Treaty of Vereeniging facts for kids
Melrose House, Pretoria
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| Context | End of the Second Boer War |
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| Signed | 31 May 1902 |
| Location | Melrose House, Pretoria, South African Republic |
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The Treaty of Vereeniging was a peace treaty signed on 31 May 1902. It officially ended the Second Boer War. This war was fought between the South African Republic (also known as the Transvaal) and the Orange Free State on one side, and the United Kingdom on the other.
This agreement meant the fighting would stop. It also promised that the Transvaal and Orange Free State would eventually get to govern themselves. They would become British colonies first. The Boer republics agreed to be part of the British Crown. In return, the British government agreed to several important details.
Contents
How the Peace Treaty Came About
Boer Leaders Meet to Discuss Peace
On 9 April 1902, Boer leaders met in Klerksdorp, Transvaal. The British had given them safe travel to attend. Important figures like Marthinus Steyn, president of the Free State, and Schalk Willem Burger, acting president of the Transvaal, were there. Generals like Louis Botha, Jan Smuts, Christiaan de Wet, and Koos de la Rey also attended. They met to talk about the war and if they should start peace talks with the British.
On 12 April, ten Boer representatives went to Melrose House in Pretoria. They met with General Herbert Kitchener. The Boers brought a seven-point plan for a friendship treaty. They wanted things to go back to how they were before the war. They also suggested some changes, like a trade agreement with British colonies. They wanted votes for uitlanders (foreigners) and equal languages in schools. They also asked for an amnesty, meaning no one would be punished for fighting.
General Kitchener was surprised by their ideas. But he sent the proposal to London, knowing it would likely be rejected. He wanted the discussions to continue. Alfred Milner, a British official, joined the talks on 14 April. He was not friendly towards the Boers. He wanted them to surrender completely. He also wanted to control the two republics as British colonies. The British government rejected the Boers' terms. So, the Boer delegation asked Kitchener for a break in fighting. This would allow them to go back and talk to their soldiers about surrendering and what terms they could accept.
Delegates Debate at Vereeniging
On 15 May, the Boer soldiers chose 30 delegates from each republic. They met in Vereeniging. These delegates included military officers and some civilians.
The discussions were very heated. The delegates were split. Those from the Transvaal wanted the war to end. Life for Boer families in the Transvaal was becoming very hard. Also, the Boer population there was starting to divide. However, the Free Staters wanted to keep fighting.
They eventually reached a compromise. On 19 May, the generals went back to Pretoria. They proposed that the republics stay independent. But they would have their foreign relations and self-government controlled by the British. They also agreed to give up control of Swaziland and the Witwatersrand goldfields.
Boers and British Discuss Terms
General Kitchener and Alfred Milner rejected these new terms. Kitchener wanted to make peace and bring people together. Milner, however, wanted to humiliate the Boers. The talks between the Boer generals and the British continued for several days. The British made some concessions, which are like small agreements. For example, rebels from the Cape Colony would only lose their voting rights for five years.
The issue of black people being allowed to vote was also discussed. Before the war, Joseph Chamberlain had argued that black people's political rights should be considered after the war. But this idea was ignored to help with reconciliation. Jan Smuts managed to add a clause. This clause said that the question of black people voting would be decided later. It would be discussed when the Transvaal and Free State gained self-government.
Another tricky issue was war debt and promises of payment made by the Boers. Louis Botha wanted £3 million from the British. The British offered £1 million. Milner was angry at the idea of paying for Boer promises. But Kitchener agreed. He saw that paying would help Botha convince his delegates to accept the terms. The Orange River and Transvaal colonies would first be run by the British military. Then, they would be run by civilians. Later, they would get self-government.
Signing the Peace Treaty
On 27 May 1902, the British Cabinet met to discuss the final terms of the treaty. On 28 May in Pretoria, the Boers were given the terms. They had three days to decide, and their answer had to be a simple yes or no.
Sixty Boer delegates met again in Vereeniging to debate the treaty terms. There was a very heated discussion between the Transvaalers and Free Staters. Botha and Smuts argued for accepting the treaty. Marthinus Steyn argued against it. He was ill and resigned as Free State president after the first day of debate. He advised Christiaan de Wet that if the Transvaalers agreed to the treaty, the Free State should too. He knew the Free State could not continue the war alone.
Around 2 pm on 31 May 1902, a vote was taken. 54 delegates voted yes to the treaty terms, and only 6 voted no. On the same day, the Boer leaders returned to Kitchener at Melrose House in Pretoria. The peace treaty was then signed. Even though the treaty is named after Vereeniging, where the peace talks happened, the document was actually signed at Melrose House in Pretoria.
What the Treaty Agreed To
This agreement meant the fighting stopped. All Boer forces had to surrender their weapons to the British. In return, the British promised that the Transvaal (South African Republic) and the Orange Free State would eventually get to govern themselves. They would become colonies of the British Empire. The Boer Republics agreed to be under the rule of the British Crown. The British government agreed to several important details, including:
- All Boer fighters from both republics had to give themselves up.
- All soldiers would be disarmed.
- Everyone had to promise loyalty to the British Crown.
- No one would be sentenced to death.
- A general amnesty would apply, meaning no one would be punished for fighting.
- The use of the Dutch language would be allowed in schools and law courts.
- The Transvaal Colony and the Orange River Colony would eventually get self-governance. (They received civil government in 1906 and 1907.)
- The issue of black people being allowed to vote would not be discussed until self-government was given.
- The British would pay the Boers £3,000,000 to help rebuild after the war.
- The property rights of Boers would be respected.
- No new land taxes would be introduced.
- People would be allowed to keep registered private guns.
What Happened Next
After the British government gave the Boer colonies self-government, the Union of South Africa was formed on 31 May 1910. The Union gained some independence after the 1926 Imperial Conference. It became truly independent under the 1931 Statute of Westminster 1931. The country left the Commonwealth of Nations and became a republic in 1961. This meant it cut all political ties with Great Britain. However, South Africa rejoined the Commonwealth in 1994, even though it was still a republic.
See also
- History of South Africa
- Military history of South Africa
- Pretoria Convention
