Die Groot Trek by C Venter
Die Groot Trek by C Venter
Hardcover, ISBN 9780909238919
Publisher: Don Nelson, 1985
Used - Very Good. Slight cello tape markings and DJ has some slight wear and tear but the book presents beautifully under a fresh Cellophane cover.
The Great Trek was a phenomenon: the mass exodus of some 10 000 Boer men, women and children from the Cape Colony in the years after 1836. The emigrants — who in time were called Voortrekkers — left the Colony for a number of heartfelt reasons outlined in this book. The most significant fact of their departure remains their rebellion against the restrictions of British rule.
As contemporary witnesses foresaw, the Voortrekkers’ path into the interior of Southern Africa was difficult and frequently stained with blood. Beyond the Vaal they clashed with Mzilikazi’s fierce Ndebele, and in Natal incurred the suspicious wrath of Dingane, the Zulu King. Piet Retief was killed and the Voortrekkers were massacred in their laagers. Though they rallied and finally broke the strength of both Ndebele and Zulu, the Voortrekker struggle only ended when their republics (the Orange Free State and the ZAR) were recognised by Britain in the 1850s.
The Voortrekkers’ story is illuminated by numerous photographs and paintings of these remarkable men and women, and of the mobile lifestyle that made their exodus possible.
