The first time the bristish came to South Africa
In 1815, Britain bought the Cape of Good Hope Colony in the southernmost point of Africa, and in 1843, it annexed Natal, a neighboring coastal territory.
Both were granted self-governing colony status in the 1850s, but not responsible government, which would have involved a ruling administration and accountable elected Ministers because the area was still politically unstable.
When they first settled in South Africa
The first 1820 settlers arrived in Table Bay on the Nautilus and the Chapman on March 17, 1820.
What was South Africa called then?
The Transvaal and occasionally the Republic of Transvaal are terms used to refer to what was formerly known as South Africa, officially known as The South African Republic (Dutch: Zuid-Afrikaansche Republiek or ZAR; not to be confused with the much later Republic of South Africa).
Reasons for their arrival
Following the Napoleonic Wars, Britain faced a serious unemployment problem. As a result of the British government’s encouragement to immigrate to the Cape colony
The settlers were sent from the Cape colony to Algoa Bay, which is now known as Port Elizabeth.
Elizabeth Lord Somerset, the British governor in South Africa, encouraged the immigrants to settle in the frontier area of what is now the Eastern Cape. This was done to strengthen and defend the eastern frontier against the neighboring Xhosa people, as well as to boost the English-speaking population. Between April and June 1820, one of the largest stages of British settlement in Africa occurred, with approximately 4,000 Settlers arriving in the Cape in around 60 different parties. The settlers were given farms near the village of Bathurst in exchange for providing equipment and food. Many of the settlers left these farms for the surrounding towns due to a variety of factors. To begin with, many of the settlers were artisans with no formal education.
Another group of 1820 settlers went on to Natal (KwaZulu Natal), the Zulu homeland. King Shaka ruled the territory at the time with highly trained warriors. Leaders of the Natal settlers asked Shaka for permission to stay on the land, and when the king saw the settlers’ technological advancements, permission was granted in exchange for firearms. The 1820 Settlers National Monument, which opened in 1974, commemorates the 1820 settlers. It serves as a living monument, hosting plays, musical performances, and cultural events.
Sumary
Britain bought the Cape colony in 1815 and annexed neighboring Natal in 1843. Between April and June 1820, approximately 4,000 Settlers arrived in what is now known as the Eastern Cape. Many of them were artisans with no formal education at the time.
