The Boers

Who were the Boers?

The term Boer, from the Afrikaans word for farmer, describes the people in southern Africa who traced their ancestry to Dutch, German and French Huguenot settlers, who arrived in the Cape of Good Hope from 1652.

Why was there conflict between the British and the Boers?

There were three main reasons why the British and the Boers came into conflict.

• ❖ The British attempted to force the Boers to change their way of life.
• ❖ In 1834 they abolished slavery, an act the Boers resented.
• ❖ The British made English the official language of the law courts, replacing Afrikaans.

What was the Boers' reaction to British actions?

There were 2 important ways the Boers retaliated.

• ❖ Many Boers moved north, and established the Orange Free State and the South African Republic.
• ❖ Relations between the British and the Boers was strained, especially after gold was discovered in the Boer Republics. This led to the Boer Wars.