Early Colonization
Who established the Cape settlement in 1652?
Jan van Riebeeck and the Dutch East India Company (VOC)
Who was Krotoa (also known as Eva)?
A Khoisan woman who served as interpreter and mediator for Jan van Riebeeck
When did the Dutch introduce formal slavery at the Cape?
Beginning in 1652
What became major exports from the Cape in the 1700s?
Wine, fruit, grain, and livestock
What happened to the Cape in 1806?
The British seized control from the Dutch
What was the original purpose of the Cape settlement?
A refreshment station for ships traveling between Europe and Asia
How did colonization affect gender roles in South Africa?
It introduced strict patriarchal norms that reduced women’s autonomy
Where were enslaved people brought from?
East Africa, Madagascar, India, and Southeast Asia
What happened to the Khoisan language?
It declined due to slavery and cultural assimilation
What language did the British outlaw at the Cape?
Dutch
Which two Indigenous groups first interacted with the Dutch?
The Khoikhoi and the San
What role did women play in Khoisan society before colonization?
They held leadership, economic, and social influence; roles were more equal
What determined social status under colonial rule?
Race and labor
Who did the Dutch and later the British conflict with in the Eastern Cape?
The Xhosa
What was the “Great Trek”?
A mass migration of Boers inland to escape British rule
Why did conflict break out between the Dutch and the Khoisan?
Disputes over land, livestock, and labor
What does Krotoa’s tragic life symbolize?
The limited power Indigenous women had under colonial rule
What were “Free Black” communities, and what challenges did they face?
Freed or manumitted slaves who still faced social and legal restrictions
What was the “cattle-killing movement”?
A Xhosa prophecy that destroying cattle would bring national rebirth and drive out colonizers
What independent Boer republics were later established?
The South African Republic and the Orange Free State.
Name one major way the Cape became part of a global network
It linked Africa, Europe, and Asia through trade and slavery.
How did European norms reshape Indigenous gender dynamics?
They imposed male dominance and erased women’s historical influence.
How did slavery transform South African society?
It created rigid racial hierarchies and replaced earlier egalitarian structures.
What is “syncretism,” and how did it affect colonial movements?
The blending of traditional and Christian beliefs that influenced Xhosa resistance
What long-term effects did colonization leave on South Africa?
Land dispossession, racial hierarchies, and recurring wars over resources and power