Fencers and ploughers
On the morning of 26 May 1879, a farmer in Oakura (find this on the map) named Courtney woke up to find his fields being ploughed by groups of Maori men. The ploughmen turned up the next day, and the next day after that, until twenty acres were ploughed.
Fifty miles away, the same thing happened on the Bailey family farm.
Everyone was shocked.
The men would turn up with their bullocks or horses and simply start ploughing the earth. They did not carry firearms. They were good tempered, polite and never got angry.
Local farmers were worried- and angry. Te Whiti passed the message on to them that the protests were against the Government. The first farmer (Mr Courtney) sent a message to the Governor, Mr Grey telling him that he would 'shoot the horses and the natives also' if they were not removed from his land.
Between June 30th and July 31st, 182 'ploughmen' (as they became known) from around the Taranaki region were arrested and convicted for damaging property and breaching the peace. 136 of them were sent to trial in the Supreme Court in Wellington. They were imprisoned while they waited to go to court.
The final group of 46 ploughmen were sent to trial at the New Plymouth Magistrate's court. They were sentenced to two months prison in Dunedin and required to pay 600 pounds (a lot of money in those days) for a good behaviour bond for 1 year.
Soon after the last trial, the Parliament passed a new law- The Maori Prisoners Act 1879. This law meant that all prisoners who had not received a trial could be lawfully kept in jail without having a trial. In January 1880, all the prisoners who were being held in Wellington were sent to jail in either Dunedin or Hokitika.
In July 1880, the law was updated and it was now lawful that the prisoners did not have to have a trial at all. None of the first 157 ploughmen who were arrested first were ever given a trial and all them were eventually sent to prisons in the South Island.
In September 1880, another law was passed called the West Coast Settlements (North Island) Act . This was designed for another group of men who were putting up fences as part of the Taranaki land protest. Just like the ploughers, they would turn up on farms or roads and start building fences.
On the 4th of September, 7 fencers were arrested and the following day 59 fencers were arrested. They were sent to prison in Lyttleton in Christchurch and given sentences of two years prison. None of them appeared in court for a trial.
In total, 405 Maori were arrested in Taranaki- 182 ploughmen and 223 fencers.
On October 7th, 25 ploughmen were released as an 'experiment'. Another group was released in December. The last of the prisoners were not released until June 1881. Many of the fencers had been in prison for 10 to 12 months and the ploughmen were imprisoned for almost two years.
Fifty miles away, the same thing happened on the Bailey family farm.
Everyone was shocked.
The men would turn up with their bullocks or horses and simply start ploughing the earth. They did not carry firearms. They were good tempered, polite and never got angry.
Local farmers were worried- and angry. Te Whiti passed the message on to them that the protests were against the Government. The first farmer (Mr Courtney) sent a message to the Governor, Mr Grey telling him that he would 'shoot the horses and the natives also' if they were not removed from his land.
Between June 30th and July 31st, 182 'ploughmen' (as they became known) from around the Taranaki region were arrested and convicted for damaging property and breaching the peace. 136 of them were sent to trial in the Supreme Court in Wellington. They were imprisoned while they waited to go to court.
The final group of 46 ploughmen were sent to trial at the New Plymouth Magistrate's court. They were sentenced to two months prison in Dunedin and required to pay 600 pounds (a lot of money in those days) for a good behaviour bond for 1 year.
Soon after the last trial, the Parliament passed a new law- The Maori Prisoners Act 1879. This law meant that all prisoners who had not received a trial could be lawfully kept in jail without having a trial. In January 1880, all the prisoners who were being held in Wellington were sent to jail in either Dunedin or Hokitika.
In July 1880, the law was updated and it was now lawful that the prisoners did not have to have a trial at all. None of the first 157 ploughmen who were arrested first were ever given a trial and all them were eventually sent to prisons in the South Island.
In September 1880, another law was passed called the West Coast Settlements (North Island) Act . This was designed for another group of men who were putting up fences as part of the Taranaki land protest. Just like the ploughers, they would turn up on farms or roads and start building fences.
On the 4th of September, 7 fencers were arrested and the following day 59 fencers were arrested. They were sent to prison in Lyttleton in Christchurch and given sentences of two years prison. None of them appeared in court for a trial.
In total, 405 Maori were arrested in Taranaki- 182 ploughmen and 223 fencers.
On October 7th, 25 ploughmen were released as an 'experiment'. Another group was released in December. The last of the prisoners were not released until June 1881. Many of the fencers had been in prison for 10 to 12 months and the ploughmen were imprisoned for almost two years.
Why did Te Whiti and Tohu choose to plough the land and build fences?
Te Whiti and Tohu were religious men. They preached from the Bible and believed in many of the principles and teachings in the Bible. From the Bible they took the following teaching:
"And He shall judge among the nations, and shall rebuke many people: and they shall beat their swords into ploughshares, and their spears into pruning hooks: nation shall not lift up sword against nation, neither shall they learn war any more."—Isaiah 2:3–4
In other words, the two leaders were telling the people. Don't fight. Don't use your weapons. Use tools and grow food. There was also another message- this is not your land. This is our land. We have the right to plough our land and build fences where ever we choose.
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