The Boers were conservative Protestant settlers in South Africa, including Dutch, German, French, Irish, English, Welsh, Spanish, Polish, and Italian. They established independent republics and were known for their strong nationalism and Christian ideals. They fought in the Boer Wars to protect their land from colonial powers and were eventually annexed by the British Empire. Some Boers left the region, while others remained and self-identify as separate from the larger Afrikaner community.
The Boers were people who settled in the Transvaal region of South Africa in the 17th century. The term “Boer” is used to describe individuals who are descended from these first original settlers, along with people associated with the Boer culture.
The word Boer is Dutch for “farmer” and it should come as no surprise to learn that many of the Boers were Dutch Protestants. The Boers also came from Germany, France, Ireland, England, Wales, Spain, Poland, Italy and numerous other places, yet sharing the common cause of being conservative Protestants with an independent streak. They moved from the British Cape Colony into South Africa, establishing the Orange Free State and the Transvaal as independent republics.
The Boers are often associated with a nomadic lifestyle, possibly because many of them traveled extensively from Europe and other areas to reach the independent areas. The Boers also moved to take advantage of changing resource availability and political pressure. Their society was characterized by strong nationalism, with the Boers banding together to protect their landholdings from outsiders, as well as strong Christian ideals.
In the mid-1800s, gold and diamonds were found in the Transvaal, and the Boers found themselves under attack from a variety of colonial powers who decided they wanted these riches for themselves. Through a series of conflicts that came to be known as the Boer Wars, the Boers attempted to secure their land, often using a variety of guerilla tactics to wear down the opposing side. Eventually, the Orange Free State and the Transvaal were annexed by the British Empire.
Many Boers left the region after the Boer Wars, while others remained in South Africa. People who self-identify as “Boers” usually abstract themselves from the larger Afrikaner community in Africa, the group of people who speak the language known as Afrikaans.
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