The Voortrekkers (Afrikaans for pioneers, literally "those who move ahead" or "first/forward traveler") were white Afrikaner farmers, then known as Boers, who in the 1830s and 1840s emigrated during a series of mass movements of a number of separate trekking contingents under different leaders in what is called the Great Trek from the British controlled Cape Colony into the erstwhile black-populated (depopulated from the difaqane said to have originated from Shaka, the Zulu King) areas north of the Orange River in what is now South Africa. Afrikaans is a West Germanic language mainly spoken in South Africa and Namibia. ... Afrikaners are white South Africans of predominantly Calvinist Dutch, German, French Huguenot, Flemish and Friesian and Walloon descent who speak Afrikaans. ... Afrikaners are white South Africans of predominantly Calvinist Dutch, German, French Huguenot, Friesian and Walloon descent who speak Afrikaans. ... // Events and Trends Electromagnetic induction discovered by Michael Faraday Dutch-speaking farmers known as Voortrekkers emigrate northwards from the Cape Colony Croquet invented in Ireland Railroad construction begins in earnest in the United States Egba refugees fleeing the Yoruba civil wars found the city of Abeokuta in south-west Nigeria... // Events and Trends Technology First use of anaesthesia in an operation, by Crawford Long War, peace and politics First signing of the Treaty of Waitangi (Te Tiriti o Waitangi) on February 6, 1840 at Waitangi New Zealand. ... Trekboers on the karoo. ... Map of European presence in 1652 The Cape Colony was a part of South Africa under British occupation during the 19th century. ... Mfecane (isiZulu), also known as the Difaqane or Lifaqane (Sesotho), is an African expression used about chaos and disturbances. ... Shaka Shaka (sometimes spelled Chaka) (ca. ... The Orange River is the major river in South Africa. ...

The Voortrekkers were mainly of Trekboer (migrating farmer) descent living in the eastern frontiers of the Cape. Hence, their ancestors had long established a semi-nomadic existence of trekking into expanding frontiers. A contingent of Voortrekkers migrated into Natal and negotiated a land treaty with the Zulu King Dingane. Upon reconsideration, Dingaan doublecrossed the Voortrekkers, killing their leader Piet Retief along with half of the Voortrekker settlers who had followed them to Natal. The Trekboers were descendents of Dutch settlers, French Huguenot refugees, German Protestants, Friesians and smaller numbers of Belgians, Scandinavians, Scots, also some Indian slaves due to intermarriage, and an a mixture of Khoi and Malay due to absorption into the nascent Boer nation. ... Capital Pietermaritzburg Largest city Durban Area  - Total Ranked 7th 92,100 km² Premier Sbu Ndebele (ANC) Population   - 2001   - 1996   - Density Ranked 1st 9,426,019 8,417,021 102/km² (2001) Languages isiZulu (80. ... Dingane kaSenzangakhona (ca. ... Natal is a former British colony, and a South African province. ...

Andries Pretorius filled the leadership vacuum hoping to enter into negotiations for peace if Dingaan would restore the land he had granted to Retief. When Dingaan sent around twelve thousand Zulu warriors (impis) to attack the local contingent of Voortrekkers in response, the Voortrekkers defended theselves at a battle at Nacome River (called the Battle of Blood River) on 16 December 1838 where the vastly outnumbered Voortrekker contingent defeated the Zulu impis (warriors). This date has hence been known as the "Day of the Vow" as the Voortrekkers made a vow to God that they would honour the date if He were to deliver them from what they viewed as almost insurmountable odds. The victory of the besieged Voortrekkers at Nacome River was considered a turning point. The Natalia Republic was set up in 1839 but was annexed by Britain in 1843 whereupon most of the local Boers trekked north joining other Voortrekkers who had established themselves in the region. This article needs to be cleaned up to conform to a higher standard of quality. ... The Battle of Blood River was fought on 16 December 1838 on the banks of the Blood river in what is today KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa. ... December 16 is the 350th day of the year (351st in leap years) in the Gregorian Calendar. ... 1838 was a common year starting on Monday (see link for calendar). ... Natalia could refer to: Natalia Republic Natalia!, rubber fetishist Natalia (singer), Belgium musician Natalia, a music album of Natalia Kukulska This human name article is a disambiguation page — it may be an article about a human name, but it is a list of pages that might otherwise share the same... 1839 was a common year starting on Tuesday (see link for calendar). ... 1843 was a common year starting on Sunday (see link for calendar). ...

