Back to: o level History of south Africa
Qn. what were the terms of Pretoria Convention of 1881?
- This was a treaty signed between the British and the Boers
- It aimed at ending the Anglo Boer war I
- It was signed in August 1881 in Pretoria the capital of Transvaal
- Paul krugger and Joubert signed on behalf of the British
- Lord Carnarvan and Gladstone signed on behalf of the British
- They aimed at uplifting the British federation plans
- Transvaal was to discuss about her political independence
- British were to be the over rulers in Transvaal and Transvaal was granted internal independence
- The foreign affairs of Transvaal were to remain under British hands
- The Boers at Transvaal were to accept the British flag
- They were also to recognize the queen of England
- British goods were to have free entry in Transvaal
- Uitlanders were to receive the civil rights in Transvaal
- Boundaries of Transvaal were defined
- Slavery was to stop in Transvaal
- Equal rights were extended to all people
- Britain was to have limited responsibility for African affairs through a representative in Pretoria
Effects of the Pretoria convention on the people Of South Africa
- The Boers lost their independence to the British
- Boers remained dissatisfied with their new colonial status because they were under the British
- It made the Boers more determined to resist the British federation plans
- It increased Boers nationalism in Transvaal
- It increased unity amonst the Boers in Transvaal
- It gave rise and to scene Paul Kruger and Joubert in Transvaal
- Paul kruger became a president of Transvaal Boers
- It inspired the Boers in Orange free state to unite with their brothers in Transvaal
- It gave birth to other Anglo Boer wars e.g. Jameson raid, Anglo Boer war II
- The Boers at the cape felt sympathetic to their brothers in Transvaal
- It increased more conflicts between the Africans and the Boers in order to acquire more resources outside Transvaal
- It made the Boers to ally with the Germans and Portuguese against the British
- It increased Boers interference in Zulu politics hence losing their independence
- It gave rise of Cecil Rhodes as the British prime minister of the cape
- It led to the signing of 1884 London Treaty between the British and the Boers
Effects of the Anglo Boer war 1880-1881.
- The British were defeated militarily at Majuba hills
- Boers at the Orange Free state vowed to unite Transvaal to defend it
- Over 300 British troops lost their live
- Property was destructed eg cattle
- Trade was disrupted
- Famine grew up
- The hostility between the Boers and the British increased
- British imperialism increased due to the ned for revenging to the war
- Boer’s nationalism increased in order to protect the republic
- It led to the signing of 1881, Pretoria convention
- It led to Anglo Boer wars e.g. Jameson raid
- British were to control Transvaal foreign affairs
- Redefined the boundaries of south Africa with Transvaal
- Transvaal was given self-independence
- Slavery was abolished in Transvaal
- British goods were allowed in to Transvaal republic
- Equal rights were granted to all people in Transvaal
The Jameson Raid Of 1895
Qn. What were the causes of Jameson raid in 1895?
- This was invasion led by Dr. Starr Jameson against Paul Kruger
- It was a conflict between the British and the Boers
- Jameson was a close friend of Cecil Rhodes a British merchants and the prime minister of the cape – ameson had been chosen by Cecil to control the De-beer company at Rand mines [Transvaal]
- Jameson also sought for colonel Frank Rhodes to be the commander [this was Cecil Rhodes elder brother]
- They fought because Uitlanders had requested their help to acquire their civil rights
- People in south Africa were war hungry therefore believed in war as solution to their problems
- The scramble for mineral wealth in south Africa between the Boers and the British
- The British policy of following the Boers whenever they went since 1835 caused the raid
- The humiliation of the British during the Anglo Boer war I made them to revenge
- The need to colonize and unite the whole of south Africa by the British caused the raid
- The heavy taxes imposed from Uitlands by Paul Kruger caused the raid
- The tension created by Cecil Rhodes policy of smuggling fire arms into Transvaal
- The need for equality in Gold mines between the Europeans and the Boers in Transvaal which the Boers refused
- Kruger’s policy of denying Uitlanders the right to vote perhaps they were to vote after staying in
- Transvaal for a very long period
- The extension of the voting period from 2to 5 then to 7 years by Paul Kruger annoyed the Uitlanders
- The denial of Uitlanders to speak English on public occasions caused the raid
- Krugger’s policy of giving bigger contacts to only Dutch companies annoyed the British
- The Boers and the British hatred each other that is why they fought
- Presence of war engineers like Joseph Chamberlain, Cecil Rhodes and Florence
Organization of the Raid 1895
Qn. Explain the course of 1895 Jameson raid
- The Uitlanders in Transvaal appealed help from Cecil Rhodes against boer mistreatment
- They made a plan that the Uitlanders were to revolt against the Boers mistreatment
- During the revolt the British soldiers in south Africa with Jameson were to match from
- Bechuanaland to Transvaal to withdraw the Boer government
- The British plan was to unite Transvaal with the rest of south Africa after withdrawing the Boers government in Transvaal
- The Uitlanders wanted self governce after withdrawing the Boers’ govt in Transvaal
- Therefore the two parties failed to have a common idea
- The Uitlanders now failed to get courage of revolting against the Transvaal government
- In December 1895 Jameson began with 385 soldiers living Bechuanaland for Transvaal
- The raid was poorly organized with contraty plans
- The Boers also got to know about Jameson invasion by the morning of the 1st day
- The boers surrounded the raiders at doornkop near Krugger’s dorp
- Jameson was forced to surrender with his soldiers
- This marked the end of the raid with Jameson as the loser.
