1790s in South Africa

Events

1791

• 29 June – Johannes Isaac Rhenius is appointed acting Governor of the Cape Colony

1792

• A Dutch Reformed Church is founded in Graaff Reinet
• A Moravian Mission is founded at Genadendal
• 3 July – Sebastian Cornelis Nederburgh is appointed Commissioner-general of the Cape

1793

• Xhosas clash with the white settlers at the Fish River starting the 2nd Cape Frontier War
• War is declared by the victorious French revolutionaries against the Dutch Prince of Orange
• Britain goes to war against France
• 2 September – Abraham Josias Sluysken is appointed the Governor of the Cape. He is the last governor under Dutch East India Company rule

1795

• The Dutch East India Company is in financial ruins
• 29 January – Farmers expelled the officials of the Dutch East India Company and established an independent government at Graaff Reinet
• 18 June Swellendam follows Graaff Reinet and declares a republic under Hermanus Steyn
• The Netherlands is invaded by the French under the leadership of Napoléon Bonaparte
• A republic is declared by Dutch revolutionaries and the Prince of Orange flees to England
• 16 September – British forces under General Sir James Henry Craig seizes the Cape Colony for the Stadtholder Prince William V of Orange
• The republics of Graaff Reinet and Swellendam reject the British and the British army is sent in
• The start of free trade was announced

1797

• 5 March – The Cape becomes a British colony
• 4 May – Sir John Barrow, author and explorer, arrives at the Cape Colony
• 23 May – The first British Governor of the Cape Colony, Lord Macartney, arrives.

1798

• The first Post Office is established in the Cape Colony
• The Dutch East India Company is liquidated
• The first mosque in southern Africa is established in Dorp Street by Tuan Guru
• A Dutch Reformed Church is founded at Swellendam
• 22 November Dundas is appointed Governor of the Cape

1799

• Farmers of Graaff Reinet revolt against the British
• The 3rd Cape Frontier War starts between white settlers and the Xhosas and only ends in 1801
• The British build Fort Frederick in Algoa Bay
• The eastern cape Khoikhoi revolt
• The London Missionary Society set up their first station at Zak River
• 5 November - HMS Sceptre, wrecking, Table Bay
• 18 December – Sir G Young is appointed Governor of the Cape

Births

• 1 May 1791 – The Rev. John Brownlee, founder of King William's Town, is born in Scotland
• 21 December 1795 – Robert Moffat, Scottish Congregationalist missionary, is born in Ormiston, East Lothian, Scotland

Deaths

• 1793 – Baron Joachim van Plettenberg, Governor of the Cape Colony, dies

References

See Years in South Africa for list of References