Armed conflict, first with the Ndebele under Mzilikazi, then against the Zulus under Dingane, went the Voortrekkers' way, mostly because of the technological superiority of their muzzle-loading rifles. This success led to the establishment of a number of small Boer republics, which slowly coalesced into the Orange Free State and the South African Republic. These two states would survive until their annexation in 1900 by Britain during the Boer War. The Ndebele people are three tribes or nations of people living in South Africa and Zimbabwe; there are three main groups of Ndebele: The Southern Transvaal Ndebele, who live around Bronkhorstspruit The Northern Transvaal Ndebele, who live in Limpopo Province (formerly Northern Transvaal or Northern Province) around the towns of... Mzilikazi (meaning the path of blood) (ca. ... The Zulu are an African ethnic group of about 11 million people who live mainly in KwaZulu-Natal Province, South Africa. ... Dingane kaSenzangakhona (ca. ... A muzzleloader is any firearm into which the bullet is loaded from the muzzle of the gun (open end of the gun barrel). ... A rifle is a firearm that uses a spiral groove cut into the barrel to spin a projectile (usually a bullet), thus improving accuracy and range of the projectile. ... Capital Bloemfontein Created 1854 Dissolved 1900 Language Dutch (Afrikaans an official language only in 1925) The Orange Free State (Afrikaans: Oranje Vrystaat) was an independent country in southern Africa during the second half of the 19th century, and later a province in South Africa. ... Capital Pretoria Created 1857 - Independence 1881 - Boer Rebelion Dissolved 1877 - 1st British Annexation 1900 - Formal Annexation Language Afrikaans The South African Republic (Dutch: Zuid-Afrikaansche Republiek, or ZAR), often informally known as the Transvaal Republic, was an independent country in southern Africa during the second half of the 19th century. ... 1900 (MCM) is a common year starting on Monday. ... Boer guerrillas during the Second Boer War There were two Boer wars, one from December 16, 1880-March 23, 1881 and the second from October 11, 1899-May 31, 1902 both between the British and the settlers of Dutch, French and German origin (called Boers, Afrikaners or Voortrekkers) in South...

The Voortrekkers are commemorated by the Voortrekker Monument located on Monument Hill overlooking Pretoria, the erstwhile capital of the South African Republic and the current and historic administrative capital of the Republic of South Africa. Pretoria was named after the Voortrekker leader Andries Pretorius. Voortrekker Monument from the front The Voortrekker Monument stands close to Pretoria, South Africa. ... Capital Pretoria Created 1857 - Independence 1881 - Boer Rebelion Dissolved 1877 - 1st British Annexation 1900 - Formal Annexation Language Afrikaans The South African Republic (Dutch: Zuid-Afrikaansche Republiek, or ZAR), often informally known as the Transvaal Republic, was an independent country in southern Africa during the second half of the 19th century. ... This article needs to be cleaned up to conform to a higher standard of quality. ...

The Voortrekker Flag.

The Voortrekkers had a distinctive flag. The one depicted to the right was used mainly by the Voortrekkers who followed Hendrik Potgieter, which is why it was also known as Potgieter's flag. A version of this flag was used at Potchefstroom - one of the first independent Boer towns established by local Voortrekkers. Voortrekker Flag. ... Voortrekker Flag. ... Andries Hendrik Potgieter (1792 - 1852) was a South African Boer political figure. ... Potchefstroom Flag Potchefstroom is a large academic town with the North-West University, situated on the banks of the Mooi River (literally beautiful river), 120 km west-southwest of Johannesburg in the North West Province of South Africa. ...

The Voortrekkers is also an Afrikaner youth movement founded in South Africa in 1931 as an Afrikaans-language alternative to the English-speaking Boy Scout movement. The Voortrekkers developed their own identity, represented in what they called their ABC: Afrikanerskap, Burgerskap, Christenskap (Afrikanership, Citizenship, Christianity). 1931 (MCMXXXI) is a common year starting on Thursday. ... The English language is a West Germanic language that originates in England. ... For professional sport scouts, see Scout (sport). ...

External links

• The Voortrekker Monument.
• History of the Voortrekker monument (in English)
• History of the Voortrekker monument (in Afrikaans)
• Voortrekker Monument in Depth.
• The Voortrekkers youth movement.
• Oom Vossie Voortrekkers Amptelike webblad van die Bellville Oom Vossie Voortrekker kommando (in Afrikaans)
• Oord Tygerberg Voortrekkers Amptelike webblad van Die Voortrekkers in Oord Tygerberg, Bellville (Oom Vossie), Kuilsrivier (De Kuilen), Durbanville (Doordekraal), Brackenfell (Kanonkop) en Kraaifontein. (in Afrikaans)