Great Trek
1835-1843 		History of Southern Africa Transvaal
1902-1910






Zuid-Afrikaansche Republiek, 1852-1902



In the 1830es, Boers had migrated from the Cape Colony into the interior to escape the hated British rule, and settled the area beyond the Vaal river. Having defeated the Zulu and Matabele, in 1839, they proclaimed the ZUID-AFRIKAANSCHE REPUBLIEK, and the republics of LYDENBURG and ZOUTPANSBERG. The British recognized the Zuidafrikaanse Republiek in 1852. The three republics merged into a unified Zuid Afrikaanse Republiek in 1857. The capital was established at PRETORIA (founded 1855). The parliament, called VOLKSRAAD (people's council) had 24 members.
In 1877, the republic, practically bankrupt, was annexed by Britain. In 1880, the Boers revolted, again proclaiming their independence. Invading British forces were defeated by the Boers in 1881 in the BATTLE OF MAJUBA HILL.
In 1886 gold was found at WITWATERSRAND near Johannesburg; it proved to be the world's richest gold deposit. Johannesburg boomed.
In 1890, the tiny Boer republic of KLEIN VRIJSTAAT was incorporated into the Z.A.R.; in 1894 SWAZILAND was declared a protectorate of the Zuid-Afrikaanse Republiek.
The Boers strictly separated the white Boer settlers from both the native African population and the miners and fortune hunters at Johannesburg, whom they regarded foreigners, denying both political participation.
Cecil Rhodes, entrepreneur, prime minister of the Cape and colonial politician, provoked the BOER WAR (1899-1902) which resulted in the annexion of what the British called TRANSVAAL by Britain in 1902.






EXTERNAL
FILES 		Article Transvaal from Catholic Encyclopedia
History of Johannesburg, from Femme Fairy's Domain, and from suedafrika.net
History of Pretoria, from suedafrika.net and from Pretoria Online
The First War of Independence (1880-1881), from battlefields.co.za
Josephine Elizabeth Grey Butler, Native Races and the War (1900), from Indiana Univ., detailed on Anglo-Boer treaties of 1881 and the reaction of African chiefs.
DOCUMENTS Arms of the Zuid Afrikaanse Republiek , from International Civic Arms; of Pretoria from International Civic Arms
Flag of the ZAR, from FOTW; of Klein Vrijstaat from FOTW
ZAR coins, from Token Coins
On the Transvaal, from "The Great Round World and What is Going on in it", Vol.1 No.20, March 1897, Vol.1 No.21, April 1897, Vol.1 No.24, April 1897, Vol.1 No.34, July 1897, Vol.1 No.37, July 1897 , Vol.1 No.39, August 1897, Vol.1 No.40, August 1897, Vol.1 No.46, September 1897, posted by Gutenberg Library Online
REFERENCE Robert Ross, A Concise History of South Africa, Cambridge Concise Histories, 1999, 219 pp.
Article : South African Republic, in : Statesman's Year Book 1895 pp.940-944, 1898 pp.939-944 [G]
Article : Transvaal, in : Statesman's Year Book 1901 pp.224-227 [G]
Article : Transvaal, in : International Year Book 1898 pp.779-783, 1899 pp.775-789, 1900 pp.868-870 [G]
Article : South African Republic, in : Appleton's Annual Cyclopedia and Register of Important Events 1894 pp.103-104 [G]
Yves Guyot, Boer Politics (1900), posted by Gutenberg Library Online
A.G. Hales, Campaign Pictures of the War in South Africa (1899-1900) (1901), posted online by Gutenberg Library Online
Henry Rider Haggard, Cetywayo and his White Neighbours (1882), posted online by Gutenberg Library Online
Handbook of the Boer War (1910), posted online by Gutenberg Library Online
G. Lynch, Impressions of a War Correspondent (n.d., c.1900, a.o. on the Boer War), posted by Gutenberg Library Online
News from the Transvaal, from "The Great Round World and What is Going on in it", Vol.III No.14, April 1899, pp.476-477 [G]



This page is part of World History at KMLA
First posted in 2001, last revised on November 1st 2007

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