Boer War Reading

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See if your guesses about the Boer War were correct. If you did NOT find the answers to the questions below, be sure to write them down now (if you have already answered these correctly in your list above, you do not need to rewrite the answers).

1. Who were the Boers?

2. What caused the Boer Wars?

3. What was the result of the Boer Wars?

4. How is the Boer War an example of the 'Scramble for Africa'?

In 1652 Dutch settlers, known as the Boers (Boer is a Dutch word which means farmer) arrived in Southern Africa. They eventually took over native African lands and established large farms in Southern Africa.

In 1866 diamonds were discovered in an area claimed by the Dutch Boer settlers. Great Britain seized the area in 1871 and six years later they annexed the South African Republic. From 1880 to 1881 the Boers fought for the freedom of the South African Republic. The Boers won, and they regained independence.

The British government, however, retained the right to exercise control over treaties with foreign powers and a promise that foreign residents, known as the Uitlanders, would not be discriminated against.

In 1886, the world's richest goldfield was discovered in the Transvaal (a Boer area) and many foreign residents rushed into the area until they outnumbered the Boer citizens by two to one. The Boers, were determined to preserve their power and they denied the foreigners political rights. Great Britain joined the foreign residents in protesting. In 1896 there was an unsuccessful uprising against the Boers and later attempts to settle the problem failed. The Boers declared war on the British in 1899.

The Boers won victories in the early stages of the war, but in 1890 the British brought in more troops and captured the capitals of the two republics. Some Boer forces fled to the hills, where they carried on guerilla warfare. They finally surrendered in May, 1902. The two defeated republics became British colonies.

Some information above is used with permission from www.hyperhistory.com

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