Drifts Crisis facts for kids
The Drifts Crisis was a major disagreement in South Africa in 1895. It happened between the British and the Boer republics. The problem started when the Boers closed off river crossings, known as ‘drifts’, which were important trade routes.
This crisis is often seen as a key event that led to the Jameson Raid and the tough policies of Alfred Milner. These events eventually helped cause the Second Anglo-Boer War (1899–1902). Historians usually see this conflict as being between the Cape Colony (a British area) and the South African Republic (SAR), also known as the Transvaal Republic.
Why the Trouble Started
In the late 1800s, the Transvaal was a country without a coastline. This meant it had to rely on British railways and ports to move goods. To become more independent, the Transvaal started building its own railway line with the help of the Netherlands-South African Railway Company (NZASM).
However, this company almost went bankrupt. So, the Prime Minister of the Cape Colony, Cecil Rhodes, offered a loan to the Transvaal's President, Paul Kruger. In return, the Cape Colony would build its own railway line to Johannesburg.
Once the Cape Colony's railway reached Johannesburg, it tried to get most of the railway business. It lowered its prices because it knew the Transvaal's own railway to Delagoa Bay was almost finished. In response, the Transvaal government raised the prices on the part of the railway that ran through its territory, especially after it crossed the Vaal River.
To avoid these higher prices, people started taking their goods by train only to the Vaal River. From there, they would load the goods onto wagons and travel the rest of the way. President Kruger didn't like this. He reacted by blocking access to the Transvaal, closing the river crossings (drifts) on his side.
The Drifts Crisis Begins
The Cape Colony tried to get around the railway problem by unloading goods at the border. Then, they would use wagons to carry them about 50 miles (80 km) to Johannesburg. There was no road bridge over the Vaal River, which was the border. So, wagons had to cross the river using shallow spots called ‘drifts’.
The SAR then closed these drifts to all goods traffic. This decision caused a lot of anger. People in the Cape Colony, the Orange Free State, and even many Afrikaners were upset. They saw it as unfair protectionism, meaning the Transvaal was trying to protect its own businesses too much.
The Afrikaner Bond, a political group, strongly supported the Cape Colony government. They urged action, even war, if the drifts were not reopened. Eventually, the SAR gave in and reopened the drifts. The immediate crisis passed.
However, there were still disagreements. Afrikaners outside the SAR wanted to sell their goods in the rich markets of the Rand, where gold mining was making lots of money. The SAR government, on the other hand, wanted to protect its own farmers and build up its own factories. They also wanted to be as free as possible from British influence.
The Jameson Raid
The British government demanded that President Kruger open the drifts. They used this situation to get more involved in the Transvaal's affairs. Cecil Rhodes was very angry. He planned an uprising of Uitlanders (foreigners, mostly British, living in Johannesburg).
This uprising was supposed to happen at the same time as an invasion of the Transvaal. The invasion would come from Bechuanaland (which is now Botswana) and be led by Dr. Leander Starr Jameson. Rhodes wanted to take over the Transvaal government and make it a British colony. His goal was to join it with other British colonies in a larger federation.
The Jameson Raid began on December 29, 1895. But it was a complete failure. Jameson’s force was watched from the moment they crossed the border. They met resistance very early on January 1, 1896, with a short fight against a Boer outpost. Jameson eventually surrendered to Commandant Piet Cronjé. The raiders were then taken to a jail in Pretoria.
What Happened Next
After the raid, Cecil Rhodes was forced to resign as the prime minister of the Cape Colony. The political problems between Afrikaans-speaking and English-speaking colonists became much worse. The Orange Free State started working more closely with the Transvaal.
People living in the Transvaal felt threatened. The Uitlanders were treated with even more suspicion than before. This growing anger and resentment eventually led to the Second Boer War.
