Colonisation of the Cape Flashcards
when did Jan van Riebeeck + his men arrive at the Cape and when did van Riebeeck leave
arrive - 1652
leave - 1662
when did the VOC build a refreshment station in the Cape
1652
what does VOC stand for
English = Dutch East India Company
Explain why the Dutch needed to build a refreshment station and why did they build it at the Cape
Reasons for VOC settlement in the Cape
- plenty of water, fertile land and wild animals
- they needed to supply their sailors with fresh fruit + veg so they didn’t die of scurvy (cause: lack of vitamin C) or other diseases during long voyage to East at the halfway station.
- VOC sent Jan van Riebeeck + team of gardeners to Cape to grow fruit + veg for passing ships
who were the Khoi-khoi
pastoralists who were initially prepared to exchange cattle for pieces of iron + others goods
How did the Free Burghers come about
after 5 years of working VOC released workers of their contracts to become Free Burghers. the moved into interior taking their slaves with them.
Describe the indigenous inhabitants of the Cape before the VOC got there.
The San:
- all indigenous people moved around freely before VOC
- they were hunter-gatherers who lived towards interior of Cape
- in their view all land belonged to the community
- they lived off land eating berries, wild animals, mushrooms, roots and bulbs.
- they moved around in groups looking for good water sources
- hunted with arrows coated with poison from snakes, plants, beetles and scorpions
- made tools + musical instruments from wood and stone and clothing from animal skin
- left rich heritage in rock paintings that show us how they lived
Khoi-khoi
- Khoi-khoi (Nama word is Khoekhoe) were quite similar to San in appearance, only little taller
- they were pastoralists who lived along coastal regions of Cape
- measured status + wealth in seep and cattle.
- some of their clan names were Gamtoos, Chainoqua and Hessequa
- lives revolved around water, animals and land
- made tools, weapons and ornaments from copper + iron which they obtained by trading with Africans from the north
- San + Khoi-khoi had many conflicts over cattle and land
- Strandlopers were part of Khoi-khoi family but lived in caves on beaches
- lived off fish + shellfish
- archaeologists found mounds of shells in cave, together with animal bones and stone tools
what were the Free Burghers later know as
The Trekboers
what is a burgher
a citizen of a town or country
what are the results of the Dutch occupation of the Cape
- wasn’t their (VOC) intention to colonise Cape
- Van Riebeeck was unable to produce enough food for the ships. therefore independent farmers (Free Burghers) moved into surrounding areas to farm. started private ownership of land
- Van Riebeeck needed labour force to help him develop projects at Cape. led to introduction of slaves
where did slaves in the Cape come from
Angola, Guinea, Mozambique, Indonesia, Zanzibar, Madagascar, Sri Lanka, Thailand, Malaysia and India
what did Jan van Riebeeck need to build and with what and who did he need to build it with
he needed timber from Hout Bay to build:
- a big garden
- a fort
- housing for workers and soldiers
- watch towers
- roads
- a jetty
he needed slaves as it was too expensive to hire workers and Khoi-khoi wouldn’t work for them.
how were slaves bought to Cape and describe the conditions
- most bought by VOC ships from trading posts in East
- source from a survivor of shipwreck Meermin, in which slaves were transported from Madagascar to Cape:
“chained and crammed so tightly below deck they could hardly move. not policy of VOC to allow slaves to exercise on upper deck
how many slaves were transported to the Cape between 1658 and 1807
about 60 000
what were some of the jobs that the slaves did for the VOC at the Cape
- building the fort, houses and taverns
- making a jetty and roads
- growing vegetables in company garden
- being servants for the officials
- cutting timber in forests
- constructing the castle were the governor lived
Some also served individuals by working:
- on the Free Burgher farms
- in the Huguenots’ vineyards
name the punishments for slaves
- whipped
- branded
- sentenced to life in chains
- ears, noses and sometimes their right hands were cut off
- other tortures (burnt alive / the wheel)
how and why did the slaves resist slavery
Cause - everyday hardships and cruel punishments
Effects :
- stole what ever they could
- set fire to crops and houses
- worked slowly
- broke equipment that they used
- attacked their masters
- were rude to their masters
- ran away
describe the slave uprising. what were the effects
- 1690
- farm in Stellenbosch
- 4 slaves attacked farmhouse killing 1 burgher and wounding another
- ran away with stolen guns
- soldiers sent after them, killed 3 slaves and wounding another then imprisoning him
- wounded slave confessed that they had been planning to capture some of their owners and their wives and run away to Madagascar
Effects
- owners became fearful of a mass rebellion and being killed
- caused constant tension
describe the slave legacy at the Cape (3)
- British set about 36 274 slaves free in Cape in 1834
- at that stage Cape grew new language Afrikaans, which was a mix between Dutch, Arabic, French, English, German, Portuguese, Malay, Nguni and Khoisan.
