HISTORY

THE TIMELINE

1652

Jan van Riebeeck arrives in the Cape.

1653

The first refreshment station was tested.

1657

The first free burghers receive their farms.

1688

Arrival of the French Huguenots.

1779

The First Border War between Trekboers and Khoisan.

1778 – 87

Patriot movement around civil liberties.

1806

British take possession of the Cape.

1830

Conflict in the Cape over British oppression.

1834

Release of slaves.

1835 – 37

The Great Trek begins.

1836

Maritz and Potgieter establish the first democratic government at Morakashoek.

1837

  • 5/11 Piet Retief reaches Dingane’s village, Umgungundlovu, for the first time to ask for land for the Voortrekkers.
  • 12/11 Piet Retief’s birthday. His daughter, Debora Retief, paints his name on one of the rocks at Kerkenberg.
  • 14/11 The first Voortrekkers descend the Drakensberg..

1838

  • 4/02 Retief, his twelve-year-old son and their company sign the treaty with Dingane, who says that the Voortrekkers may get a portion of the land.
  • 06/02 Dingane kills Retief, his son and their entire company.
  • 16-17/03 The Voortrekkers are taken by surprise and brutally killed at Bloukrans. 185 children die in one night. It is the most children dying in one night.
  • 11/04 The Voortrekker leader, Piet Uys and his son Dirkie, die at Italeni.
  • 13-15/08 Attack at Veglaer. 2000 Zulus were killed during the battle.
  • Voortrekkers descend the Drakensberg.
  • 23/09 The Voortrekker leader, Gert Maritz, dies. With his death, the Voortrekkers are without leaders.
  • 22/11 Andries Pretorius is elected Commanding General. Shortly afterwards, he left with 464 men and 64 wagons on a punitive expedition to Dingane.
  • 09/12 The Vow is taken for the first time under the direction of Sarel Cilliers.
  • 16/12 The Battle of Blood River takes place.
  • 21/12 Andries Pretorius finds the remains of Piet Retief and his commando, as well as the treaty in which Dingane legally gave the land to the Voortrekkers.

1839

The Voortrekkers establish the capital, Pietermaritzburg, which is named after the two trek leaders, Pieter Retief and Gert Maritz.

1841

The Church of the Vow was consecrated in 1841.

1845

Most Voortrekkers leave Port Natal after the British occupation and settle in the Transvaal and the Free State.

1852

The South Africa Republic (Dutch:  Zuid-Afrikaansche Republiek) is established.

1854

The Republic of the Orange Free State (OFS) is established.

1866

The first diamonds are discovered, and the British government wants to have all the republics under their control again.

1875

The GRA (Society for True Afrikaners) is established with a view to the development of Afrikaans as a reading and writing language. 

1899 – 1902

The Anglo-Boer War.

1910

South Africa becomes a union.

1914

The South African Rebellion begins.

1921

 

CJ Langenhoven introduces “The Call of South Africa”.

1927

South Africa gets its own national flag: the orange-white-blue flag with the small flags of the Boer Republics and the Union Jack in the middle is accepted.

1929

The FAK is established.

1949

Inauguration of the Voortrekker Monument commemorating the Great Trek.

Source: Verkennerlewe – Die Voortrekkers