Voortrekkers Great Trek

The Voortrekkers

The Voortrekkers get their independence - at a price.

The Great Trek - Epilogue

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The Chronology of the Great Trek

1806		Second British occupation of the Cape
1815		Slagters Nek Rebellion
1820		Influx of British missionaries
1822		Proclamation of gradual replacement of Dutch language by English
1824		Lieutenant Farewell receives a grant of land round Port Natal from Shaka
1826		Cape Colony's boundary extended to Orange river
1834		Emancipation of Slaves
		Commissie Treks set out
		(Christmas) 4th Kafir War begins
1835		Tregardt crosses Orange river and remains near Caledon river
	December	Potgieter begins to trek north from Tarka
	December	Rumours of Glenelg revocation of Queen Adelaide circulate
1836	early	Tregardt prepares to trek north
	February	Potgieter party crosses Orange river
	March	Tredgardt crosses Vaal river
	May	Potgieter reaches Sand river and leaves to make contact with Tregardt
	May (end}	Tregardt reaches Zoutpansberg
	June	Potgieter joins Tregardt at Zoutpansberg
	June 27	Potgieter reconnoitres over Limpopo river
	c. July 15	Van Rensburg massacre
	July (end)	Potgieter returns to Tregardt's camp
	July (end}	Tregardt leaves to search for the Van Rensburg party
	August	Maritz trek leaves for the north from Graaff Reinet
	August	Potgieter leaves Zoutpansberg
	August 25	Matabele attack trekker parties which have crossed Vaal river
	September 2	Potgieter rejoins his party at Sand river
	October 16	Battle of Vegkop
	November (early)	Maritz reaches Blesberg
	December 2	Maritz and Potgieter draw up a constitution for trekkers
1837	]anuary 17	Attack on Mosega
	February	Retief's manifesto is published
	March	Tregardt sends first message to Lourenco Marques
	March	Potgieter moves to Winburg area
	April 1O	Tregardt sends off second message to Lourenço Marques
	April 17	Retief elected Governor
		Uys moves north from Uitenhage
	May	Tregardt sends third message to Lourenco Marques
	June	Meeting approves constitution of Maatschappij
	June	Uys arrives at United Laagers
	June end	Smit installed as Trekkers' Predikant
	August 7	Buys arrives at Tregardt's camp on Doorn river to conduct his party to Lourenço Marques
	August 23	Tregardt sets off for Lourenço Marques
	September 9	Retief announces that passes over Berg have been found
	September 13	Trekkers hold meeting at Sand river and split into two groups; one under Retief heading for Berg, while Potgieter and Maritz ride north and organise a second punitive expedition against Matabele
	October 2	Retief camps at site of Bethlehem
	7	Retief gets first view of Natal Rev. Francis Owen arrives at Umgungundhlovu
	10	Retief arrives Port Natal
	19	Greyling camps at Kerkenberg
	November 4-12	Running fight against Matabele at Kapain
	7	Retief arrives at Umgungundhlovu
	11	Retief's messengers arrive at Kerkenberg
	13	Trekkers begin the descent of the Berg
	27	Retief rejoins his followers
	30	Tregardt arrives at summit of Berg
	December 23	Tregardt completes descent of Berg
	28	Retief sets offfor Sekonyela's country
1838	January	Sir George Napier succeeds Sir Benjamin D'Urban as Govern- or of the Cape
	25	Retief sets off on his second visit to Umgungundhlovu
	February 3	Retief arrives at Umgungundhlovu
	6	Retief's party massacred on Kwa Matiwane
	16/17	Bloukrans massacre
	March 13	Tregardt crosses Lebombo range
	April 11	Vlug Commando ambushed at Ithaleni
	13	Tregardt arrives Lourenco Marques
	17	Grand Army of Natal' destroyed at Ndondakusuka
	May 1	Mrs Tregardt dies
	16	Landman annexes Port Natal By this time Potgieter was two days west of the Berg
	June (middle)	Potgieter acquires land between Vaal and Vet
	August 13	Successful Boer defence of Veglaer
	September 23	Maritz dies in Sooilaer
	October 25	Tregardt dies at Lourenco Marques
	November	Potgieter settles at Potchefstroom
	22	Pretorius reaches Sooilaer with reinforcements
	28	Wen Commando moves out of Sooilaer
1838	December 4	British troops land at Port Natal
	9	Oath of the Covenant
	16	Battle of Blood river Union Jack raised at Port Natal
	27	Battle of the White Umfolozi
	31	Pretorius burns the kraals round Umgungundhlovu prior to his departure
1839	July	Twenty five survivors of the Tregardt trek are evacuated from Lourenco Marques
	October	Mpande flees into Natal with his followers
	December 24	Jervis evacuates Port Natal
1840	January 14	Pretorius leads Beeste Commando over the Tugela
	30	Nongalaza defeats Dingane`s army north of the Mkuzi river
	February 14	Mpande crowned king of the Zulus
	October	Loose federation between Natalia and the highveld re- publics formed
1842	March (end)	British troops under Major Smith begin march on Port Natal
	May 3	British troops reoccupy Port Natal
	23/24	Battle of Congella
	June 25	Boer siege of Port Natal raised
	December 12	British Cabinet decide on annexation of Natal
1844	April 9	Potgieter declares independence of Winburg-Potchefstroom
1845	April 30	Battle of Zwartkoppies
	June	Potgieter treks to Ohrigstad
	December	Republic of Natalia formally ceases to exist
1846	June-September	Factional strife at Ohrigstad begins to reach its peak
1847	June	Potgieter leads reconnaissance across Limpopo and then revisits the Zoutpansberg district
	end	Pretorius leads burghers from Natal to high veld
	December	Sir Harry Smith becomes Governor of the Cape
1848	early	Potgieter's people migrate to the Zoutpansberg
	February 3	Sir Harry Smith declares annexation of the Orange River Sovereignty
	August 29	Battle of Boomplaats
1852	February 17	Sand River Convention
	March 16	Reconciliation of Potgieter and Pretorius
	August	Potgieter leads his last commando in Sekwatiland
	December 16	Potgieter dies
1853	July 23	Pretorius dies
1854	February 23	British abandon the Orange River Sovereignty