Why the Raid Was Unsuccessful on Jameson’s Side
- Kruger got know about the raid at its early days
- The Uitlanders and the British failed to coordinate
- The British troops were few in number i.e. about 385 soldiers against the many Boers
- The British under estimated the Boers strength
- The Boers were determined to defend their independence
- It improved techniques for fighting by the Boers i.e. ambushed the British before reaching their fighting place
- The Uitlanders minded more about the business therefor disregarded the politics
- Failure to convince Uitlanders to revolt 1st as it had been planned
- The Uitlanders were not united to support the British
- The Boers were economically strong because of mining therefore they had trained a very strong army
- Jameson raid was not supported by British government e.g. on 20th December Rhodes cancelled the plan
- British failure to smuggle guns and ammunitions to interested Uitlanders in Transvaal
Effects of the Raid 1895
Qn. What were the effects of Jameson raid?
- The British were defeated
- British humiliation was increased
- It laid a background for the Anglo Boer II war because the British were revenging
- Jameson was arrested tried and imprisoned for four months in UK
- It prolonged and increased hatred between the boers and the British
- The German ties with Boers increased because Kaizer William I sent a congratulatory message to Kruger for having defeated the British
- It increased Paul Kruger’s popularity and prestige amongst the Boers
- Cecil Rhodes was forced to resign as the Cape Prime minister because had humiliated the British
- It gave courage to the Ndebele to fight against the British south African company in order to gain their land
- Uitlanders mistreatment in Transvaal continued and increased
- It made the Boers in orange free state to ally with their brothers at Transvaal
- The British were internationally blamed and isolated for having attacked a small state
- Governor Robinson Hercules resigned from his post at the cape
The Utilanders Relationship with Paul Krugger
Qn. How did the Boers treat the Uitlanders
- The word Utilanders is a Boer terminology meaning foreigners
- Uitlanders were Europeans especially British subjects who joined south Africa during the period of miners revolution
- They were prospectus miners and money lenders
- They settled mostly in the rand mining area of Transvaal
- They were sympathizers of the British population at the cape
- While they were in Transvaal they were not allowed to take up citizenship
- Some Uitlanders wanted heavy investment in minerals to accumulate wealth
- They posed security threats to the Transvaal Boers who were under Paul Kruger
- Paul Kruger denied them civil and political rights
- They were responsible for the Anglo-Boer conflicts in south Africa • They were disorganized group of people because they came from different countries of Europe and didn’t have a leader where they settled
- They were restricted from freedom of association by Paul Kruger
- Kruger heavily taxed them
- Uitlanders were denied to speak English in public by Kruger and their children were to attend Dutch school with little privileges increased number of Uitlanders in Transvaal worried Kruger
- He disgruntled Uitlanders appeal to the British he hated Uitlanders
Importance of Paul Kruger and Cecil Rhodes in The history of southern Africa
Paul Kruger. [1825-1904]
- Kruger was born in 1825 at the cape
- He was brown slightly before the great trek
- His childhood way adventurous
- He liked hunting and fighting
- He participated in the great trek when was still young
- He frequently sorrowed for Piet Retief’s death at the battle of blood river
- He was looking energetic man, which popularizes him among the Boers
- He was strongly opposed by the British because of their imperialism policy
- the believe in Boer superiority and purity
- He was an active member in trek wars and by 1880 was a general commander
- He was elected as a president of Transvaal four times 1883, 1888, 1893 and 1898
- He concentrated on keeping Transvaal’s independence
- He had Avery forceful personality
- In 1877, he conflicted with the British for having annexed Transvaal
- In 1880-1881 he fought the Anglo Boer war I
- He humiliated the British overtime
- He mistreated the uitlanders i.e. denied them their civil rights
- In 1895 he fought the Jameson raid which gave him more popularity
- He was a very persuasive speechmaker
- He hated Cecil Rhodes and felt happy when he later resigned after Jameson raid
- He fought the Anglo Boer war II in 1899 where he was defeated and exiled in Europe
- In August 1904 while in exile he died.
