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81-616: The Natalia Republic was a short-lived Boer republic founded in 1839 after a Voortrekker victory against the Zulus at the Battle of Blood River . The area was previously named Natália by Portuguese sailors, due to its discovery on Christmas ("Natal" is the Portuguese word for Christmas). The republic came to an end in 1843 when British forces annexed it to form the Colony of Natal . After

162-696: A "foreign" government in April 1994 and away from the original ethnic group. The new land claims process has not yet been finalised however. Andries Pretorius Andries Wilhelmus Jacobus Pretorius (27 November 1798 – 23 July 1853) was a leader of the Boers who was instrumental in the creation of the South African Republic , as well as the earlier but short-lived Natalia Republic , in present-day South Africa . The large city of Pretoria , executive capital of South Africa ,

243-600: A decisive battle against thousands of Dingane's impis. The Natalia Republic was established in 1839 by the local Boers after Pretorius entered into an alliance with Mpande , the new Zulu king. In June 1852 a public meeting was held in Bloemfontein where all the European people voted on a resolution whether to pursue independence or remain under British rule. The vast majority of people voted to remain under British rule. Sir Harry Smith, however, had instructions to hand

324-568: A deed of cession in English. Dingane and Retief signed it on 4 February 1838. Two days later, Dingane ordered the execution of Retief and all of his party, 66 whites and 34 Khoikhoi servants. The Zulu king commanded his impis to kill all the Boers who had entered Natal. The Zulu forces crossed the Tugela River the same day, and the most advanced parties of the Boers were massacred, many at

405-675: A distinct and numerous people with their own dispensation within their own territory to the north and east, in the region known as Zululand . The settlers were in loose alliance with and in quasi-supremacy over the Boer communities that had left the Cape and settled at Winburg and at Potchefstroom . They declared a free and independent state under the title of "The Republic of Port Natal and adjacent countries," and sought (September 1840) from Sir George Napier an acknowledgment of their independence by Great Britain. Sir George did not give an answer but

486-556: A dozen Englishmen returned to live at the port; the missionaries, hunters, and other traders returned to Cape Colony . The Boers had repelled the Zulu attacks on their laagers; joined by others from the Drakensberg , about 400 men under Hendrik Potgieter and Piet Uys advanced to attack Dingane. On 11 April, they fell into a trap and with difficulty cut their way out. Among those slain were Piet Uys and his son Dirk, aged 15. Toward

567-590: A dozen of their men wounded. The Zulus withdrew in defeat, many crossing the river which had turned red with blood and thereafter known as the Battle of Blood River . Modern-day Boers still celebrate the Day of the Vow every year on 16 December. Returning south, Pretorius and his fighters found that the British had annexed Port Natal (now Durban ) on 4 December with a detachment of the 72nd Highlanders from Cape Colony. While

648-466: A harbour through which access to the interior could be gained. After remaining at the port just over a year the Highlanders were withdrawn, on 24 December 1839. After the battle, Pretorius took advantage of dissension in the Zulu kingdom to ally himself with Mpande , brother of the Zulu king Dingane . Dingane's attempt to extend his kingdom north to compensate for losses to the Boers had failed. He

729-498: A large tract of land extending from St Lucia Bay to be part of the Natalia Republic. Meantime the Boers had founded Pietermaritzburg , named in honour of leaders Piet Retief and Gerrit Maritz . They made it their capital and the seat of their Volksraad . Legislative power was vested in the volksraad (consisting of 24 members), while the president and executive were changed every three months. For issues of importance,

810-443: A meeting was called of het publiek , that is, of all who chose to attend, to sanction or reject it. "The result," says the historian George McCall Theal , "was utter anarchy. Decisions of one day were frequently reversed the next, and every one held himself free to disobey any law that he did not approve of. ... Public opinion of the hour in each section of the community was the only force in the land." The Zulus continued to exist as

891-432: A negotiations visit, along with 70 men with boys among them and with 30 servants to enter the Zulu kraal Mgungundlovu unarmed. Pretorius arrived at the desperate Trekkers' main camp on 22 November 1838. Pretorius' diligence and thorough action immediately instilled confidence and he was appointed chief commander of the punitive commando against Dingane. Pretorius led 470 men with 64 wagons into Dingane's territory and on

