How many Voortrekkers were there?

The Battle of Blood River (16 December 1838) was fought on the bank of the Ncome River, in what is today KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa between 464 Voortrekkers ("Pioneers"), led by Andries Pretorius, and an estimated 10,000 to 15,000 Zulu.

Who were the Voortrekkers in South Africa?

Voortrekker, Afrikaans: Pioneer, Leading Migrant, or “those who go ahead”, any of the Boers (Dutch settlers or their descendants), or, as they came to be called in the 20th century, Afrikaners, who left the British Cape Colony in Southern Africa after 1834 and migrated into the interior Highveld north of the Orange ...

How many Boers were there?

War was declared on 11 October 1899 with a Boer offensive into the British-held Natal and Cape Colony areas. The Boers had about 33,000 soldiers, and decisively outnumbered the British, who could move only 13,000 troops to the front line.

What happened to the Voortrekkers?

Battle of Blood River, also called Battle of Ncome River, (December 16, 1838), battle between the Zulu and the Voortrekker Boers in South Africa. Its proximate cause was a clash over land rights in Natal and the massacre of Voortrekkers by the Zulu king Dingane.

How long did the Voortrekkers travel?

The Great Trek in South Africa started in 1835 when over a time span of three years more then 12,000 Boers (farmers) left the Cape Colony. They trekked (moved) into the interior by ox wagon, in search of land where they would be free and beyond British control.

What was The Great Trek?

What language did the Voortrekkers speak?

The Trekboers spoke a variety of Dutch which they called die taal (lit. 'the language'), which evolved into the modern-day dialect Eastern Border Afrikaans, also known as East Cape Afrikaans. The Afrikaans language as a whole generally originated from 17th- and 18th-century Dutch dialects.

How did the Voortrekkers survive?

Little did they realise that neither man nor animal would escape the fatal malarial mosquito. Yet the Voortrekkers ploughed on through treacherous terrain, eliminating all obstacles in their path, and intent on gaining access to ports beyond the sphere of British control, such as Delagoa Bay, Inhambane and Sofala.

How many Zulus died at Bloedrivier?

Of the 3,000 dead Zulu soldiers, two were princes, leaving Ndlela's favourite Prince Mpande as frontrunner in the subsequent battle for the Zulu crown.

What did the Voortrekkers eat?

Next to grilling the meat over an open fire, the "Voortrekkers" often made a stew of venison and whatever vegetables they could find, in a three-legged cast iron pot, hence the name "potjiekos" (potfood). As each animal was shot, it was cut up and added to the pot. The large bones were included to thicken the stew.

Did the Boers fight the Zulus?

In 1838, the Boers, migrating north to elude the new British dominions in the south, first came into armed conflict with the Zulus, who were under the rule of King Dingane at the time.

Do Boers still exist?

Boer, (Dutch: “husbandman,” or “farmer”), a South African of Dutch, German, or Huguenot descent, especially one of the early settlers of the Transvaal and the Orange Free State. Today, descendants of the Boers are commonly referred to as Afrikaners.

What do you call a white South African?

White Africans (also known as "Afrikaners") in South Africa are predominantly descendants of Dutch, German, French Huguenots, English, Portuguese and other European settlers. Culturally and linguistically, they are divided into Afrikaners, who speak Afrikaans, and English-speaking groups.

Who was the first white man to arrive in South Africa?

History. The history of White settlement in South Africa started in 1652 with the settlement of the Cape of Good Hope by the Dutch East India Company (VOC) under Jan van Riebeeck.

Where is Xhosa from?

Xhosa, formerly spelled Xosa, a group of mostly related peoples living primarily in Eastern Cape province, South Africa. They form part of the southern Nguni and speak mutually intelligible dialects of Xhosa, a Bantu language of the Niger-Congo family.

Why the Boers left the Cape Colony?

There were many reasons why the Boers left the Cape Colony; among the initial reasons were the language laws. The British had proclaimed the English language as the only language of the Cape Colony and prohibited the use of the Dutch language.

Where did the Voortrekkers cross the Drakensberg?

The apparently empty interior was entered in October 1837 by the Voortrekkers. They crossed the passes of the northern Drakensberg Mountains under the leadership of Piet Retief and others. Retief obtained from Dingaan the promise of nearly all of Natal if he recovered some stolen cattle for the Zulu leader.

Who brought spice to South Africa?

Malay slaves brought to South Africa were often used in the kitchens of early settlers and were instrumental in including spices in the dishes that they conjured up on a daily basis.

How did the Voortrekkers preserve food?

Most of the Voortrekker families had a meat grinder, really useful for grinding up (mincing) tougher cuts of meat to make sausages. These hardy people also dried their sausages as another method for preserving meat. Once again this droë wors (dried sausage) is still with us today as a much sought after delicacy.

Why did the Zulus fight the British?

King Cetshwayo refused Frere's demands for federation, or to disband his Zulu army, as it would mean losing his power. War began in January 1879, when a force led by Lieutenant-General Lord Chelmsford invaded Zululand to enforce British demands.

Who was the founder of Zulu Nation?

Shaka was a Zulu chief (1816–28) and the founder of the Zulu empire in Southern Africa. He is credited with creating a fighting force that devastated the entire region.

Why did the Voortrekkers move?

Following the Voortrekkers who, in 1835, had left the Cape to scout for ideal territory, families began moving north to the highveld (part of the central South African plateau) in 1836, crossing the Orange River and even the Vaal River still farther to the north.

Why did the Boers move north in the Great Trek?

Why did thousands of Boers move North in the Great Trek? To escape the British. What was the main reason for the Crimean War? Russia wanted land on the Black sea to get to the Mediterranean.

Why did the Trekboers move around?

The Trekboers were used to moving around in search of land for grazing. They packed their belongings into ox wagons, gathered their servants and slaves, and headed north in search of new homes. These journeys became known as the Great Trek.