Cecil Rhodes
- Rhodes was born in England as a clergyman
- He was expected to follow his father into the church but his health was too fragile
- He decided to join his brother on a farm in south Africa where he recovered
- In 1881 entered the cape assembly
- In 1890 he was supported by Hofmeyr and became a cape prime minister
- Rhodes and Hofmeyr had much in common but the later was a Boer
- With the help of his brother he bought some mines after mineral discovery
- He formed the De-Beers company and consolidated the Kimberly mines
- He became a monopolist of diamonds after buying his rival Barney Batnato
- De-beer became the basis for Rhodes’s political dreams and ambitions
- He supported their federation of south Africa
- Two countries were named after this man i.e. southern Rhodesia [Zimbabwe] and northern Rhodesia [Zambia]
- He wanted so much the British to be the head of federation
- He dreamy of about painting the whole Africa red [filling it with British colour flag]
- He dreamt of constructing the cape –Cairo railway
- He hated Portuguese and Germans expansion into central and southern Africa
- Around 1890 his people clashed with the Ndebele because they occupied the Shona land
- He won the Ndebele and their king fled northwards and turned to the Boers in Transvaal
- Cecil was a good friend of Hofmeyr- aboer leader at the cape
- The 1895 raid destroyed their friendship
- He fought for Uitlanders civil rights in Transvaal
- He wanted imperial connection for trade and defense between the Boers and the Briton
- In 1902 Rhodes died.
The bapedi war 1861-1879
Reasons for the occurrence of pedi war
Qn. why did the Africans fight with the whites in 1861-79
- Pedi was a state boarding with Transvaal republic
- Sekwati established it at the end of Mfecane period
- He died in 1861 and his son sekukuni took over the leadership
- Sekukuni first fought with his brother Mampuru whom he won in a power struggle
- Sekukuni at his early leadership faced refugees escaping from boer invasion
- Swqazi whom he gave at the margins of the territory dominated the refugees
- Sekukumi set up a capital on the top of the lulu range
- He never wanted a white person that is why he fought with the boers and later with the british
- The boer expansion of their territory into the interior of south Africa made them to conflict with the bapedi
- The bapedi wanted to maintain and protect their independence against whites
- Sekukumi fought because he hated Christian missionaries therefore wanted them to go away
- They need to preserve the pedi which was provided b y hills and ranges to them
- The long held suspicion between the whites and the Africans since the period of great trek
- The british annexation of Transvaal in 1877 made them to conflict with the pedi
- The hope of support from his brother Johannes Dinkoanyane who had established at the bottom of sekukumi’s capital
- Sekukumi’s expelliong of a missionary –merensky from his mission at maandahshoek made the whites to fight
- The false report that the bapedi had burnt a german mission persuaded president burgers of Transvaal to attack the pedi in 1876 Presidentburger’s need to take pedi land caused the conflict
- Disre[ect of pedi leaders by the whites caused the war Increased British impearislim tendency caused the war
- The killing of sekukumi’s son by the British intensified the conflict
- Pedi’s violation of 1876 peace treaty which was signed between them and the boers annoyed the later hence the war
- The enslavement of the Africans caused the conflict
- Increased number of refugees in pedi land who were running away from Boers made the Boers to look for them hence the conflict
- Presence of war mongers like president burgers and major Clarke
- The strategic location of pedi land i.e. it was near the white territory therefore they had to fight
- The early success of pedi against the Boers made them to continue with the British.
Course of the Pedi Resistance 1861-1879
How was the Pedi war organized?
