Short-answers activity - Musket Wars - NCEA Level 3 history

Activity: Short-answer and paragraph questions

1. How might the missionaries have reacted to the Musket Wars in terms of their efforts to convert and 'civilise' Maori?
2. Men like Hongi Hika must have found places like London interesting. Other Maori visited England and Sydney. This brought Maori into contact with many Europeans and their way of life. To what extent do you think such experiences might have made Maori wary about engaging with Europe?
3. How did the period of the Musket Wars disrupt Maori life in terms of:
   • settlement
   • economy?
4. Having examined the evidence, how accurate a label is 'Musket Wars' for this period of intertribal warfare? Justify your answer.
5. In a couple of paragraphs outline whether you believe the Musket Wars illustrate the notion of fatal impact, i.e., an example of the negative consequences of contact with Europeans? Explain your answer.
6. What role did mana play in these wars?
7. Why were Maori unable to maintain a large-scale war effort?
8. What factors contributed to the ending of the Musket Wars?

Activity ideas

Short answer and paragraph questions

Practice essay activity: examine a significant historical situation in the context of change, in an essay