Cape Colony
History: KS3, topic 6.6.1
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.
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).
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.
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.
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.
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.
Test yourself on Cape Colony
On which modern day coast line was Cape Colony located?
What was discovered in Cape Colony?