The Great Trek

The Great Trek

The Great Trek was a massive movement- Great Journey or migration of the dissatisfied Afrikaaners.

The Afrikaaners (Boers and their servants) from the Cape Colony moved into the interior South Africa to get a free safe haven, as they also hoped to establish a settlement of their own, free from British influence and interference.

The expansion of the European settlement at the Cape continued up to the 19th Century and Boers were dissatisfied because of the British authority.

They also moved away from the colonial administration of the British and these who trekked were semi-nomadic pastoralists who wanted large areas of land between 1830 – 1840’s.

The movement of the Boers involved slightly over 14,000 people who wanted to establish settlements of their own.

The Great Trek was called great because during the first 10 years of the exodus, many people were involved in the movement from the colony, high plains re-crossed northwards, faced resistances especially from the Bantu speakers.

The Boer sheep farmers had begun to expand across the Orange River during the drought of 1820- 1830's. Grievances against British rule accumulated about 1828 up to 1838.

The most important reason why it was called great was that it was the most important event in the history of European expansion and colonialism in South Africa.

Causes of the Great Trek

The movement of the Afrikaaners started around 1835 and it was in groups under courageous leaders.

The attitudes of the Boers towards land

The emancipation of the slaves and the way it was carried out.

The Boers believed that the land in northeast was empty and depopulated due to M’fecane.

When the British settled at the Cape, they initiated Anglicisation and the area became a British colony. The Boers were forced to adapt English as an official language, which others resented and became very unhappy.

The availability of large tracks of land in the interior led to further expansion of the Boers.

The Boers who were pastoralists wanted to open up the natural green pastures in the interior.

The spirit of adventure attracted many Boers in to the beautiful lands of the interior. Grievances against British rule had accumulated between 1828 up to 1838.

When the British came at the Cape Colony, they favoured the Africans, introduced the black Circuit Courts where Africans could sue their Boers masters. The Boers also rejected this British administrative system; the English legal system replaced the Dutch system with the Dutch Reformed Church priests.

The British introduced the 50th Ordinance in 1828. The Ordinance favoured Africans to work for the people whom they voluntarily chose. The above greatly caused dissatisfaction of the Boers, therefore they moved northwards.

The British system of land tenure system irritated the Boers who now moved north.

The role of Christian missionaries led to the discontency of the Boers who now moved dissatisfied with the triumph of the latter’s work.

The Boers felt that the British had failed to protect them against the Kaffir following the raids of 1819 and above 1834.

The abolition of slave trade and slavery at the Cape Colony in 1834. The British Government had already abolished slave trade and the Boers lost African slaves to work on their enterprises. Slave Acts were also passed which favoured the Africans, which irked their masters who decided to move away.

There was over-population at the Cape. This was as a result of refugees who fled from the Zulu armies into the Eastern Cape Province and British settlers who were estimated at 5,000. By 1835, population increase resulted into the Great Trek due to demands for space.

There was also land shortage as a result of over population, which forced the Boers to move away.

The M’fecane (times of troubles) had created a land vacuum in the interior of South Africa. It created empty spaces in Zulu land for the Boers to migrate, as it also led to de-population and this forced the Boers to occupy areas in South Africa including Transkei, Transvaal and the Orange Free State.

Racial prejudice. The Boers considered themselves a chosen race of God. They did not want to mix with the Africans.

Course of the Great Trek

The Great Trek started at the Cape Colony near Graaf Reinet, Taarka, Albany, and Somerset between 1830 and 1838. The Trekkers were in three main groups;

The main leaders of the Great Trek were among others Piet Retief, Louis Trighardt, Potgieter Hedrick, Van Rensburg and Sarel Cilliers. It is not easy to determine when the Great Trek ended. Ox-wagons were used and travelers where led by their leaders.

The Boers settled in areas of Natal, Transvaal and Orange Free State by 1843, when the first trek was over;

First Trek

Louis Trighardt and Jan-Van-Rensburg led the first group out of the Cape. This group moved before November 1835 and went up to Zoutpansburg or Northern Transvaal where they tried to settle in the Limpopo Valley.

The group was ill prepared for the dangers and hardships ahead and was few in number.

They faced the problem of the hostile inhabitants and diseases like malaria fever. Out of the original 100 Boers in this group, only 27 survived to see Maputo where they settled.

Second Trek

This was the largest group, which left the Cape Colony in 1836. It was led by Hedrick Potgieter and Sarel Cilliers was later joined by Gerrit Mantz and a group of farmers from Graaf Reinet.

It went up to the Orange Free State where they were encountered by the strong Ndebele force under Mzilikazi in the fierce battle of 1836 at Vegkop. They continued North Easterly and crossed River Vaal.

The most decisive battle war fought was on 19th October 1836 at Vegkop. The Boers won this battle under the leadership of Potgieter, the use of guns and the laager tactics. After this battle, the Africans lost their cattle, land as many of them died. After Vegkop battle some Boers continued on the High Veld in the North.

In January 1837, Mzilikazi military towns were raided and a large herd was seized. In November 1837, the Boers launched an all-out attack and the Ndebele were completely defeated. Mzilikazi was forced to cross Limpopo into Southern Rhodesia or modem Zimbabwe. The trekkers in this group settled and established themselves in the Orange Free State.

Other Boers continued from Natal and joined those in the Orange Free State and Transvaal. In 1836, some Bantu speakers attacked Boer wagons and many of them were killed.

At Vegkop, although the Ndebele were defeated, they remained strong and did not destroy the Boer laagers, but managed to drive off Boer sheep and cattle. These cattle were shortly captured and the Ndebele settled in Central Africa.