Causes of Great Trek and Its Impacts

The Great Trek was a movement of Dutch-speaking colonists up into the interior of southern Africa in search of land where they could establish their own homeland, independent of British rule. In 1835 and 1841, 7000 Boer men, women and children, with further 7000 Boer servants crossed the Orange River and left the colony permanently. The Boers who trekked away from the cape colony in the late 1830s were known as the Voortrekkers.[1]

Desire for freedom from British control, taking the form of a mass migration into the interior of southern Africa, this was a search by dissatisfied Dutch-speaking colonists for a promised land where they would be 'free and independent people' in a 'free and independent state'[2]. British introduced their new types of administration which was seen as constraint to Dutch welfare, as they prohibited Dutch to expand any more land in the local people in interior. Moreover, Local Boer Government officials were replaced by British commissioners and magistrates appointed by the Governor.

Farm lend law[3], this law was only applied to Dutch people who owned massive land. The law demanded that the owner of the land must have heavy investment, heavy money and labour power but Dutch were economically poor, so this law was geared favouring British who were rich capitalist. The solution of this was to move to the interior where the law was not applicable and where they could establish their new settlement.

Unrest on the eastern border between Xhosas and Boers (farmers)[4]. The government was unable to segregate the Xhosas from the whites and the two groups kept on clashing. The Xhosas stole the white farmers’ cattle and the farmers occupied territory that had traditionally belonged to the Xhosa. Not even the establishment of neutral territory could keep the parties from becoming involved in battles with each other. Some governors did more than others to protect the frontier farmers but there was nevertheless a significant number of wars on the eastern frontier.

Introduction of English language as official language in all colonies[5]. The Dutch-speaking people also felt that their identity was being threatened. A series of laws proclaimed between 1823 and 1828 enabled the government to substitute the official use of Dutch with English. When the magistrates and councils were also abolished, the colonists no longer had any say in the government and their desire for self-government increased. Therefore this action hurt Dutch greatly as Dutch felt that they are degrading or suppressed by British.

Restrictive laws on slavery and its eventual abolition[6]. Dutch or Boers depended much on slaves whereby slaves were used as labour to work on their farms but the coming of British at the Cape marked the end of slavery in South Africa. In 1834, there was abolition of slavery, hence removed the final element of forced labour meaning that there was ‘equality before the law’ to labour, therefore Dutch were discontented by the way they were treated by British.

Anglicisation policies[7], the Dutch did not belong to Anglican Church they had their own religion but British introduced it in South Africa. The religion later dominated the Cape and other areas where British settled, then local people were influenced by its teaching. Anglican Church teaching pointed out the evils that were done by Dutch farmers to local people because Boers treated inhuman indigenous people, as they did not recognize any rights and land rights to indigenous people. Therefore Anglican revealed those evils as a result Boers decided to move from the cape.

Influence of Christianity[8], Christianity was opposed by Dutch simply because it planted to the mind of local people the question humanity, equality, fraternity and egalitarian. Dutch recognized that Christianity is there to conscientize people about their evils.

Availability of potential land found in the interior which was result to the Mfecane war. The migrants also sought fertile farmland, as good land was becoming scarce within the colony's frontiers. The Dutch people noted that in the interior there is idle and plenty of land which have been left by the Mfecane war.

The Great Trek also resulted from increasing population pressures, as Trekboer migrations eastward had come to a virtual stop for at least three decades, though some Trekboers did migrate beyond the Orange River prior to the Great Trek.

Apart from the factors which influenced the Great Trek in South Africa, the Great Trek also had impact on the South Africa history as follow;

Rapid expansion of White settlement into the heart of the Southern Africa interior[9]. The Boers migrated interior of the Southern Africa where their anticipation was to establish new settlement as to avoid the direct control from British. Large number of Dutch moved to the interior of South Africa for example, some went to Natal region and others to Orange free state where they formed their independent states.

Annexation of indigenous land by Voortrekkers[10]. Zulu land and other indigenous land for example were annexed massively by Dutch, the Dutch wanted to posses all the fertile land found in the interior. Therefore this situation led to the creation of landless people to the indigenous people, they only remained labourers to the Boer’s famers

Establishment of Republican government in the interior by Dutch people[11]. After the movement from the Cape Dutch succeeded to establish new republican government in the interior like Orange Free State, Natal Republic and Transvaal these states were independent from British control. In those states Dutch succeeded also to from new hybrid language known as Afrikaner language, a language that was a mixture of Dutch language, local language, French language and German language.

Acquisition of firearms by African Kingdoms of the interior. Boers brought firearms to the interior of South Africa whereby it was easy to reach at the hands of Chiefs of Kingdoms, these firearms was later used as a defense weapons against external enemies and sometimes in conquering the neighboring states.

Brought Spirit of Nationalism to Afrikaner nationalist. British suppression was a lesson to Afrikaner nationalist whereby many Dutch accumulated a lot of grievances and claims against British due to their maltreatment. Therefore, this was a catalyst to Dutch in demanding their lost freedom; they began to fight for the independence from British government.

Generally, the Great Trek was the one which founded the Natal Republic, Orange Free State, and Transvaal due to the fact that Dutch or Boer farmers wanted to live independently from British control as a result they decided to move Interior of the Southern Africa from the Cape.

REFERENCES

           

Eric, W (1968), “Chapter IV”. A History of South Africa, London, Longman Publishing Group. Oliver, R (1972) The Great Trek, London, John Murray.

Reader’s Digest (1988), Illustrated History of South Africa: the real story, New York, Reader’s                             Digest Association.

Shillington, K (1987), A History of Southern Africa, London, Longman Publishing Group.

---

[1] Reader’s Digest. Illustrated History of South Africa: the real story (1988, Reader’s Digest Association, New York)                  p. 114-120               

[2] Kevin Shillington. A History of Southern Africa( 1987, Longman Publishing Group , London) p.59

[3] Ibid. p.60

[4] Walker, Eric. “Chapter IV”. A History of South Africa. (1968, Longman Publishing Group, London) p.156

[5] Kevin Shillington. A History of Southern Africa (1987, Longman Publishing Group, London) p.60

[6] Ransford, Oliver. The Great Trek. (1972, John Murray. London) p.21.

[7] Ibid.

[9] Kevin Shillington. A History of Southern Africa (1987, Longman Publishing Group, London) p.70

                                                                                                                            

[10] Ibid.

[11] Ibid.