- The conflict started when chief sekukumi set away merenisky missionary from Maandagshoek mission in 1864
- Later rumours passed that the pedi ahd burn German mission
- This forced president burgers of Transvaal to attack Johannesburg in 1876
- Burgers had combined with the Swazi who were defeated by the pedi
- Later Transvaal attacked pedi with 2000 people but they found the counterpart more prepared at Mosego
- The Boer commandoes resort to demolishing , harassing the pedi and their property
- Ssekumi now feared famine and requested for peace
- After the peace treaty, sekumi always claimed that did not sign the peace and wanted self-independence
- When the British annexed Transvaal in 1877 sekukumi was allowed to ignored the terms of the peace treaty
- The British after defeating the Zulu they turned to the Pedi
- A combined force of Boers ,Swazi and British in 1879 attacked Sekukumi
- The Bapedi were defeated and suffered heavy casualities
- Moroamostshe [Sekukumi’s son] was killed fighting bravely with UMSUTU
- Sekukumi surrendered and imprisoned though released in 1881 after Anglo Boer war I
- That marked the end of the Bapedi war.
Reasons for the defeat of the bapedi in the war by The whites
- At the beginning , the Africans were successful but later defeated
- The war was fought for a very longtime , which made the Africans exhausted
- Africans had poor fighting weapons
- The Pedi were few in number therefore they couldn’t with stand the growing number of whites
- Africans like Swazi supported the whites hence defeating the Pedi
- Pedi were hit with famine therefore they couldn’t fight bravely
- Divisionalism among the royal family of Bapedi
- The whites were determined to take over the pedi land
- The pedi state was very small therefore the enemy could easily surround it
- The whites has got experience in fighting against African resistances eg Kaffir war that is why they defeated the pedi
- The white policy of killing Africans like Moroomotshe,Umsuti intimidates other Africans an stopped fighting
- The war was fought at their land therefore all impacts were immediately felt by the pedi that is why later were defeated
- The pedi lacked military commander like Major Clark of the British
Effects of the Pedi War 1861-1879
- Pedi were defeated by the Europeans
- They lost their independence to the British
- People were imprisoned eg Sekukumi
- Many people were killed like Mwampuru,Moroamotshe ,Umsutu
- People’s property were destroyed like farms
- Famine break up to the Pedi people
- Trade was disrupted and hence declined in Pedi area
- Hatred between the Pedi and the Boers increased
- Africans became divided ie collaborators like Swazi and resistors
- The Pedi lost their land to the whites
- It increased the British imperialism in south Africa
- Hostility between the Boers and the British also increased
- It gave birth to the Anglo Boer wars
- Africans were displaced and became migrants
- African families were disintegrated and many became wifeless and husbandless
- It was so costly to Boer side leading to bankruptcy of the Transvaal republic
- It made a step to the closer union and federation of south Africa
- It led to the signing of peace treaty for example between the Pedi and the Boer in 1869
The Anglo Boer War Ii 1899-1902
Qn. Explain the causes of 1899-1902 war in South Africa?
- This was a crash between the British and the Boers in South Africa
- It was called gentleman’s war or the south African war
- It was fought to determine the master of south Africa
- The Africans participation in the war passive because they just carried arms, clothing’s, etc. for whites
- It was purely between whites in south Africa because they wanted to solve the long misunderstanding between them
- The violation of Pretoria peace treaty terms by the Boers
- Continued mistreatment of Uitlanders by Paul Kruger after the Jameson raid
- The British wanted to revenge the defeat made to her in 1880-1881 war by the Boers
- The British wanted to punish and chase away the British as the Zulu had gone in 1879 war
- The failure of the British in 1895 Jameson raid which the British wanted to undo
- The courage given to the Boers by German king Kaiser William I of fighting against the British
- The British wanted monopoly in south African mines which caused the war
- Chamber land’s error of judgment of uniting the whole of south Africa by force
- The weakness of Cecil Rhodes who made Jameson’s raid a failure increased tension between whites
- The appointment of Alfred Milner as the new high commissioner who was determines to liberate Uitlanders by force
- The high taxes imposed from British goods entering Transvaal , which the British resented
- The cutting of trade by Paul Kruger between the cape and Transvaal boiled the war
- The Boers needed to defend their independence against the British
- Presence of warmongers like Paul Kruger and Chamber land intensified the situation
- The banning of English and closing of British schools in Transvaal republic led to the war
- Kruger over taxed and extended the voting period of Uitlnder which the British didn’t want
- The alliance of orange free state with Transvaal, which they thought that was strong enough to defend the opponent • The long held suspicion between the Boers and the British
