What were the terms of Pretoria Convention of 1881?

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