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972-677: A number of splits. Members of the Roman Catholic Church and other Christian churches were not allowed to become citizens of the ZAR. The Zoutpansberg Boers came in 1835, settling along the Limpopo River , where they learnt gold working from the natives. The white settlers in Zoutpansberg had a long reputation of lawlessness, often being called typical "Back-veldt Boers". In 1864, they were inevitably incorporated into

1053-608: A publication now in the public domain :  Chisholm, Hugh , ed. (1911). " Natal ". Encyclopædia Britannica (11th ed.). Cambridge University Press. Boer republic The Dutch East India Company (VOC) first issued land to the Free Burghers in 1657. The Free Burghers established two colonies at the Liesbeeck River near Rondebosch in the Western Cape . Following an application process,

1134-603: A significant role in their culture. The ZAR national constitution did not provide separation between church and state, disallowing the franchise (citizenship) to anyone not a member of the Dutch Reformed Church . In 1858, these clauses were altered in the constitution to allow for the Volksraad to approve other Dutch Calvinist churches that separated from the Dutch Reformed Church in the wake of

1215-529: A site for the capital of the future state that he envisioned. He went to the kraal of Shaka’s successor Dingane , ruler of the Zulu Kingdom , to obtain a cession of territory for the Boer farmers. Dingane consented on condition that the Boers recover cattle stolen by another chief. Retief managed that and, with the help of missionary the Rev Francis Owen, living at Dingane’s kraal, he drew up

1296-589: A special commissioner to explain to the Natal volksraad the decision of the government. There was a considerable party of Natal Boers still strongly opposed to the British, and they were reinforced by numerous bands of Boers who came over the Drakensberg from Winburg and Potchefstroom . Commandant Jan Mocke of Winburg (who had helped to besiege Captain Smith at Durban) and others of the "war party" attempted to induce

1377-400: A spot near where the town of Weenen now stands, its name (meaning wailing or weeping) commemorating the event. Other of the farmers hastily laagered and were able to repulse the Zulu attacks; the assailants suffered serious loss at a fight near Bushman River . In one week after the murder of Retief, the Zulus had killed 600 Boers. Hearing of the attack on the Boers, the British settlers at

1458-419: A trap as happened on the previous attempt to attack the Zulus in April which ended in disaster. On the journey, they had small skirmishes with various kraals but the main Zulu army had not arrived yet to attack. Boer and Zulu scouts were constantly monitoring each other's whereabouts. On 9 December 1838 as Bantjes wrote in his journal, the Boers congregated under a clear sky to sing appropriate psalms and celebrate

1539-596: Is most likely that he grew up on his father's farm named Driekoppen, about 40 kilometres north-east of Graaff-Reinet . In September 1839, after the up company of Gerrit Maritz left Graaff-Reinet to go northwards, those that stayed behind including Pretorius began to strongly consider leaving the Cape Colony . He left his home in October 1837 on a scouting expedition to visit the Trekkers. Eventually, Pretorius left

1620-537: Is named after him. Pretorius was educated at home and although a school education was not a priority on the eastern frontier of the Cape Colony , he was literate enough to read the Bible and write his thoughts down on paper. Pretorius had five children, the eldest of whom, Marthinus Wessel Pretorius , later became the first President of the South African Republic (Transvaal). Pretorius descended from

1701-585: The Invasion of the Cape Colony in 1795, the British took possession of the area which led to another revolt in 1799, the uprising were suppressed by British troops that same year. Louis Tregardt and Jan van Rensburg split off from Hendrik Potgieter 's group, and continued on to establish Zoutpansberg . Potgieter's group remained at the Vet river and founded a town called Winburg . The establishment of

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1782-541: The Natal region. After Pretorius was recruited to fill the leadership vacuum created by the deaths of Piet Retief and Maritz, he offered to negotiate for peace with Dingane if he were to restore the land he had offered to Retief. Dingane responded by attacking the Voortrekkers; on 16 December 1838 the battle of Ncome River (later named the Battle of Blood River ) occurred, during which 300 Voortrekkers survived and won

1863-791: The Orange River Sovereignty and the Basotho chief Moshoeshoe I asked Pretorius to come to their aid. He announced his intention of crossing the Vaal to "restore order" in the Sovereignty. His goal was to obtain an acknowledgment of the independence of the Transvaal Boers from the British. Having decided on a policy of abandonment, the British cabinet entertained his proposal. The government withdrew its reward of 2000 pounds , which had been offered for his capture after

