History of Free State, South Africa - South African Information

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A Short History of the Free State Province
The area north of the Orange river of South Africa, where the present day Free State province is located, was first visited by Europeans towards the close of the 18th century. At that time it was scarcely populated with the majority of the inhabitants members of the Bechuana tribe. Between 1817 and 1831, the region was devastated by the Zulu chief Mzilikazi and large areas were depopulated. Up to this time the few Europeans who had crossed the Orange had been chiefly hunters or missionaries.

In 1824 farmers of Dutch, French Huguenot and German descent called Trekboers arrived from the Cape Colony, seeking pasture for their flocks. They were followed in 1836 by the first parties of the Great Trek. The emigrants soon came into collision with Mzilikazi, with raiding parties of Zulus attacking Boer hunters who had crossed the Vaal without seeking permission. Reprisals followed, and in November 1837 Mzilikazi was decisively defeated by the Boers and fled northward.

In December 1836 the emigrants beyond the Orange River drew up in general assembly an elementary republican form of government. After the defeat of Mzilikazi the town of Winburg was founded and Piet Retief chosen as governor and commandant-general. Dissensions speedily arose among the emigrants and Retief, Potgieter and other leaders crossed the Drakensberg and entered Natal. Later several large parties of Boers recrossed the Drakensberg into the country north of the Orange, refusing to remain in Natal when it became a British colony.

In 1846 Major Warden occupied Winburg for a short time, and the relations between the Boers and the British were in a continual state of tension. Many of the farmers deserted Winburg for the Transvaal. Sir Harry Smith, who became governor of the Cape at the end of 1847, issued a proclamation declaring British sovereignty over the country between the Orange and the Vaal eastward to the Drakensberg. The republican party headed by Andries Pretorius, did not submit without a struggle but they were defeated by Sir Harry Smith in an engagement at Boomplaats and Andries Pretorius crossed the Vaal in retreat. In 1851 Moshoeshoe joined the republican party in the Sovereignty in an invitation to Pretorius to recross the Vaal.

A convention allowing the independence of the country was signed at Bloemfontein in 1854 and the Boer government assumed office and the republican flag was hoisted. On the abandonment of British rule representatives of the people were elected and met at Bloemfontein on 28 March 1854, and between then and 18 April were engaged in framing a constitution. The country was declared a republic and named the Orange Free State.

In 1858 disputes between the Basutos and the Boers culminated in open war with both parties laying claims to land beyond the Warden line. On the 15th of October 1858 a treaty was signed defining a new the boundary but peace was nominal only, while the burghers were also involved in disputes with other tribes, In 1868 the Basutos and its land were taken under British protection and borders were defined between the Orange Free State and Basutoland. The relations between the British and the Free State, after the question of the boundary was once settled, remained perfectly amicable down to the outbreak of the Second Boer War in 1899. A number of the Free State Boers, living in the northern part of the country, went to the Transvaal and joined their brethren then in arms against the British.

In 1900, after British forces had occupied Bloemfontein, the Orange Free State was annexed by Britain as the Orange River Colony. In May 31 1902 the Peace of Vereeniging was signed and the Orange Free State and the South African Republic was placed under British rule. Self-government was restored to the Free State region in 1907, and in 1910 the colony became the Orange Free State Province within the Union of South Africa. The province remained unchanged when the Union of South Africa became the Republic of South Africa in 1961; but, after apartheid was abolished and the provincial governments were reorganized in 1993–94, the Orange Free State was renamed simply Free State.

 

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