Background to the South African War (Grade 10 NSC Matric History): Revision Notes
Background to the South African War
The South African War (1899-1902) didn't happen in isolation - it was the result of decades of tension building up due to mining discoveries, British imperial ambitions, and conflicts over land and labour. Understanding these background factors is essential for grasping why this devastating conflict occurred.
The discovery of diamonds and gold transforms South Africa
The discovery of diamonds and gold in South Africa during the late 19th century triggered what historians call the mineral revolution - a complete transformation from an agricultural society to an industrialized, capitalist economy that would reshape the entire region.
Mining development on the Witwatersrand
The story begins in 1867 when diamonds were discovered at Kimberley. This discovery would change South Africa forever. At this time, the political landscape was divided:
- The Cape Colony and Natal were British territories
- The South African Republic (ZAR) and Orange Free State (OFS) were independent Boer republics
- Various independent African chiefdoms still controlled much of their traditional land
Initially, there was confusion about who controlled the diamond fields. After disputes between multiple claimants, Britain awarded the diamond fields to the Griquas, but then annexed Griqualand West in 1877, making Kimberley part of the Cape Colony. The Griquas received compensation, though nobody yet understood how valuable these "little stones" would become.
The diamond discovery triggered what historians call the mineral revolution - South Africa began transforming from a primarily agricultural society to an industrialised, capitalist one. Hundreds of fortune hunters, called prospectors, arrived from around the world.
The challenges of deep-level mining
As mining operations expanded, individual prospectors faced serious problems:
Major Challenges Facing Individual Prospectors:
- Mining claims had to go much deeper to reach diamonds
- Expensive machinery was needed for large-scale operations
- Massive amounts of capital were required
These challenges meant that small-scale, individual mining was no longer viable, leading to the formation of large mining companies.
This led to the formation of large mining companies. Cecil John Rhodes, J.B. Robinson, and Barney Barnato bought up individual claims and created De Beers, developing efficient systems to organise mining operations.
This marked the beginning of racial discrimination in the mining industry. Black workers needed passes to work in the mines, whilst capitalism became entrenched as wealthy bosses exploited workers by paying extremely low wages. Black mineworkers were forced to live in overcrowded compounds with terrible living conditions.
However, many black South Africans initially resisted working in the mines for such poor wages, preferring to continue farming their cattle and selling produce to the growing markets around mining towns like Kimberley.
Britain's imperial expansion strategy
Why Britain wanted to control the region
Britain's imperial ambitions were driven by three key needs:
- WEALTH - access to mineral resources
- LABOUR - workers to extract the wealth
- SUBDUE CHIEFDOMS - control over African societies
To achieve these goals, Britain systematically conquered African kingdoms:
- 1878 - Crushed the Thlaping uprising
- 1879 - Defeated the Zulu kingdom after a bloody war
- 1881 - The ZAR fought back against British attempts to annex it, defeating them at Majuba in the First Boer War of Independence
- 1884-1885 - Britain declared protectorates over Swaziland and Basutoland to prevent them falling under Boer control and to secure timber, grain and labour for the mines
These conflicts had enormous consequences for gold mining in the ZAR and gradually broke down black South Africans' ability to remain independent farmers on their own land.
The gold rush transforms the economy
Discovery on the Witwatersrand
In 1886, gold was discovered on the Witwatersrand in a 60-kilometre gold-bearing reef south of Pretoria, the ZAR's capital. This discovery was even more significant than the diamond finds.
Thousands of fortune seekers who had gained experience at Kimberley, plus newcomers from around the world, flocked to the area. The majority were British and became known as uitlanders (foreigners).
The rise of mining companies and financial markets
Independent mining quickly became impossible due to the enormous costs involved. The money for large-scale operations came from wealthy mining capitalists from Kimberley. Rhodes, Robinson, Barnato and Alfred Beit - known as the Randlords - established the Chamber of Mines to coordinate operations.
These mining magnates needed massive amounts of capital for machinery and modern technology. They raised money by selling shares on the London Stock Exchange and the newly created Johannesburg Stock Exchange. Profits, called dividends, were later distributed among shareholders.
The gold mining boom created massive economic development including railways, roads, expanded harbours, secondary industries, commercial farming, houses, offices, shops, banks, and post offices.
Britain's global financial motivations
The international gold standard
By the late 19th century, Britain's economic dominance was being challenged by rapidly industrialising countries like Germany and the USA. To maintain its position as the world's leading economic power, Britain desperately needed to replenish its decreasing gold supplies.