1944-777: The United Kingdom with the signing of the Sand River Convention on 17 January 1852. The Orange Free State was recognised by the UK on 17 February 1854. The Orange Free State became independent on 23 February 1854 with the signing of the Bloemfontein or Orange River Convention . The Orange Free State was nicknamed "the model republic". The Transvaal and the Orange Free State developed into successful independent countries which were recognized by

2025-400: The Boers captured the harbour and settlement, and on 31 May blockaded the British camp, the women and children being removed, on the suggestion of Pretorius, to a ship in the harbour of which the Boers had taken possession. Meantime, an old Durban resident, Dick King , had undertaken to convey tidings of the perilous position of the British force to the commandant at Grahamstown . He started on

2106-497: The Boers who would not acknowledge British rule trekked once more over the mountains into what became the Orange Free State and Transvaal provinces to seek their freedom and independence. At the end of 1843 there were not more than 500 Dutch families left in Natal. Cloete, before returning to the Cape, visited Mpande and obtained from him a valuable concession. Hitherto the Tugela River from source to mouth had been

2187-652: The Boomplaats battle. Pretorius met the British commissioners near the Sand River. On 17 January 1852 they concluded the convention by which the independence of the Transvaal Boers was recognized by Britain. Pretorius recrossed the Vaal River , and on 16 March he reconciled with Potgieter at Rustenburg. The followers of both leaders approved the convention, although the Potgieter party was not represented. In

2268-444: The British annexation of the Natalia Republic, most local Voortrekkers trekked northwest into Transorangia , later known as the Orange Free State , and the South African Republic . On Christmas Day 1497 Vasco da Gama was sailing past the region now known as Transkei and named the country Terra Natalis. He next sighted the bluff at the entrance to what is now the harbour of Durban . Da Gama made no landing here, but in later years

2349-685: The Cape Colony permanently. He abandoned his trek towards the Modderrivier and made haste to the Klein-Tugela river in Natal when he was summoned to lead the Voortrekkers who were there leaderless; Gerrit Maritz died of illness and Andries Potgieter left Natal moving deeper inland. At the command of the Zulu king Dingane , Piet Retief was murdered in February 1838 along with his men. They were invited under false pretenses, during

2430-542: The Cape, reached the emigrants' camp on the Tugela River in January 1848. Smith promised the farmers protection from the natives and persuaded many of the party to remain. Pretorius departed, and, on the proclamation of British sovereignty up to the Vaal River , fixed his residence in the Magaliesberg , north of that river. He was chosen by the burghers living on both banks of the Vaal as their commandant-general. At

2511-571: The Dutch South African nation) as buyer. A copy of the agreement is filed in the Government Archives under file R117/46. FN further states that the land was legally bought and paid for on 25 July 1846 as an ethnic group and not as individual landowners and was only in custodianship of the pre-1994 government as they were regarded as descendants of the ethnic group. There was therefore no legal right to hand this land over to

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2592-564: The English language as the only language of the Cape Colony and prohibited the use of the Dutch language. As the Bible, churches, schools and culture of many of the settlers were Dutch, this caused a lot of friction. Britain abolished slavery in 1834 and allocated the sum of 1,200,000 British pounds as recompense for the Dutch settlers' slaves. The Dutch settlers disputed the requirement that they had to lodge their claims in Britain and objected that

2673-559: The Free Burghers formed two groups, the first group named their settlement Harman's Colony and the second group named theirs Stephen's Colony. By 1670, the VOC decided to grant additional land to the Free Burghers in order to increase grain production for the purpose of sustainability since grain had to be imported. The Free Burgher settlements gradually expanded towards the interior of South Africa . The United Kingdom took over from

2754-516: The Netherlands as the colonial power at the Cape of Good Hope in 1806. Subsequently, a number of its Dutch -speaking inhabitants trekked inland, first in smaller numbers, then in groups as large as almost a hundred people, after 1834 even in groups of hundreds. There were many reasons why the Boers left the Cape Colony; among the initial reasons were the language laws. The British had proclaimed

2835-708: The Netherlands, France, Germany, Belgium, the United States, and Britain. These two countries continued to exist for several decades, despite the First Boer War with Britain. However, later developments, including the discovery of diamonds and gold in these states, led to the Second Boer War . In this war, the Transvaal and Orange Free State were defeated and annexed by the overwhelmingly larger British forces, ceasing to exist on 31 May 1902, with

