6.6.1

Cape Colony

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Cape Colony

Until the end of the 1800s, European powers did not pay much attention to Africa. Lucrative trading opportunities, the discovery of diamonds, and the strategic importance of Africa led to colonisation.

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Importance of Cape Colony

  • Cape Colony was located on the coast of what is now South Africa.
  • It was important strategically for the British because it provided a stopover point between Britain and India (the jewel in Britain’s crown).
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Dutch control

  • The Dutch controlled Cape Colony until 1814 when the British took control of the cape.
  • Along with the native population, this also gave the British control over the nearly 30,000 Dutch who had settled there, who were known as Boers.
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The Boers

  • The Boers resented being under the control of the British, so many migrated inland and set up their own independent states:
    • One was Transvaal.
    • The other was the Orange Free State.
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Diamonds

  • To begin with, the British viewed Cape Colony as a strategic colony and did not have much interest in extensive settlement.
  • But this all changed once diamonds were discovered in the area.
  • Following the discovery of diamonds, entrepreneurial Britons flocked to Cape Colony to mine diamonds and seek their fortune.
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Cecil Rhodes

  • One of these men was Cecil Rhodes, who moved to Cape Colony in 1870 and became incredibly wealthy.
  • In 1890, he became Prime Minister of Cape Colony.
  • But Rhodes believed in white superiority and considered himself and the English settlers superior to the native people of Cape Colony.

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1Empires East & West: 1000 AD

1.1The Rise & Fall of Ancient China’s Empire

1.2The Medieval Greatness of the Byzantine Empire

1.3The Golden Age of the Islamic Empire

1.4The Politics & Power of the Holy Roman Empire

1.5Medieval Religion

1.6The Influence of the Church in Medieval Times

1.7How Religion Tested the Power of Kings

1.8Dynastic Challenges to Medieval Monarchs

1.9Challenges to Medieval Monarchs

1.10Revolts, Rebellions & Rights

1.11Medieval England & Her Neighbours

1.12European Renaissance

1.13Norman Conquest & Control

1.14Historical Skills

2The Medieval World: 450-1450 AD

2.1Anglo-Saxon England

2.2The Contest for the English Throne

2.3Conquering the Holy Land, 10-96-1396 AD

2.4King John

2.5The Magna Carta & Parliament

2.6The Black Death

3Worldviews

4The Empire of Mali: 1076-1670 AD

5The Renaissance & Reformations: 1500-1598 AD

6The British Empire: 1583-1960 AD

7The Peasants' Revolt: 1381 AD

8Religion in the Middle Ages

9Slavery: 1619-1833 AD

10The English Civil War: 1642-1660 AD

11The Industrial Revolution: 1750-1840 AD

12US Independence: 1775-1783 AD

13The French Revolution: 1789-1815 AD

14The British Empire: 1857–1930 AD

15Suffrage: 1840-1928 AD

16World War 1: 1914-1918 AD

17The Inter-War Years: 1919-1939 AD

18World War 2: 1939-1945 AD

19The Cold War: 1947-1962 AD

20Civil Rights in the USA: 1954-1975 AD

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