Natalia Republic

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The Republic of Natalia was a short-lived Boer republic, which was established on November 11, 1839 after the Battle of Blood River by the Voortrekkers. She was lying on the Indian Ocean coast, just north of the Eastern Cape. The republic was conquered in 1843 by Britain and annexed. After that, most Voortrekkers migrated to the north in the area that later became known as the Orange Free State and Transvaal.

History

History of the Republic of Natalia

After the annexation of the Cape by Great Britain (1806 ) British law was introduced, which provided for the equality of whites and free non-whites, among others, as well as from 1833, the abolition of slavery. The majority of racist -minded and living as a farmer Buren considered these legal innovations as a threat to their traditional way of life. In addition, the British colonial administration insisted on the observance of the agreed borders with neighboring Xhosa, which had been repeatedly ignored by the Boers. Starting from 1835, therefore, set up a migration movement, whose goal was to escape the influence of the British and the British law. Approximately 5,000 people moved away. They settled south of the then Portuguese territory in the area of ​​Zulufürsten Dingaan and at Port Natal, a port on.

The first Boer emigrants who entered the area were led by Pieter Retief and arrived in October 1837. He then tried to persuade the Zulu king to cede land to the Boer farmers. After signing the contract Retief and his group, however, were murdered in January 1838 by the Zulu, which then also tried to kill the remaining Boers in Natal. Nevertheless, the other Boers did not return, but new emigrants moved to.

The Battle of Blood River

In December the Boers were subjected to amplification and Andries Pretorius against the Zulu. On December 16, 1838, the Boers were attacked by an estimated 10,000 Zulu. As they had formed an additionally protected by the terrain wagons, they managed to defeat the Zulu after a three-hour battle.

Buren State Natalia

The settlers agreed to on 11 November 1839 by England independence by founding the Republic of Natalia. However, the colonial power did not take it back. The Boers were forced in 1842 by the British with violence to vacate Natal.

There were several battles between the parties. After the Boers had defeated the British in the Battle of Congella, the Boers occupied Port Natal for a short time and besieged the local British fort, but were expelled by British reinforcements arrived by sea again. 1843, the region was finally annexed by the British, and to a part of the Cape Colony.