2916-554: The Republic of South Africa. After the end of apartheid in 1994, the new totally democratic government kept the day as a public holiday as an act of conciliation to the Boers, but renamed it " Day of Reconciliation ". In January 1840, Pretorius with a commando of 400 burghers , helped Mpande in his revolt against his half-brother Dingane. Mpande and Pretorius defeated Dingane's army at the Battle of Maqongqo , which forced Dingane and those loyal to him into exile, after which Dingane

2997-571: The Sabbath, taking a vow which became known as the "Day of The Vow or Covenant" that "if the Lord might give us victory, we hereby deem to found a house as a memorial of his Great Name at a place where it shall please Him", and that they also implore the help and assistance of God in accomplishing this Vow and that they write down this Day of Victory in a book and disclose this event to our very last posterities in order that this will forever be celebrated in

3078-597: The South African Republic (Transvaal) after the Transvaal Civil War . As a district in the Republic, they had the largest native population in the South African Republic. In April 1837, a party under leadership of Piet Retief arrived in Thabanchu. In June 1837, in Winburg, the newly elected Boer Volksraad appointed Piet Retief as Commandant-General. An argument between Maritz and Potgieter, both elected to

3159-681: The South African Republic had its origins in 1837 when the commandos of Potgieter and Piet Uys defeated a Matabele raiding party of Mzilikazi and drove them back over the Limpopo river . Potgieter declared the lands north and south of the Vaal river as Boer lands. Boers started settling on both sides of the Vaal river and in March 1838, Potgieter, Uys and the men of their commando provided relief to Gerrit Maritz , and early in April 1838, Uys and his son were killed. During April 1838 Potgieter returned to

3240-563: The Volksraad, led to a split. Maritz and Piet Retief decided to secede from the Potgieter- and Uys-led Boer country. The Boers under the leadership of Piet Retief obtained a treaty from Zulu King Dingane to settle part of the lands the Zulus administered or held sway over, but Dingane later betrayed the treaty and slaughtered Retief and 70 members of his delegation. Dingane's impis (Zulu warriors) then killed almost 300 Boers who had settled in

3321-480: The area north of the Vaal river and founded the town of Potchefstroom . At this time, this new country included the area north (Potchefstroom) and south (Winburg) of the Vaal river. In 1848 the British Governor of the Cape, Sir Harry Smith , issued a proclamation declaring British sovereignty over all the lands to the north and to the south of the Vaal river. Commandant-General Andries Pretorius led

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3402-462: The area. British traders established a small settlement at Port Natal, so founding what became the town of Durban , established in 1835. The next Europeans to settle in the country were emigrant Boers from the Cape Colony , who came by land over the passes of the Drakensberg . These Voortrekkers were led by Piet Retief . Passing through the almost deserted upper regions, Retief arrived at Port Natal in October 1837. During this journey, he chose

3483-447: The arrival of reinforcements under Colonel Josias Cloete . Afterward, he exerted his influence with the Boers to reach a peaceful solution with the British authorities, who annexed Natalia instead. Remaining in Natal as a British subject, in 1847 Pretorius was chosen by the Boer farmers to present their grievances to the governor of Cape Colony . They were concerned about the continuous migration of natives who were assigned locations to

3564-417: The bay sent a force to help them. Robert Biggar commanded 20 British and a following of 700 friendly Zulus and crossed the Tugela River near its mouth. On 17 April, in a desperate fight with a Zulu force, the British were overwhelmed and only four Europeans escaped to the bay. Pursued by the Zulus, the surviving inhabitants of Durban took refuge on a ship then in harbour. After the Zulus retired, fewer than

3645-551: The commandos against the British forces later that year, leading to the Battle of Boomplaats on 29 August 1848, in which the British emerged victorious. The Volksraad from Winburg was transferred to Potchefstroom and the South African Republic (Dutch: Zuid-Afrikaansche Republiek; the ZAR) was established as the name of the new country. The Boer Republics were predominately Calvinist Protestant due to their Dutch heritage, and this played

3726-529: The contention of the British that they could not shake off British nationality, though beyond the bounds of any recognized British possession. They also wanted control of the British Natal Port (now renamed Durban). They rejected Napier's overtures. On 2 December 1841, Napier announced his intention to resume military occupation of Port Natal, citing the Boers' attack on the Xhosa. On 21 February 1842

