The First Boer War was a short conflict between Britain and the Boers of the Transvaal, who rose in revolt after the British annexation of their republic in 1877. The Boer fighters were skilled marksmen who knew the terrain, and they won several engagements against British regulars, including a decisive victory at Majuba Hill, where the British commander General Colley was killed. The British government under William Gladstone chose to make peace rather than send large reinforcements. The Pretoria Convention restored self-government to the Transvaal under nominal British suzerainty. The outcome left bitterness on both sides, and tensions over gold and political rights led to the much larger Second Boer War in 1899.
Before and after
- 6 October 1880Founding of University of Southern California
- 15 October 1880Construction of Cologne Cathedral
- 26 October 1880Kimigayo
- 1 November 1880Birth of Alfred Wegener
- from 20 December 1880 to 23 March 1881First Boer War
- 31 December 1880Birth of George Marshall
- 1881Launch of Los Angeles Times
- 1881Founding of Natural History Museum
- from 1881 to 1899Mahdist War
More in Wars, politics & history
- from 1765 to 1783American Revolution
- from 18 June 1812 to 18 February 1815War of 1812
- from 18 March 1871 to 28 May 1871Paris Commune
- from 1885 to 1914Scramble for Africa
- from 25 April 1898 to 11 August 1898Spanish–American War
- from 8 February 1904 to 5 September 1905Russo-Japanese War
The era
This moment belongs to the Industrial era (1760 CE to 1914 CE), steam, factories and revolutions. You can also browse everything in the 19th century.