TheDiscovery of Diamonds The Boer War

T-Dizzle – 2004 revised 2008

Colonization and “The Scramble”• The Scramble for Africa began in the late 1800s with the Berlin Conference.• With the Scramble, Europeans began entering into African territories,

forcing them to sign treaties, and taking as much land as possible• Colonization led to a system of racial separation, forced labor, early death,

and exploitation throughout Africa once it started…• BUT things were different in South Africa.• South Africa was located on the southern tip of Africa, a valuable piece of

land for traders going to Asia and India to stop and resupply. This piece of land was colonized much earlier than the rest of Africa.

• Groups of Dutch (Holland), Germans, French, and British all came to set up colonies as early as the 1500s.

• These groups of people had been living in South Africa for hundreds of years before the Scramble began and considered themselves to be Africans.• By comparison, they lived in South Africa longer than our families have lived in

America (1776ish)

The World Wide… World…

Under the colonial system, European settlers were treated better than the people who already lived in East and Southern Africa.

New settlers could buy large pieces of the best land at low prices.

Native Africans were moved to “reserves” that had less fertile land.

Settlers hired Africans to work for them at low wages.

Gold and diamonds were discovered in South Africa in 1867, causing a large number of people from Great Britain to move to the colony.

Tensions between the parties led to the "Boer Wars" from 1899 to 1902.

The British soundly defeated the Boers.

The Boers (Dutch farmers) were joined by Germans, Belgium, and French settlers -- Together these groups were known as Afrikaners.The British took over Cape Town from the Dutch in 1806 due to its location as a trading capital. The British settlers came into conflict with the Afrikaners.

In 1834 many Afrikaners moved in the Great Trek

inland to areas north and east of the cape.

The journey by Afrikaner farmers (Boers) who left the Cape Colony to escape British domination and restrictions of British rule, and obtain

new land.

“Trek” is an Afrikaans term, originally meaning a journey by ox wagon. In this most famous trek, 12,000 Boers left the Cape between

1835 and 1843.

Eventually the Boers founded Natal, Transvaal, and the Orange Free State.

The Struggle for South Africa

The Voortrekkers (as the Boers were known) migrated beyond the Orange River. After defeating resident Africans, most remained in the high veld of the interior, forming isolated communities and small states.

Afrikaners

Shaka Zulu (1785 – 1828)

The Great Trek 1836-1838

Tensions between the British and the Afrikaners resulted in war in 1899. The tension resulted in the Boer War.

They fought for rights to gold-rich land known as Transvaal (beyond the

Vaal River).

The British won in 1902.

The lands claimed by Boers and the British joined to form the Union of South

Africa – a British colony.

The discovery of diamonds (1867) and gold (1885) European interest in South Africa soared. The Boers, Tswana, and other

African people claimed the land of these valuable minerals.

Diamonds were discovered in 1867 along the Vaal and Orange Rivers and in 1870 at what became (1871) Kimberly.

In 1886 gold was discovered on the Witwatersrand.

DIAMONDS IN SOUTH AFRICABritish companies paid for the deep mines that were

needed to dig out the valuable minerals. The British grew rich from the profits.

Mineral discoveries (especially gold) spurred great economic development in South Africa during 1870-1900.

Foreign trade increased dramatically, rail track routes expanded from 70 mi. (in 1870) to 3,600 mi. (in 1895).

The number of whites rose from about 300,000 in 1870 to about 1 million in 1900.

Diamond mining areas of South Africa

The largest gem-quality diamond ever discovered weighed 3,106 carats

(about 1 1/3 pounds). It was found by Frederick Wells.

Dug from Premier Mine in Pretoria, South Africa 3,106 carats is about

the size of a person’s fist.

This large diamond was named after Sir Thomas Cullinan, who opened

the mine and was visiting on the day the mine opened.

Rumor has it that before Frederick Wells sold the diamond to Sir Thomas Cullinan. Wells broke off a piece sized at about 1,500 to 2,000 carats (300 to 400 grams). If this were true, then the original Cullinan diamond would have weighed in at about 5000 carats (1 kg).

In 1905, transport from South Africa to England posed a bit of a problem with regards to security. Detectives from London were placed upon a steamer ship that was rumored to carry the stone.

The stone on that ship was a fake. The actual diamond was sent to England in a plain box via parcel post.

Throughout the years, rumors have spread of a second half of the Cullinan diamond, as certain signs point to the diamond being part of a larger crystal.

The nine largest pieces of the Cullinan Diamond.

The Cullinan I, known as the Star of Africa, weighs 530.20 carats. King Edward placed it in the Sovereign's Royal Scepter (part of the Crown Jewels - now on display in the Tower of London.

Diamond mine in Kimberly, South Africa

Diamond mine

Cross section of a diamond mine

Diamonds are sorted on a white background by color