3807-440: The country over to the Boers. In 1853, Sir George Clerk was sent as special commissioner to give up the land and to establish self-rule. 16,000 people sent a delegation of representatives to inform Clerk that the people wished to remain governed by Britain. Clerk however had clear instructions to establish self-rule, and with a minority Boers represented by J.H. Hofmann, agreed to a convention of independence. The State of Goosen

3888-465: The dawn of 16 December 1838, next to the Ncome River , they achieved victory over an attacking army of 10,000 to 15,000 Zulu warriors. The Voortrekkers fought with muzzle-loading rifles and made use of two small cannons. The Zulus sustained losses of an estimated 3,000 warriors in the Battle of Blood River . The Boers sustained no casualties. Three men were injured, including Andries Pretorius who

3969-440: The detriment of Boer land claims. Pretorius went to Grahamstown to seek an audience with the governor, Sir Henry Pottinger , but he refused to see Pretorius or receive any communication from him. Pretorius returned to Natal determined to abandon his farm and move beyond the reach of the British authorities. With a considerable following, he was preparing to cross the Drakensberg when Sir Harry Smith , newly appointed governor of

4050-499: The eastern frontier of Cape Colony , and marching overland reached Durban without opposition, and encamped, on 4 May, at the base of the Berea hills. The Boers, cut off from their port, called out a commando of some 300 to 400 men under Andries Pretorius and gathered at Congella at the head of the bay. On the night of 23 May, Smith made an unsuccessful attack on the Boer camp, losing his guns and fifty men were killed or wounded. On 26 May

4131-518: The end of the year, the Boers received reinforcements. In December 460 men set out under Boer general Andries Pretorius to take on the Zulus. Andries Pretorius selected Jan Gerritze Bantjes (1817-1887) as his scribe and secretary in recording events of the campaign and coming retaliation battle with the Zulus. Bantjes documented daily in his journal the progress of the commando, from their start on 27 November 1838 until they reached their selected battle site on 15 December 1838. They avoided being led into

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4212-466: The farmers, reached Port Natal. Johan Arnold Smellekamp concluded a treaty with the volksraad assuring them of the protection of the Netherlands. The Natal Boers believed the Netherlands to be one of the great powers of Europe, and were firmly persuaded that its government would aid them in resisting Great Britain. On 1 April 1842 Captain T. C. Smith with a force of 263 men left his camp at the Umgazi, on

4293-630: The full assurance that the English Government has nothing more to require of us, and will allow us to govern ourselves without its interference in future". By 1795 the dissatisfaction towards the Dutch East India Company caused the burghers of Swellendam to revolt, and on 17 June 1795 they declared themselves a Republic. Hermanus Steyn was appointed as President of the Republic of Swellendam. The burghers of Swellendam started to call themselves "national burghers" – after

4374-412: The governor of the Cape, Major-General Sir George Napier , had invited the British emigrants from Natal to return to the colony, and stated his intention to take military possession of the port. In sanctioning the occupation of the port the British government of the day had no intention of making Natal a British colony, but wished to prevent the Boers establishing an independent republic upon the coast with

4455-433: The honour of God." On 16 December 1838, while laagered near the Umslatos River or Hippo Pool, they were attacked by more than 10,000 Zulus. As Bantjes wrote in his journal: Sunday, December 16 was like being newly born for us - the sky was clear, the weather fine and bright. We hardly saw the twilight of the break of day or the guards, who were still at their posts and could just make out the distant Zulus approaching. All

4536-463: The land described in National Archives of South Africa R117/1846: "From Ohrigstad to the north till the Olifantsrivier, then downwards to the Delagoa Bay line; to the south till the Crocodile River; to the west to Elandspruit till the 26 degrees line; east till where the Crocodile River joins the Komati River." FN states that the sale of said land was between King Masous (representative of the Zulu ) as seller; and Commandant SJZR Burg (representative of

4617-425: The line of the earliest Dutch settlers in the Cape Colony. He belonged to the fifth generation of the progenitor, Johannes Pretorius son of Reverend Wessel Schulte of the Netherlands . Schulte in his time as a theology student at the University of Leiden changed his name to the Latin form and therefore became Wesselius Praetorius (later Pretorius). Although the details of Andries Pretorius' early life are scant, it

4698-430: The name Natália became associated with it. Like the rest of South Africa, Natal was neglected by the Portuguese, whose nearest settlement was at Delagoa Bay . It is not proven when the clan settled in the region which was inhabited by Nguni people . A small clan living north of the Tugela River, the amaZulu, was greatly enlarged by its leader Shaka , and between 1818 and 1820 his Zulu Kingdom 's military campaigns overran

