South Africa, the Boers & the Bantu Flashcards
How did British involvement in South Africa begin?
Dutch settlers had first arrived in SA to from the Cape Colony in 1652 - the British took over the Cape Colony in 1795 and their troops began to arrive.
How did the Boers initially react to the British?
At first, the Dutch settlers, known as Boers, ignored their new governors and moved away from the administrative centres.
What was the nature of the Boers?
They were fiercely independent and rejected any outside rule or influence.
How did British influence change in the early 19th century?
British authorities began to follow the Boers and hostilities began. The British introduced 2 key new laws:
- English was to become the official language of South Africa (1823)
- Emancipation of British slaves (1833)
How did the emancipation of British slaves affect the Boers?
This struck the Boers deeply, as it threatened their economic stability as their farms depended on free labour. Subsequently, a large number of Boers began to move away from the Cape Colony - known as “The Great Trek”.
What did the British do to the Boers in the 1850s?
They allowed them self government, and the republics of Transvaal and Orange Free State were established in 1852 and 1854 respectively.
Relations remained fairly peaceful.
Who were the Bantu people?
“Bantu” was a general label for the African ethnic groups who spoke Bantu languages. They were the indigenous people who lived from central to southern Africa.
What happened between the British and the Boers in the 1860s and 70s?
- 1867 - discovery of diamonds causes a rush of people to Transvaal.
- 1875 - the British propose a federation of British and Boer territories which the Boers reject.
- 1877-79 - the British annex Transvaal during the Xhosa war, and the Boers reluctantly accept British aid.
What happened between the British and the Boers from 1880-81?
- 1880 - the Boers declare total independence from Britain.
- 1880-81 - the Boers reject British control and attack the British army throughout Transvaal as part of the First Boer War. The British are forced to sign the Convention of Pretoria in 1881, following a humiliating defeat in that February.
What was the Convention of Pretoria?
The Convention of Pretoria meant the British had to recognise the Boer self government in the Transvaal.
What happened between the British and the Boers in the later 1880s?
- 1884 - Britain fear the Boers would form an alliance with Germany in Southwest Africa.
- 1886 - further instability is caused following the discovery of gold near Pretoria in Transvaal. This brought a mass of non-Boer Europeans into the Transvaal.
What happened between the British and the Bantu in the 1860s-70s?
- 1868 - British annex Basutoland.
- 1871 - British also annex West Griqualand.
- 1873 - 2000 Griqua people trekked eastwards and established Griqueland East.
- 1877-78 - Britain easily disarm neighbouring communities in the Xhosa War and annex them to the cape.
- 1879 - the British invade Zululand, January 1879.
What happened between the British and the Bantu in the 1880s and 90s?
- 1885 - annexed territory between Transvaal and German SW Africa called Bechuanaland to prevent German and Boer troops combining.
- 1889 - Cecil Rhodes receives a charter for the British South Africa Company and plans to extend the empire.
- 1890 - Rhodes’ company established a fort in Mashonaland, home to the Shona people.
What happened between the Boers and the Zulus?
The independent nature of the Boers often lead to conflict with other African tribes, most notably the Zulus.
The Zulus were able to create an anti-Boer coalition of various tribal peoples which was a serious threat - particularly to the Transvaal.
How did the British help the Boers?
The Boers sought aid from the British, who eventually helped them defeat the Zulus at Ulundi in 1879, having suffered a setback in Isandlwana.
