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Formal soveriegnty was ceded by the Netherlands
With Dutch power on the wane, the British used the Napoleonic Wars and the French occupation of Holland as an ideal way to seize the Cape -
The expanding Zulu Nation
In the late 1810s the Zulu nation under Shaka fought a series of aggressive wars, that initiated conflict that later became known as Mfecane. -
Depopulation of South African interior
Groups that managed to flee Shakas armies attacked other people where they settled, and this set off a chain reaction of destruction that resulted in the depopulation of much of the South African interior. -
British established new towns
The British established new settler towns of Port Elizabeth, East London and Grahamstown in the eastern part of the colony. -
British abolished slavery
The British abolished slavery across its empire. -
Boers moved northwards and eastwards
Boers could not go any further east because of the Xhosa there, they traveled more to the subcontinetial interior. This later became the Orange Free State and the Transvaal, then finally southwards into Natal. This later became known as the Great Trek. -
Boers won famous victory
The Boers had an overwhelming edge in weaponry, and won a famous victory over Dingaan´s Zulu army at the battle of blood river ( Ncome River in Zulu). -
The British annexed Natal
The independance of the Republic of Natalia that the Boers established was shortlived. Mindful of the strategic importance of controlling the coastline of the subcontinent, the British annexed the Natal. -
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Afrikaner Soverignty
They agreed to recognize Afrikaner Soverignty in the Transvaal and the Orange Free State in conventions signed at Sand River in 1852 and in Bloemfontein in 1854 -
The British attempted to federate South Africa
The growing European interest in the rest of the continent soon put an end to the status quo. The British attepted to federate South Africa by force, when an expeditonary party was sent to Transvaal from Natal. -
Transvaalers were victorious over British
The Transvaalers organized their forces and won a famous victory over the British at the battle of Majuba. This brought an end to the conflict sometimes known as the First Anglo-Boer War.