4779-404: The night of 24 May, and escaping the Boer outposts rode through the dense bush, and in nine days reached his destination—a distance of 360 miles (580 km) in a direct line, and nearly 600 miles (970 km) by the route to be followed. This remarkable ride was accomplished with one change of mount, obtained from a missionary in Pondoland . A comparatively strong force under Colonel A. J. Cloete

4860-428: The patrols had seen them coming the day before) until they had surrounded us. I could not count them, but I was told that a captive Zulu gave the number at thirty-six regiments, each regiment calculated to be "nine hundred to a thousand men strong. The battle now began and the cannons unleashed from each gate, such that the battle was fierce and noisy, even the discharging of small arms fire from our marksmen on all sides

4941-461: The patrols were called back into the laager by firing alarm signals from the cannons. The enemy came forward at full speed and suddenly they had encircled the area around the laager. As it got lighter, so we could see them approaching over their predecessors who had already been shot back. Their rapid approach (though terrifying to witness due to their great numbers) was an impressive sight. The Zulus came in regiments, each captain with his men behind (as

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5022-401: The recognized frontier between Natal and Zululand. Mpande gave up to Natal all the territory between the Buffalo and Tugela rivers, which later formed Klip River county. Proclaimed a British Colony of Natal in 1843, it became a part of Cape Colony in 1844, not being separated again until 1856. The power of the volksraad did not truly end until 1845, when an effective British administration

5103-526: The request of the Boers at Winburg , Pretorius crossed the Vaal in July and led the anti-British party in a brief revolt, occupying Bloemfontein on 20 July. In August, he was defeated at Boomplaats by Smith and retreated to the north of the Vaal. He became leader of one of the largest of the parties into which the Transvaal Boers were divided, and commandant-general of Potchefstroom and Rustenburg , his principal rival being Commandant-General of Zoutpansberg A. H. Potgieter . In 1851, Boer malcontents in

5184-408: The same year, Pretorius paid a visit to Durban with the object of opening up trade between Natal and the new republic. In 1852, he also attempted to close the road to the interior through Bechuanaland and sent a commando to the western border against Sechele . Pretorius died at his home at Magaliesberg in July 1853. He is described by Theal as "the ablest leader and most perfect representative of

5265-453: The second Anglo-Boer War . This republic was later absorbed into the Transvaal/South African Republic. States were also established by other population groups, most notably the Griqua , a subgroup of South Africa's heterogeneous and multiracial Coloured people. Most notable among these were Griqualand West and Griqualand East . The people north of the Vaal River in the South African Republic were recognised as an independent country by

5346-437: The settlers responded, with a document written by Jacobus Boshoff . The farmers complained about the lack of representative government, and concluded by a protest against the occupation of any part of their territory by British troops. Soon after, an event occurred which encouraged the Boers in their opposition to Great Britain. In March 1842 a Dutch vessel sent out by Gregorius Ohrig , an Amsterdam merchant who sympathized with

5427-433: The signing of the Treaty of Vereeniging . A new British dominion, the Union of South Africa , was established under the South Africa Act 1909 , in which the Transvaal and the Orange Free State became provinces along with the Cape and Natal. On 24 April 2014, political party Front Nasionaal (FN) submitted a land claim to the Land Claims Commissioner in Pretoria on behalf of the Afrikaner nation. The claim pertains to

5508-594: The situation. Finally, in deference to the strongly urged views of Sir George Napier, Lord Stanley, in a despatch of 13 December, received in Cape Town on 23 April 1843, consented to Natal becoming a British colony. The institutions adopted were to be as far as possible in accordance with the wishes of the people, but it was a fundamental condition "that there should not be in the eye of the law any distinction or disqualification whatever, founded on mere difference of colour, origin, language or creed." Sir George then appointed Mr Henry Cloete (a brother of Colonel Josias Cloete)

5589-440: The style of the French Revolution. However, the Republic was short-lived and was ended on 4 November 1795 when the Cape was occupied by the Kingdom of Great Britain . Public farmers and the government authorities could not agree on policies with regards to the frontier resulting in the 'Cape Frontier Rebellion' of 1795 where after the Boers declared Graaff-Reinet an independent republic, the Republic of Graaff-Reinet . Following