- introduction of Islam
- at first Malay Muslims slaves could only practise their religion secretly
- in 1694, nobleman, Sheik Yusuf of Makassar was sent to Cape by VOC as political prisoner
- he was great scholar and brought 12 imams with him
- they encouraged spread of Islam amongst slaves
- first free Muslim slave was able to buy property in Dorp Street Cape Town, where he built first mosque in 1794
- successful economy of the Cape
- their labour developed fruit + vine farms that are famous throughout the world today
- their skills as builders carpenters, cabinet makers, shoemakers and barrel-makers added to growth of Cape
- introduced new foods
what is the rixdaler
a Dutch silver coin
Describe how the Free Burghers started and how they multiplied
- in 1657, VOC gave 11 four hectare plots to 9 Free Burgher families
- this land was to the east of Table Mountain near Liesbeek
- main purpose was to provide VOC with fresh food for passing ships
- didn’t pay tax for 12 years
- VOC provided them with farming implements, guns and ammunition
- by 1662, Van Riebeeck returned to Holland, there were 35 Free Burgher farms -> most were Dutch families, some were German + Norwegian families, all of whom were Calvinists
- strict instructions not to enslave Khoi-khoi, but needed slaves
- became successful producing fruit, veg, wheat, tobacco and later on wine and meat
- VOC forced them to sell their produce to them, they control prices (VOC)
- 1795 20 000 Free Burghers in Cape, of which 7 000 were farmers
- some were bricklayers, tailors, bakers, carpenters or merchants
what is a Calvinist
John Calvin formed new Christian religious movement in protest to certain things that were happening in the Roman Catholic Church. Followers called Calvinists
describe the Dutch and Huguenot immigration
- Dutch people from Holland came to Cape, settled on Khoi-khoi grazing land. Khoi-khoi died in clashes due to them not having guns against Dutch. badly affected by diseases brought to Cape by Europeans. Immigration of Dutch to Cape resulted in development of towns like Stellenbosch, Graaff-Reinet, Swellendam, Tulbagh and Paarl
- 1688 King Louis XIV of France ruled that only Roman Catholics would be allowed to live in France. Calvinists decided to leave France in order to avoid prosecution. these refugees became known as French Huguenots
- Simon van der Stel, Governor of Cape, disappointed by quality of wine Free Burghers producing for passing ships. VOC encouraged expert Huguenot wine makers, to live in Cape. 200 Huguenots took offer of free passage from France to Cape Town. Huguenots settled in area, now known as Franschhoek. Huguenots highly trained craftsmen, experienced at growing grapes and making wine, brandy and vinegar. Wine quality soon improved.
- within 3 generations, French language of Huguenots, was replaced by Dutch them Afrikaans. Some Huguenot surnames, Le Roux, Du Plessis, Du Toit, de Klerk, Malan, Gouws and Joubert, still common in SA.
Why did they move, where did they move and who were the Trekboers
- Trekboers were Dutch, German and French Free Burghers who moved away from Cape to find better pastures for livestock during 17 + 18 C, many also wanted to get away from strict rules of VOC.
- They moved inland towards north and east. families travelled in 1 / 2 wagons while livestock walked alongside. Servants and slaves looked after animals, found wood and made fires for cooking, skinned animals, washed dishes and put up tents.
