori king was set up in Waikato, something Browne saw as incompatible with British sovereignty. War linked to dubious land transactions also broke out in Taranaki. Browne relied on the Treaty to get rangatira loyalty and support for government policy. Rangatira pledged loyalty but were critical of Browne’s policy.
Many Māori felt they had a special relationship with her.
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This content was originally written for the Treaty2U website in partnership with National Library of New Zealand Te Puna Mātauranga o Aotearoa and Archives New Zealand Te Rua Mahara o Te Kāwanatanga in 2008, and reviewed in 2020.
Over 40 rangatira signed the Treaty at Waitangi, among them many who had signed the Declaration of Independence. Their agreement was important, but Hobson wanted a lot more signatures so he could confidently claim British sovereignty over New Zealand. To get those signatures, he took the Treaty on the road.