5670-516: The town of Vryburg was founded and declared its capital. In 1883, The Republic of Stellaland united with The State of Goshen to form the United States of Stellaland . The New Republic (comprising the town of Vryheid ) was established in 1884 on land given to the local Boers by the Zulu King Dinuzulu , the son of Cetshwayo , after he recruited local Boers to fight on his side. The Boers were promised and granted land for their services and were led by Louis Botha who would go on to prominence during

5751-424: The value of the slaves was many times the allocated amount. This caused further dissatisfaction among the Dutch settlers. Boer migrants were referred to as the Voortrekkers during the time of the Great Trek , several mass movements which occurred during the 1830s–40s. On the 22nd of January 1837 Piet Retief addressed a letter to the British Colonial Administration in which he concluded "We quit this colony under

5832-482: The volksraad not to submit, and a plan was formed to murder Pretorius , Boshoff and other leaders, who were now convinced that the only chance of ending the state of complete anarchy into which the country had fallen was by accepting British sovereignty. On 8 August 1843 the Natal Volksraad unanimously agreed to the terms proposed by Lord Stanley, setting Drakensberg as the northern limit of Natal. Many of

5913-419: Was at once sent by sea to Port Natal, and on 26 June, Captain Smith was relieved. The besieged had suffered greatly from lack of food. Within a fortnight Colonel Cloete received the submission of the volksraad at Pietermaritzburg . The burghers represented that they were under the protection of the Netherlands, but this plea was peremptorily rejected by the commander of the British forces. The British government

5994-467: Was defeated by the Swazi people in 1839, leading to discontent with his rule. In exchange for cattle and territory Pretorius agreed to support Mpande's bid to overthrow Dingane. A Boer force supported Mpande's Zulu impi in the invasion. At the Battle of Maqongqo , Dingane was crushed and was put to flight with what retainers chose to follow him into exile. Pretorius took 36,000 head of cattle and proclaimed

6075-729: Was established under Martin West as lieutenant-governor. After the Anglo-Zulu War of 1879, the British defeated the Zulu army, and annexed Zululand to Natal in 1897. One of the four founding provinces of South Africa , it is now KwaZulu-Natal . This province is still home to the Zulu nation; native speakers of the Zulu language form 77.8% of the population. The province also has a large ethnic Indian population, as well as Boer -descended residents and ethnic British descendants. [REDACTED]   This article incorporates text from

6156-581: Was founded by a group of Boer Mercenaries led by Nicolaas Claudius Gey van Pittius in November 1882. It unified with Stellaland on 6 August 1883. West of the Transvaal 400 Boers allied with David Massouw, leader of the Koranna Khoisan tribe, when they invaded and took a piece of land, which they declared the Republic of Stellaland. The first president was Gerrit Jacobus van Niekerk and

6237-587: Was friendly to the Boer farmers. He was disturbed when a commando force under Andries Pretorius attacked the Xhosa in December 1840. The national government declined to recognize Natalia's independence but proposed to trade with it if the people would accept a military force to defend against other European powers. Sir George communicated this decision to the volksraad in September 1841. The Boers strongly resented

6318-522: Was injured on his hand by an assegai . The Boers believe that God granted them victory and thus promised that they and their descendants would commemorate the day of the battle as a day of rest. Boers memorialized it as "Dingane's Day" until 1910. It was renamed "Day of the Vow", later " Day of the Covenant ", and made a public holiday by the first government of the Union of South Africa, which later became

6399-513: Was like thunder. After more than two hours of fierce battle, the Commander in Chief gave orders that the gates be opened and mounted men sent to fight the enemy in fast attacks, as the enemy near constantly stormed the laager time and again, and he feared the ammunition would soon run out. The Boers fought off the Zulu . After three hours, the Boers had killed thousands of Zulus and had fewer than

6480-470: Was soon murdered. Immediately thereafter, Pretorius announced that Boer territory in Natal had been greatly enlarged due to the terms agreed with Mpande for Boer assistance. He was also the leader of the Natal Boers faction which opposed British designs on territory they had already staked claims on. In 1842, Pretorius besieged the small British garrison at Durban , but retreated to Pietermaritzburg on

6561-546: Was still undecided as to its policy towards Natal. In April 1842 Lord Stanley , then Secretary of State for War and the Colonies in the second Peel Administration , wrote to Sir George Napier that the establishment of a colony in Natal would be attended with little prospect of advantage, but at the same time stated that the pretensions of the emigrants to be regarded as an independent community could not be admitted. Various measures were proposed which would but have aggravated

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