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Inside Collection (Course): History Grade 7
Approximately 468 Voortrekkers, 60 Zulu, three Englishmen and a few black helpers left for Mgungundlovu with 57 of the best wagons, oxen and horses. An English trader who knew the area very well, Alexander Biggar, took about 60 black helpers on foot to help Pretorius. Gates were made of oxhide to tie the wagons together. At night, the wagons were pulled into a laager for safety reasons. Horses and oxen were tied together with thongs in the centre of the laager. Small cannons were put ready. At night, the Trekkers sang religious songs to keep their spirits up. Sarel Cilliers led them in taking a vow, in which the Trekkers asked God for victory against the Zulu.
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The commando’s route to Mgungundlovu
By the evening of 15 December, the two scouts who had gone ahead returned with the news that a Zulu force of approximately 15 000 men was on the way, a day’s journey away. Now Pretorius quickly had to select a place for a laager. The wagons were drawn up in a straight line parallel with a steep donga (3 m deep), perpendicular to the Ncome River, while the rest were joined to them in a wide semicircle. On the corners were small cannons, with the livestock in the centre of the laager.
DIFFERENT REPRESENTATIONS OF THE LAAGER
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At dawn on 16 December, the Zulu force under the leadership of Ndlela and Dambuza tried to encircle the laager with the well-known ox-head formation. The Voortrekkers were out of reach of the spears and their rifles and cannons checked every Zulu attack. Two hours later, the Trekkers ran out of ammunition and groups of horsemen were sent out to drive the Zulu off.
The Zulu had to flee. The victory of the Voortrekkers was mainly due to their thorough, tactical preparations, military ingenuity, and their modern weapons. It was definitely a setback for the Zulu, but it was not the end of their mighty empire.
b) To whose advantage or disadvantage would the following have been:
c) Work in pairs and answer the following questions about the Battle of Blood River:
d) Draw up your own table in which you compare the following battles:
On 20 December the Voortrekkers came across a burning and deserted Mgungundlovu. However, eleven days later, they were led into an ambush by the Zulu in the dense, overgrown area near the White Umfolozi River. The 5 000 Zulu had to retreat after a day’s furious fighting.
During March 1839, the Voortrekkers and the Zulu started negotiations for land, but these failed. Meanwhile, the Zulu began losing confidence in Dingane, especially after the murder of Retief’s party. He then attacked the Swazi in an effort to expand his empire northwards. This effort failed and he was defeated by his half-brother, Mpande, who broke away with half the Zulu force. Mpande became the new Zulu Chief on 10 February and was immediately acknowledged by the Trekkers. Dingane was later killed by the Swazi.
The Voortrekkers founded the Republic of Natalia, with Pietermaritzburg (named after Retief and Maritz) as its capital.
Are the following statements true or false? If false, give the correct facts:
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| Assessment standards(ASe) |
| LEARNING OUTCOME 1: HISTORICAL ENQUIRY- The learner will be able to use enquiry skills to investigate the past and present |
| 1.1 Access the sources |
| 1.2 Use the sources |
| 1.3 Communicate information from sources (reporting)) |
| LEARNING OUTCOME 2: HISTORICAL KNOWLEDGE AND UNDERSTANDING – The learner will be able to demonstrate historical knowledge and understanding |
| 2.1 Understand chronology and time |
| 2.2 Supply reasons why an historical event took place (causes, effects) |
| 2.3 Differentiate between different periods (similarities, differences) |
| LEARNING OUTCOME 3: INTERPRETING HISTORY – The learner will be able to interpret aspects of history |
| 3.1 Be aware of more than one view of the past |
| 3.2 Distinguish between fact and opinion |
| 3.3 Reconstruct the past |
Activity 1
(a) Sketch 1
(d)
| Vegkop | Italeni | Blood River | |
| Date | August 1836 | 10 April 1838 | 16 December 1838 |
| Terrain | Against a slope | Densely vegetated ravine | Alongside a donga and rivers |
| Leaders | Trekker: Potgieter | Trekker: Potgieter, Uys | |
| Tactics | Trekkers: Square-shaped laager with shooting cages | Zulu lead Trekkers into a trap | Trekkers: Laager with campsZulu: Ox-head |
| Results | Ndebele defeated | Voortrekkers defeated | Zulu defeated |
Activity 2
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Last edited by Siyavula Uploaders on May 12, 2009 10:27 am -0500.