Relations With Indigenous People (1857-90) Flashcards
What did Cecil Rhodes famously say about the race of the British?
‘We are the finest race in the world’ - shows how he believed he had the right to command control in SouthAfrica in late C.19
When did Dutch settlers form a colony in South Africa (Boers)?
1652
What does ‘Boer’ mean in Afrikaans?
Farmers
When did Britain take over the Cape Colony and why?
1795 as Cape was a route to India so needed protection
What were the actions and beliefs of the Boers as they arrived in SA?
Moved away from administrative centres and were fiercely independent, refusing any outside rule or influence
How did Britain initially create hostility with the Boers?
Followed them and introduced new laws:
1823 - English ordered to be adopted as official language
What was the Great Trek?
. The freedom of British slaves in 1833 law hit Boers hard as it threatened their economic stability as their farms depended on free labour. This meant large numbers of Boer’s moved away from the Cape Colony.
What did the British allow the Boers in 1852?
Self-government. Republic of Transvaal born and OFS two years later
However, Britain still controlled part of their affairs
Who were the Bantu people?
300-600 ethnic groups in Africa who spoke Bantu languages. Inhabit east and South Africa from central africa across the Great Lakes region down to South Africa.
Where did some Boers move to from 1833?
North to Natal and then further to the interior of Africa, creating their own states.
When did Britain annex Natal?
1845
When did Britain come into conflict with Boers and Bantus?
2nd half of C.19
What sparked the conflict between the Boers and Bantu?
1867: Europeans discovered diamonds near Kimberley on the Vaal River in West Griqualand, attracting white settlers and Bantu people in a ‘diamond rush’
When did Britain annex Basutoland and why?
1868 as indigenous people there (Sotho people) were supposedly looking for protection against the Boers
When did Britain annex West Griqualand and what was the response?
- 2000 of the Griqua people (mixed Boer and Khoikhoi descent) trekked east and formed east Griqualand in 1873
When did Britain annex East Griqualand?
1874
What did the Griqua people want?
To live outside colonial rule and escape racial prejudice
What happened in 1875?
Boers rejected proposed federation of the British and Boer territories. This area became very unstable as Britain and Boers fought for greater control in an area that was so valuable for traders
When was the Xhosa War and what happened?
1877-8. Britain easily disarms neighbouring communities and annexes them to the Cape Colony. However, the Boers couldn’t take the Pedi people’s independence in the Eastern Transvaal
Why did Britain annex the Transvaal and when?
In 1877 as Britain claimed they needed to protect white European settlers against the Pedi and Zulu people
When was the invasion of Zululand launched?
In January 1879 after Boers reluctantly accept British aid against the Zulus
What happened in the invasion of Zululand?
Zulu army initially outmanoeuvres and defeats British at Isandlwana
July 1879: British defeat Zulus at Ulundi (capital of Zululand) once reinforcements arrive
Town burnt to ground
Zululand incorporated into Natal
Pedi people defeated at end of campaign
When do Boers declare complete independence from Britain?
1880
How had the Boers reacted to British control since 1880?
Rejected it, attacking British army garrisons across the Transvaal