- VOC had no control over Trekboers who kept moving their stock towards the Orange River. Weren’t enough officials and no roads to follow them.
- some of Trekboers who moved east towards Fish River often clashed with Xhosa over grazing land. Trekboers sometimes raided the Khoi-khoi and made their captives servants who had to work for food and shelter only. Look at map in book P139.
describe the lifestyle of the Trekboers
- they were nomadic pastoralists = moved around looking for fresh grazing land. result of this often clashed with indigenous people. lifestyle - free and independent from law, but also had problems. no roads inland so it was difficult to find smooth paths for wagons. men rode horses ahead to find easiest way forward and water for camps at night. relied heavily on their slaves and servants to protect their livestock from dangerous wild animals
- some would stay near river for season of 2. they would build mud huts with thatched roofs made of reeds. floors made of clay and cattle dung. furniture made from wood and riempies (strips of leather). also made clothes and shoes from leather. being settled for while gave families chance to make soap from animal fat and beeswax. they were excellent marksmen and animals were plentiful inland so there was never shortage of meat. Crops + veg grown when they not on the move.
- Most them went to Cape Town once a year to sell horses, cattle, sheep, skins, hides, beeswax and ivory and to buy gunpowder, coffee, sugar, cutlery, crockery, materials and agricultural implements. often would trade these items with Khoi-khoi for more cattle or ivory.
- Trekboer families often had over 10 children. their education mainly informal and based on daily Bible readings. they spoke dialect of Dutch which later developed into Afrikaans.
Describe the conflict between the land dispossession of the indigenous population and the Trekboers
- when Trekboers moved inland they began competing with San, Khoi-khoi and Xhosa for grazing land and water. Each group people needed land to survive / make a living.
- many fights and raids between various groups during 1600’s. Trekboers had better weapons, resulted in hundreds of Khoi-khoi being killed and dispossessed of their grazing land. some were forced to became servants and labourers for the Europeans. others fled further inland to join San on less fertile land in mountainous areas. many Khoi-khoi died during three major outbreaks of smallpox and measles, within 60 years of the Dutch landing at the Cape, the traditional economic, social and political order of the Khoi-khoi had almost been destroyed.
describe Genadendal
it was the first mission station in Southern Africa
- 1738, Georg Schmidt sent to SA by Moravian Missionary Society. he went to place about 100 km east of Cape Town which he then called Genadendal. came to help Khoi-khoi who were scattered, poverty-stricken and about to become extinct, due to land dispossession and disease.
- Khoi-khoi woman named Vehettge Tikhuie, helped Schmidt to start small community. her husband built a house and a few other small buildings for Schmidt, who taught about ten Khoi-khoi to read the Bible and to write in Dutch. when Vehettge was baptised she received the Christian name of Magdalena. officials of the government at the Cape and clergy from the Cape Dutch Reformed Church complained that Schmidt had no right to baptise people as he wasn’t ordained. after seven years of trying to uplift the Khoi-khoi, Schmidt went to Europe to be ordained, but he died before he could go back to Genadendal.
- in 1792, three Moravian missionaries visited Genadendal. the buildings were in ruins but they found Magdalena. she had been preaching to her people under a pear tree for 47 years. she showed them the Dutch Bible that Schmidt gave here. it was wrapped in sheepskins in a leather bag. the men were amazed when her daughter read to them from the Dutch Bible. the mission of Genadendal developed into the largest settlement in the colony after Cape Town and became and important educational centre and self- sufficient community. a few Khoi-khoi were helped out of poverty and their pride was restored after the dispossession of their land
describe the work of Wilhelm (William) Bleek and Lucy Lloyd .
1870, Wilhelm (William) Bleek worked with Lucy Lloyd on a project to learn the San language. they were aware that language was about to die out as San became fewer and fewer in number, due to land dispossession.
their aim was to record the personal stories, beliefs, customs and traditions of the San people. they were able to learn the language from prisoners who were building the breakwater in Table Bay. they also wrote down many interpretations of rock art paintings. it was a very difficult process writing down the San language because of its many click sounds, but language has been successfully preserved for future generations.
