Transvaal Colony
formerly the South African Republic; since 1910 a State of the Union of South Africa; area, 110,450 square miles; lying between the Vaal and the Limpopo rivers; bounded N. by British South African territory, E. by Portuguese East Africa and Zululand, S. by Natal and the Orange River Colony, and W. by Bechuanaland. The population numbers over 300,000 whites and over
1,000,000 natives. Johannesburg, the principal city, had in 1918 a population of 137,166 whites and about the same number of natives. Prior to its annexation to Great Britain the republic was ruled by a president elected for five years, only native Boers having the franchise; and a legislature of two houses, each of 27 members, elected for four years. The president had a council of four official members. One-third of the population is estimated to be engaged in agriculture, the lands of the colony generally, outside the mining districts, being extremely productive, and the demand for farm products in the mining regions very great, even in excess of the local products at the present time. From the establishment of the republic, troubles arose with the natives around them, and during one of these disturbances the British intervened in 1877 and annexed the territory. The Boers, however, rose TRANSVAAL COLONY in rebellion in 1880, and after a short war, in which the British were worsted, the independence of the country, subject to the "suzerainty" of the British crown, was again recognized. In 1884 a new convention was signed giving the Transvaal independence in the management of its internal affairs, but placing certain restrictions on its authority to make treaties with foreign powers. In 1886 gold was discovered in the RAND (q. v.).
About 23,000 whites and 250,000 natives are employed in the mines. The gold output of 1916 was valued at £38,110,000. benents, In 1899 trouble again arose between the Transvaal Government and the Uit- Transvaal Government and the Uitlanders. The latter sent numerous petitions to the Queen of England to help them in their contentions against the Boers. A conference was arranged between President Krüger and Sir Alfred Milner, the British high commissioner at Cape Town, which was held May 31, 1899, at the capital of the Orange Free State; but it failed to yield any benefits, as Krüger declined to make the so-called "reforms" that Milner demanded, and Milner declined to submit disputes to international arbitration in the way Krüger suggested. The chronic source of trouble in the Transvaal was the fact that the Englishmen who went there for gold-mining purposes were determined on obtaining the right to vote as citizens of the Transvaal republic, while still keeping their status as British subjects.
On Oct. 10, 1899, the Transvaal Government sent an ultimatum to Great Britain demanding the withdrawal of all her troops in the Transvaal. The reply to this being unsatisfactory, the Transvaal declared war Oct. 11, 1899, the Orange Free State supported its sister republic, and the next day a Transvaal force invaded Natal. The first months of the war were marked by Boer aggressions and sions and successes. At the close of 1899 three British forces were being besieged, respectively at Ladysmith, Kimberley, and Mafeking, and three British armies had been checked and were inactive, awaiting the arrival of reinforcements.
The British losses had been 7,630 in killed, wounded and missing. These unexpected reverses awoke Great Britain to the magnitude of the task before her.
Lord Roberts and Lord Kitchener and 100,000 men were dispatched to South Africa and by the end of January there were 250,000 British troops in the field.
Before the arrival of these troops, how ever, the Boers continued to gain victories. At the Tugela river and at Spion Kop (a small hill N. of the river) the British were defeated and compelled to TRANSYLVANIA relinquish their plan of relieving Ladysmith.
With the arrival of Lord Roberts at the front, Feb. 9, the aspect of the war changed. Lord Kitchener reorganized the army and departments; Lord Roberts began the invasion of the Orange Free State; and in rapid succession followed the relief of Kimberley (Feb. 15); the surrender of General Cronje with 4,600 men (Feb. 27); the relief of Ladysmith (Feb. 28); the surrender of Bloemfontein, the capital of the Orange Free State; the relief of Mafeking (May 16); On Sept. 8, at Spitzkop, General Buller and the surrender of Pretoria ( June 5). defeated a large force of Boers under General Botha, and with this battle organized resistance came to an end. President Krüger fled to Europe, and the only lated bands of Boers who carried on a opposition offered the British was by iso- African (Transvaal) republic was ofguerrilla warfare. On Sept. 3 the South ficially annexed by Great Britain under the name of the Transvaal Colony, and pointed its administrator. In January, on Dec. 14 , Sir Alfred Milner was ap- 1902, the government of the Netherlands made official overtures to Great Britain to act as a peace intermediary between her and the Boers . Great Britain refused the offer on the ground that any South Africa, and not by the Boer repreconditions of peace must be made in sentatives in Holland. The British Liberal Government of 1906 offered the Transvaal a new constitution, and in 1907 General Louis Botha was appointed the an election was held at Pretoria, where first Premier. In 1910 the Transvaal AFRICA (q. v.). was joined to the UNION OF SOUTH