Follow
Follow Us
Be a Fan
The Great Trek / Die Groot Trek - South Africa 1835 - 1845
The Object of the Project is to give an account of the Great Trek, Identify participants and explore where they went.
In time a number of other projects can be created to explore in more detail different aspects of the subject. For example - the Battle of Bloodriver could be sub project.
To participate in any project......
...... you do need to first be a collaborator - so join the project. Look at the discussion Project Help: How to add Text to a Project - Starter Kit to get you going!
In order to join the project use the drop down menu at the top left of the screen and Join the Project. If this option is not available to you then contact a collaborator and ask to be added to the project. As a collaborator you will be able to edit this page.
How to Participate
- Please add the relevant profiles of those who participated on the Great Trek (not their entire descendants - only those who were actually involved!) This is easily done from the profile page using the Add to project link.
- If you have any related queries please start a discussion linked to this project. (See the menu top right).
- Please add related projects to the menu on the right.
- If you have links to related web pages that would be of interest to others please add them in the relevant section at the bottom of the page.
- Add any documents of interest using the menu at the top right of the page, and then add a link to the document in the text under the heading below. If you do not know how to do this please contact one of the other collaborators to assist you.
Introduction
The Great Trek was a migration eastwards and north-westwards by Boers/farmers away from the Cape Colony which was controlled by the British. The key poarticipants were the Trekboers (farmers who had adopted a nomadic way of life, and had moved away from the south western Cape in search of grazing for their herds were known as the trekboers). and the Grensboere or border farmers. Collectively they were known as The Voortrekkers meaning pioneers.
Key Players
Please add to this list in alphabetical order
- Charl (Sarel) Arnoldus Cilliers (1801-1871)
- Gerhardus (Gerrit) Marthinus Marritz (1798-1838)
- Mzilikazi (c.1790-1868)
- Andries Hendrik Potgieter (1792-1852)
- Andries Wilhelmus Jacobus Pretorius (1798-1853)
- Johannes Jacobus (Hans) van Rensburg (1779-
- Pieter Mauritz Retief (1780-1838)
- Dingane kaSenzangakhona (c. 1795-1840)
- Louis Tregardt (1783-1838)
- Pieter Uys (1797-1838)
Links
Key Resource
Voortrekkerstamouers 1835-1845 (Afrikaans, second edition, 2011); J. C. Visagie; Protea Boekhuis, Pretoria; 752 pp.