Why Gold Was Critical for Britain:
Gold was critically important because the international monetary system was changing to a gold standard. This meant that paper money had to be backed by gold reserves in the central bank. Gold was also essential for international trade and purchasing military equipment.
Without access to gold reserves, Britain risked losing its position as the world's dominant economic power.
Therefore, the British were extremely eager to gain control of the gold mines in the ZAR, seeing them as vital to maintaining their global economic supremacy.
The creation of a racially divided society
New social classes emerge
The mining revolution created distinct social classes:
The wealthy elite:
- Randlords - multi-millionaire mine owners and company bosses
The middle class:
- Entrepreneurs - builders, craftsmen, lawyers, doctors, shopkeepers who made independent livings
Working classes:
- White mineworkers - mainly British uitlanders
- White ex-tenant Dutch farmers - poor, unskilled, unemployed because black workers took the low-wage jobs; often lived in slums
- Black unskilled workers - forced to live in unhygienic, overcrowded compounds
The rise of racial capitalism
Understanding Capitalism and Racial Capitalism
Capitalism is an economic system where individuals can theoretically make unlimited money. However, the wealthy often exploit the poor for their own profits, and typically the rich become richer while the poor become poorer.
In South Africa, racial capitalism developed when laws were created to prevent black people from becoming educated or skilled, deliberately keeping them as low-paid servants living in poverty.
The migrant labour system
Forcing people to work in the mines
To ensure a steady supply of cheap labour, the authorities introduced the Hut Tax, forcing black subsistence farmers to work in the mines because they needed money to pay this tax.
The migrant labour system had several key features:
- Contracts lasting 6-12 months
- Workers stayed in mine hostels or compounds - overcrowded, unhygienic facilities with poor food and strict discipline
- Families remained in rural areas and had to survive without the main breadwinner
The 'tout system' involved mine owners paying recruiters - sometimes chiefs - to find workers from as far away as Tanzania. These recruiters often lied about wages and working conditions to attract workers.
Social destruction
The Devastating Social Impact of Migrant Labour
This system caused enormous social damage:
- Families were broken apart
- Detribalisation occurred as traditional cultures were disrupted
- Children grew up without fathers' guidance and discipline
- Men were treated as "boys" in the mines, leading to feelings of inferiority and worthlessness
The long-term consequences of this system would affect South African society for generations.
Racial discrimination in the workplace
Religious justification for racism
Religious Misinterpretation
Racism developed partly from Boer religious culture. The Boers were deeply religious people who followed the Bible closely, but they misinterpreted one biblical verse to mean that black people would always be servants - "hewers of wood and drawers of water".
This religious justification provided a moral framework that many white settlers used to legitimize discriminatory practices.
Economic competition creates further discrimination
White miners felt threatened when black workers were given all the low-wage, unskilled jobs. This led to job reservation policies, and later the Colour Bar Act, which legally prevented black people from becoming skilled workers.
These discriminatory laws deliberately kept black workers in poverty by excluding them from better-paying occupations.
Historical Acknowledgment
The Dutch Reformed Church admitted in 1994 that these racist beliefs were completely wrong, but this acknowledgement could never compensate for the years of horrific suffering endured by millions of black South Africans.
How African societies responded
Resistance and adaptation
After the destruction of independent chiefdoms, traditional forms of black resistance largely ended. However, African societies found various ways to respond to labour demands:
- By the late 1890s, mines still faced labour shortages
- Black tenant farmers and sharecroppers who lived relatively comfortably compared to mine workers often managed to avoid tax collectors
- Some people found alternative employment in building, domestic work, or other occupations
- The amawasha were 600 black workers who did washing for white families in Johannesburg
These responses show that African societies actively tried to maintain some control over their lives despite the oppressive system being imposed upon them.
Understanding the bigger picture
The background to the South African War reveals how the discovery of minerals completely transformed South African society. British imperialism, driven by the need for wealth and global economic dominance, systematically destroyed African independence and created a racially divided, exploitative economic system.
The tensions between British imperial ambitions, Boer independence, and African resistance to labour exploitation created the conditions that would eventually explode into the devastating South African War.
Key Points to Remember:
- Diamond discovery (1867) and gold discovery (1886) triggered the mineral revolution that transformed South Africa
- British imperialism was motivated by the need for wealth, labour, and control over African societies to maintain global economic dominance
- The migrant labour system and racial capitalism created a deeply unequal society designed to exploit black workers
- Multiple tensions between British ambitions, Boer independence, and African resistance created the conditions for war
- Understanding these economic and social changes is essential for comprehending why the South African War occurred