Relations With Indigenous People

Question 1

Why did relations with the boers change in 1867-80?

Answer 1

• diamond rush in west griqualand on the border of OFS, causes friction as white settles and brits rush to the area
• 1868 brits take basutoland, claiming natives wanted protecting, 1871 brits take west griqualand, 2000 griqua head east to make east griqualand which Britain take the year after, boers firmly reject joint Britain and boer republic proposed by the British in 1875.

Question 2

What happened in the Boer region after 1875?

Answer 2

• poor relations created instability in the area,which was valuable for traders
• British easily won Xhosa war 77-78, but boers struggled with the pedi tribe, leading to Britain annexing the Transvaal in 1877, saying they needed to protect Europeans living there
• britain attack zululand in 1879, Britain defeat the pedis and zulus with zululand incorporated into natal, boers declaring independence in 1880.

Question 3

How did relations with the boers change after 1880?

Answer 3

1880 - boers turn on brits, leading to humiliating British defeat at majuba hill in feb. 1881, 150 brits killed, forcing them to sign convention of Pretoria, recognising self government in the Transvaal.

• 1885 - Britain annex bechuanaland over fears that the boers and Germans will team up
• 1886 - gold found in Witwatersrand, bringing Uitlanders to the Transvaal, Cecil Rhodes gets charter for his British South Africa company in 1889, establishes fort in mashonaland, bringing that area under British control.

Question 4

How did the British treat the Bantu people?

Answer 4

• little thought given to Bantu, whose land was given to european traders
• although the region got wealthier, the money stayed with the white settlers
• black Africans had no claim to resources found in mines due to laws created, they also could only do manual jobs, and had to live in segregated neighbourhoods or mining camps.