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Before European Colonization
South Africa was different from the rest of Africa in that it was not as nearly densely populated as the rest of Africa was at the time. It was not a colony for settling, but rather a colony for resupplying ships on the way to Asia from Europe. Little resistance was met to early European colonization due to the lack of population; though this would change later as the population of native Africans would rise. -
First European Settlement
The first Europeans to setlle in South Africa were the Dutch. The original purpose of the Dutch colony was to establish a supply base for the Dutch East Indian Company. They settled in a location they dubbed Table Bay (now called Cape Town in present day South Africa).. Over the next century and a half, more Dutch would come to settle for other reasons. -
Dutch relationships with the natives
Under the Dutch, also known as the Boers, South Africa expanded. With expansion, they had to face the natives of these lands. The two main tribes of people they met were the Khoisan and Bantu. The encounters with the Khoisan happened first. The Boers killed them, enslaved them, or forced them to leave their homes in fear of the former two. The Bantu people became armed opponents and trading partners. -
The British fight for control
In trying to fullfill their goal of controlling Africa from Cairo, Egypt, to the Cape of South Africa, the British invaded and managed to take control of the colony from the Dutch in 1795. In 1803, the British returned control of South Africa to the Dutch, but this was short lived, as in 1806 they reseized the colony. -
Discovery of Diamnds
In 1867, diamonds were discovered near the Vaal River. This caused a great influx of immigrants from all over the world to come to South Africa in search of fortune. Originally a small mining town, the city of Kimberly turned into a society of over 50000 people in 5 years. As time went on, the diamonds became few and far between, and the remaining gems were located far underground. Wealthy buisnessmen, such as Cecil Rhodes, created mining companies to gain control of the remaining mines. -
The Zulu war against the British
The leader of the Zulu tribe was Shaka, a fierce military leader who had a strict regiment of training his troops to be feared warriors. Shaka and his army conquered several regions north of South Africa to create their own Zulu state. This Zulu state would be a strong state until 1879, when then Zulu king Cetshwayo refused to surrender to the British and dissolve his army, the British invaded on January 11. The war went on until July, but eventually the British came out victorious. -
Discovery of gold
In 1886, the largest deposit of gold bearing ore was found in South Africa. Though the gold itself was not as good of quality as found in some other regions of the world, it was abundant. The gold proved to not be as profitable as the diamonds previously found. Mining companies returned aswell. Black workers of the companies were treated as poor as ever, they weren't allowed to live where they wanted, and were forced to live on mining compounds. -
Anglo-Boer war
Tensions between the Boers and the British began to become too great to ignore. The Boers were very unsatisfied with British rule, despite their rule actually helping them and giving them and advantage. In 1899, war broke out. The Boers used guerilla warfare tactics against the British. The British retaliated by burning down Boer farms, and taking Boer women and children captive. By 1910, the British would come out victorious. -
Apartheid
In 1948, the Nationalist party of South Africa, the then elected party of rule, created three hundred and seventeen rules and regulations segregating the white minority from the nonwhite majority. Whites were given better treatment and services, such as schools, bathrooms, and restaurants, than nonwhites. Apartheid was repealed in 1990 by president F. W. de Klerk. Nelson Mandela, a prominent protestor of the movement, was elected to president of South Africa on May 10, 1994.
