28 January 1881
1st Boer War

Previous event | Timeline | Next event

In January, the Boers of the Transvaal (see 1878 Zulu War) revolt against British rule and, on 27 February, defeat British troops at Majuba Hill. At the Pretoria Convention in April, Britain concedes Boer independence but imposes suzerainty, meaning that Britain continues to control the Transvaal's foreign relations. This prevents it from forming alliances with other European powers.

In 1884, a gold rush begins in the Transvaal, which brings tens of thousands of uitlanders (outsiders) to the country. The Boers tax them but deny them voting rights. President of the Board of Trade Joseph Chamberlain – encouraged by Cecil Rhodes, who is prime minister of Cape Colony and head of the British South Africa Company – champions the uitlanders. In 1896, Chamberlain and Rhodes are implicated in a failed rising against the Boers the previous year, and relations with the Boers and their ally Germany deteriorate.

See also 9 October 1899: 2nd Boer War

Top