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Episode 58 – A dilemma of principle as religious freedom and a reformed government are introduced in 1803
For on 18th May 1803, ten days after Janssens had reached Algoa Bay on his long journey overland to the frontier from Cape Town, Malta in the Mediter…
4 years, 4 months ago
Episode 57 – The Batavian Republic takes over the Cape in 1803 with a “Methods in dealing with Savages” handbook
Last episode we dealt with the arrival of the new representatives of the Batavian Republic who’d come to take over the Cape Colony from the British. …
4 years, 4 months ago
Episode 56 – The burghers suffer their worst setback since 1652 as the Third Frontier War reignites in 1801
Last episode we heard about Doctor Somerville’s expedition to Dithakong which was interesting but a failure in terms of its main aim. That was to sec…
4 years, 4 months ago
Episode 55 – Somerville's 1802 description of the baThlaping and their grand capital at Dithakong
Welcome back to the History of South Africa podcast, with me your host Des Latham - this episode 55.
We’ll follow Doctor William Somerville on his …
4 years, 5 months ago
Episode 54 – Doctor William Somerville’s extraordinary expedition to the Orange River in 1801
World events has once again conspired to interrupt the flow of events in southern Africa by the early 1800s.
The British were going to withdraw from…
4 years, 5 months ago
Episode 53 – The surge in centralized chiefdoms circa 1800 and the development of an African military system
This episode we return to the eastern coastal region of what would become Zululand – but first we’ll cover the trekboers quick getaway in the Zuurvel…
4 years, 5 months ago
Episode 52 – Christmas 1799 brings a fortuitous Amatola downpour and the intertwining of futures
We’re heading into a new and most momentous century – the 1800s. When we left off last episode, Ngqika was still trying to decide what to do about th…
4 years, 5 months ago
Episode 51 – The Third Frontier War ends and missionaries trek into a snake’s nest at Ngqika’s Great Place
So this war was set off by the blunt British instrument called Packenham Vandeleur as we heard in Episode 50. The Zuurveld farmers were now in a defe…
4 years, 6 months ago
Episode 50 – Brigadier General Vandeleur fires grapeshot at the amaXhosa setting off 80 years of warfare
This is episode 50 and the British have mobilized the dragoons to end a trekboer uprising in Graaff-Reinet. That will spark what is known as the Thir…
4 years, 6 months ago
Episode 49 – The Khoe War of 1799, Gerrit Owies is speared in the back and the Boers face the Hottentot Corps
This is episode 49 and Khoe and Oorlam Afrikaaner uprising of 1799. Keep in mind at this point in South African history, Afrikaaners are the mixed ra…
4 years, 6 months ago