- The British undermining of Kruger’s ultimatum of withdrawing her troops from Transvaal boarders within 48 hours
- The murdering of uitilander with the Transvaal republic created a way to the war
Organization Of The War 1899-1902
- The war started when a Boer farmer murdered a Uitlander in Transvaal boarders
- Paul Kruger was told to punish the Boer famers but he refused
- The British decided to mobilize the police to punish the Boer famer on Transvaal boarders
- Kruger told the British to leave the Transvaal boarders within 48 hours
- The British failed to honor Kruger’s Ultimatum
- Kruger now commanded a force of over 80,000 men from
- Transvaal and Orange Free State republic to attack the British
- The British also mobilize over 500,000 troops to face the Boers
- This was turning to be along war, which was not expected
- The Boers registered success at first but they were unable to follow up their success
- During fighting cruelty was much on both sides
- The British decided to use scorched earth policy , use of concentration camps in order to weakened the Boers
- The war now went on badly for the Boers but their leaders were not prepared to give up their independence
- In March 1990 General Roberts of British had entered Bloemfontein of Transvaal
- In June he entered Pretoria the capital of Transvaal
- Boer commandoes like General de wet , smuts, botha, Herzog continued fighting for 18 months in British areas of natal and the cape
- The war ended when the Boer commandoes met Lord Kitcher of British
- In the meeting, the commandoes agreed t areas of natal and the cape
- The war ended when the Boer commandoes met Lord Kitcher of British
- In the meeting, the commandoes agreed to met Lord Kitcher’s ideas which made then to sign the vereening treaty
Effects of the Anglo Boer war ii 1899-1902.
- Many people died e.g. over 30,000 Boer soldiers were killed
- Property were destroyed e.g. farms, crops, livestock
- Many people were left homeless especially women and children
- Many people were put into concentration camps
- Diseases were highly spread due to overcrowding in concentration camps
- People in camps lacked basic supplies of food and clothing
- Kruger was disappointed and frustrated
- Kruger was captured and exiled in Europe where he died in 1904
- It led to signing of Vereeniging treaty
- Transvaal and O.F.S developed because they were given rehabilitation funds by Britain
- It led to increase in African nationalism because they identified themselves group and decided to fight
- Trade declined because of the scorched earth policy of fighting Africans were punished for deserting work during the war
- It paved way to south African apartheid policy
- English and Boer language gained equal status
- The British goods stopped being discriminated by the Boers in Transvaal
- New people came up like Bortha , Christian , smuts etc.
- At the end of the war , Boers were defeated
The Vereeniging Treaty 1902 (Terms of the vereening treaty)
What were the proposals of 1902 agreement in South Africa?
- This was a treaty / agreement, which was signed to end 2nd Anglo Boer war
- It was signed between the British and the Boers
- Transvaal and Orange Free State were to become British colonies
- A responsible government was to be set up in the two colonies
- The damaged properties were to be compensated
- Dutch and English were to be used as official languages
- Africans were neither to vote nor to be voted for
- Prisoners of war were to be released and put in concentration camps
- The Boers were to have a strong internal self-government
- Africans with guns were to be disarmed
- The British lost control over the mineral bearing land
- Concentration camps were to be put in order to put Africans together
- Vast sums of money were to be given to countries to restore the damaged property
- British were to with draw all their troops from the Boer republics immediately
- Boers were favored with is treaty and benefited more from it
- The British stopped supporting the rights of Africans
EFFECTS OF THE VEREENING TREATY IN SOUTH AFRICA
- Africans were denied the rights to vote and to be voted
- Transvaal and Orange free state were made to be British colonies
- Africans were disarmed which created security
- It made the Africans to lose their independence
- English and Dutch became the official language
- Concentration camps were put in place, which eroded Africans freedom
- It laid the foundation for the apartheid policy of south Africa
- It hatched the union of south Africa
- White man’s citizenship was confirmed in south Africa
- Boer republics of Transvaal and orange free state were given self-government in 1907and 1808 respectively
- It brought new nationalist on world scene like Bortha, Smuts etc
- Africans were now forced to pay taxes to white race
- It reconciled the two white races that had been enemies
- The words Uitlanders was abolished and were to enjoy their civil rights
- It made the white people to acquire land, which was for Africans in camps
- The British abandoned their humanitarian policy towards the Africans
- After providing way for south African federation, apartheid was legalized