And, to prevent further collisions, a resident was appointed. In 1848, after visiting the territory, Governor Sir H. Smith reached the conclusion that a regular government needed to be established in order to keep peace among the mixed elements forming the population. He therefore issued a proclamation, afterwards confirmed by the crown, annexing the territory to the empire under the name of the Orange River British Sovereignty. Thereupon, some of the Boers took up arms under the leadership of Pretorius and expelled the British magistrates. But Sir H. Smith himself brought a military force against them and after a brief encounter at Boomplaats, the Boers were defeated and the crown's authority re-established and maintained from that moment until 1853. .
The Boer Republic.
A group of Boers founded the republic of Natal by the east coast, but the British troops annexed the country in 1842. Thus, a large number of Boers ran away inland, while many British settlers were setting up large plantations that required the importation of Indian workers. Many Boers settled between the Orange river by the south- and the Vaal - by the north. This settlement eventually made up the Orange River Free State. Others settled north of the Vaal (Transvaal) river, founding a Southafrican Republic. .
In 1867, diamonds were discovered in Cape Colony and in the confluence of the Vaal and Orange rivers, thus making the British more and more interested in these regions. Hence, new conflicts arose between the United Kingdom and the two small Boer republics. In 1879 the British army attacked the Zulu reign and suffered a great disaster in Isandhlwana, but Zululand was eventually incorporated to Natal.
The Boer Wars.
In 1880, the Boers from Transvaal defeated the British forces in Majuba Hill, assuring their independence. Two years later, Paul Kruger was elected president of the independent republic. However, in 1886, the background was set up to the war to break out.
