IndexThe Boer WarThe path to the First Boer WarThe First Boer WarUniforms/WeaponsCombatThe Second Boer WarThe Boer WarThe Boer War is divided into two parts; The First Boer War and the Second Boer War. These wars are called many things. “For the English they were the Boer Wars, for the Boers the Wars of Independence.”1 Many Afrikaners today call them the Anglo-Boer Wars to indicate the official warring parties. “The First Boer War took place in 1880-1881 and was called the Transvaal Rebellion2,” as the Boers rebelled against the British takeover of 1877. Most scholars prefer to call the war of 1899-1902 (the second Boer War) the South African War, recognizing that South Africans, black and white, were affected by the war and that many participated in it. This war was started for the riches of gold and diamonds. These two wars were a very important turning point for the Canadian government, symbolizing Canada being separated from Brittany and also the first time Canadians fought in a supervised war. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on "Why Violent Video Games Shouldn't Be Banned"? Get an original essay As part of a wave of imperialism, the British colonial secretary, Lord Carnarvon, proposed a confederation of South African states in 1875, along the lines of the Canadian federation of 1867. In a rather unstable political and economic region, this would create an environment stable for greater economic integration and progress under British supremacy, particularly after the discovery of diamonds in 1867 near the confluence of the Orange and Vaal rivers. In the lead-up to the First Boer War, between 1835 and 1845, around 15,000 Dutch moved from the British Cape Colony, across the Gariep River, into the interior of South Africa. Their "Great Journey" was a rejection of British philanthropic policy with its equality between whites and blacks in the Cape Colony and the political marginalization experienced on the Eastern Cape frontier. “They founded two independent republics, the Transvaal and the Orange Free State, as recognized by Great Britain in the Sand River (1852) and Bloemfontein (1854) Conventions.”3 The republicans acquired the name Boers', the Dutch word for farmers. Like African societies within their borders, the Boers enjoyed a pre-capitalist, near-subsistence economy. As part of a wave of imperialism, the British colonial minister, Lord Carnarvon, proposed in 1875 a confederation of South African states, modeled on the Canadian federation of 1867. In a rather unstable political and economic region, this would create a stable context for greater economic integration and progress under British supremacy, particularly after the discovery of diamonds in 1867 near the confluence of the Orange and Vaal rivers. The First Boer War At first, the Boers used a strategy of passive resistance. When the British government decided to take control, the Boers turned to armed resistance in December 1880. The First Boer War broke out on 16 December 1880. Uniforms/Weapons With the exception of artillery and police, in the Second Boer War, no uniforms were worn. The Boers preferred everyday clothes. The Boer force was a classic example of a citizen army, because virtually the entire white male population of the republics aged between 16 and 60 was obliged to participate in unpaid military service. Growing up on farms with a rifle in hand made the Boers good marksmen, with the ability to accurately judge distance. The commando formation for the attack was a loose swarm with the intent of outflanking the.