History of South Africa

  • Period: Jan 1, 1300 to Jan 1, 1500

    Khoisan established dominant power in southern regions of Africa

    Unifying name for two groups of peoples of Southern Africa the Khoisan descended from two different tribes. They shared physical punitive and linguistic characteristics that were distinct from the Bantu who were also a type of people who just like the Khoisan originally were located in Western Africa traveled to Southern Africa and and settled. In the end there were more Khoisan people. Because there were so many more Khoisans than there were Bantu people in the region they were considered...
  • Jan 1, 1498

    Portuguese sea trade routes

    Portuguese sea trade routes
    Da Gama, who is a Portuguese explorer, reaches the mouth of the Limpopo river during his the first few weeks traveling and exploring, that is when he meets the first black people who were most likely part of a tribe called the Tonga society. The tribe lived North of the Limpopo river probably. Next with the help of an Arabian pilot he goes ashore and crosses the ocean and finally makes it to India. Thus establishing the Portuguese Sea trade route to india
  • The discovery of South Africa and Cape colony by Dutch at Table Bay

    The discovery of South Africa and Cape colony by Dutch at Table Bay
    The Cape was first founded by a Dutch east India company VOC (Vereenigde Oost-Indische Compagnie). Jan Van Riebeeck of the Dutch east India company VOC, was a Dutch colonial administrator, the founder of Cape town and he also was the first commander of the Cape colony. During the first 150 years of European control of the Cape, the companies were not interesting about expanding European settlements across Africa, but only in acquiring of goods. (fresh water, foodstuffs and masts)
  • Period: to

    British forces seize Cape colony from Netherland and the territory is returned to the Dutch

    The British acquired and colonized of the Cape at beginning of 19 century. The British conquered the Cape greatly to prevent it from falling to the control of Napoleon. Like the Dutch east india company VOC, Britain was not interesting in expanding settlements but wanted to maintain their strategic resupply station at Cape town. Also Britain tried to prevent the white expansion in South Africa, with its attendant costs of greater levels of colonial government and the risk of wars with Africans
  • Anglo-Zulu War

    Anglo-Zulu War
    Shaka Zulu founded and expanded the Zulu empire, which caused formidable fighting forces during 1816-1826. During the second half of 19 century, the British were interested in Zululand for several reasons, including their desire for the Zulu population to provide labour in the diamond fields of Southern Africa.The trigger of the war was the invasion of British troops into Zululand without Zulus’s permission. The result is Britain won the war and their victory allowed them to take over the...
  • Period: to

    The Anglo-Boer Wars

    The first Anglo-Boers war, known as the “War of independence” to Afrikaner, broke out in 1880. The trigger of the war was the Boer refused to pay an illegal inflated tax, which irritated the hundred of armed Boers. The result of war is defeat for British and second independence of the South African republic. The second Anglo-Boer war fought by Boers and the British between 1899-1902, and trigger is Boers leader Paul Kruger declared the war to British. The war was primarily a struggling with...
  • South Africa gains independence from all formal ties with Britain

    South Africa gains independence from all formal ties with Britain
    South Africa was originally one country under British control called the Union of South Africa. It became its own self-governing nation in 1934 through the Status of the Union Act but was still under the control of the British empire. The National Party won the national elections and slowly started a process moving away from British control. In 1961, Great Britain no longer had any control over South Africa and it was now known as the Republic of South Africa. With South Africa no longer...
  • Lesotho gains independence from Britain

    Lesotho gains independence from Britain
    Lesotho was a colony called Territory of Basutoland and was under direct control from the British High Commissioner in South Africa. Elections were held in 1965 between the Basotho National Party and the Basutoland Congress Party. The Basotho National Party narrowly won the election. In 1966 it gained its independence from Britain and was now called Lesotho. Lesotho became its own country separated from British and South African ties with its own king, Moshoeshoe II.
  • Swaziland gains independence from Britain

    Swaziland gains independence from Britain
    In the early 1900s, Swaziland was under the control of the British High Commissioner in South Africa. In 1963, a constitution for limited self-government was introduced which was later revised in 1967. This revised constitution turned the Swazi territory into a protected state known as the Kingdom of Swaziland. A year later in 1968, Swaziland became completely independent from Britain and South Africa. Once Swaziland gained its independence, it became the only total monarchy in all of Africa...
  • Nelson Mandela is elected president of South Africa

    Nelson Mandela is elected president of South Africa
    Before Nelson Mandela became president, South Africa had a government policy that would separate people depending on their race. Nelson worked against the country’s apartheid system of racial segregation. Nelson was placed in prison in 1964 for standing up against the government. In 1990 he was released and became the president of South Africa four years later. Nelson was sworn in as president of the country’s first multi-ethnic government. He established a commission which investigated the...