Preview

Issue Analysis: The Impact Of The Mfecane On The Cape Colony

Good Essays
Open Document
Open Document
524 Words
Grammar
Grammar
Plagiarism
Plagiarism
Writing
Writing
Score
Score
Issue Analysis: The Impact Of The Mfecane On The Cape Colony
Issue Analysis: The impact of the Mfecane on the Cape Colony E.K. Mashingaidze's article, "The impact of the Mfecane on the Cape Colony," dealt with the impact that the movement had on the lives of those included in the movement. These individuals were the Nguni- speaking and Sotho- speaking people of Southern Africa. The article points out how this movement brought upon major changes to the way these groups lived and the outcomes in the end.

Mashingaidze discusses how black- white relations between the Xhosa and the Dutch settlers was sometimes full of turmoil. In 1652, Jan van Riebeeck's settlement at the Cape stretched northward which caused conflict with the blacks that were pushing their settlement towards the Cape. There was also conflict between the Nguni and Khoisan people because of stock- raiding by the San (Khoisan). Mashingaidze points out that another source of conflict was because even though the Fish River was considered a boundary by the Cape's government, neither the colonists nor the Africans respected the bounds. Also, both group's common interest in economic development and the arrival of Nguniland were also factored in the arising reasons for conflict.

The author briefly speaks on the hardships waged by the 1820s settlers. Financial burden, shortage of labor, volatile situation of the Eastern Frontier, and unskilled workers (the settlers) were some of the main problems stopping the settlers from advancing.

The author goes in depth on the beginning of the Mfecane movement. This was peculiar how it came down to one conflict between the Zwide's Ndwandwe and Sobuza's Ngwane that sparked the flame that was to become the Mfecane Movement. There is a lot of detail throughout the article which helps to give a good background knowledge of the events that followed.

Mashingaidze has a good way of depicting the information to where the reader can get a grasp of the main ideas. It lacks simplicity, though. The fact that there is a lot of information

You May Also Find These Documents Helpful

  • Satisfactory Essays

    • Mfecane: Wars of 19th century in southern Africa; created by Zulu expansion under Shaka; revolutionized political organization of southern Africa.…

    • 500 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Satisfactory Essays
  • Good Essays

    * There was a big drought in the 1880s and the large amount of wheat caused wheat prices to drop…

    • 498 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    threatening animals. The English settlers had to deal with problems, such as finding a place to settle, growing crops, fighting with the natives, and disease.…

    • 600 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    Documents A-H reveal some of the problems that many farmers in the late nineteenth century(1880-1900)saw as threats to their way of life.(a)explain the reasons for agrarian discontent and(b)evaluate the validity of the farmers' complaints.…

    • 664 Words
    • 5 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Satisfactory Essays

    The lack of aid was problem hard to overcome. a) Excessive food shortage b) Lack of good medical care – disease c) Drinking/eating contaminated items 3. The settlers chose a site that was not suitable a) Did not expect to face the extreme weather conditions b) Nobody knew how to utilize the land c) Surrounded by swamps 4. Settlers lacked communication and helpfulness a) Many were not farmers or skilled b) Constant conflicting…

    • 175 Words
    • 1 Page
    Satisfactory Essays
  • Good Essays

    Robert Morgan Analysis

    • 372 Words
    • 2 Pages

    Robert Morgan claims that the problems caused by westward expansion were not the fault of a few famous people but of common citizens.The claims of Robert Morgan are reasonable. To support this claim,the three text used will be, “ Thomas Jefferson’s America, 1801” --Stephen Ambrose, “Reporting to the President, September 23- December 31, 1806” (pages 418-21) -- Stephen Ambrose, and “ Chief Joseph Speaks…” --Chief Joseph.…

    • 372 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Powerful Essays

    It is important to point out that English settlers were a definite majority of those in North America during the entire eighteenth century. However, the proportion declined from about twenty to one in 1700 to only about three to one by 1775. So a good essay should point out that the significance of non-English groups was increasing. The next task is to select three groups from the list and describe the influence of each. Of the non-English settlers, the largest group consisted of Africans, most of whom were enslaved and forced to immigrate. The…

    • 11070 Words
    • 45 Pages
    Powerful Essays
  • Good Essays

    Throughout the first half of the nineteenth century, many Americans considered the lands west of the Mississippi as the "Great American Desert" and unfit for civilization. However, by the mid-1840s, migrants from the eastern United States transformed this vast desert into a fruitful land awaiting settlement and civilization known as the frontier. The development of the frontier was the result of the mass population of the many different regions of the far West. These regions were diverse in climate as well as in natural resources and, as a result, attracted different types of settlers (Doc I). The wide-ranging natural landscape of the far West offered promising lifestyles to those who chose the occupations of farmers,…

    • 867 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    In the seventeenth century, the settlers coming to the New World to settle in what would soon become Jamestown were hoping to find fortune and acres of free land. Instead of landscapes paved with gold, however, there was disease and famine. Out of all the reasons why eighty percent of the colonists perished, three should be taken into the most consideration. The first colonists to arrive had prepared poorly in supplies and mentality, along with the chosen location of settlement being nearly uninhabitable, and surrounded by an empire of Powahatans.…

    • 450 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    The American West was viewed as a land of opportunity and success for many people of different racial and financial backgrounds during the time between 1865 to 1890. However, the extent of success from the opportunity varied on multiple factors. For the homesteader, opportunity was based upon good weather conditions and hard work but mostly only large scale corporations succeeded. Mining provided little for the average miner; large mining industries profited instead.. At some point West was the land of opportunity and at the same time it was not a land of opportunity for Native American Indians and Minorities.…

    • 366 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    In 1893, Frederick Jackson Turner wrote The Significance of the Frontier in American History in a response to the 1890 US Census, which announced that a contiguous frontier line was disappearing. He argued the importance of the frontier, and how all previous American generations have taken to advancing the frontier line: expanding west and developing the lands. Turner’s theory also reflects upon two important concepts, Manifest Destiny and the agrarian myth. These concepts and the frontier theory are very interconnected, with the concepts being the causes for the movement of the frontier.…

    • 407 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Satisfactory Essays

    Biological Crossover

    • 297 Words
    • 2 Pages

    Between the years of 1609-1610 there was a particular struggle and hardship for a new group of English settlers as disease hit them as well. It didn’t help there was a lack of food, poor management, and hostile relations with the Indians. They called these years the Starving times because of food scarcity. As few as 60 settlers survived these first…

    • 297 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Satisfactory Essays
  • Good Essays

    Thesis:By the mid 1840’s migration was heading west. There was more opportunity, and known as the “frontier”. It was an empty land awaiting settlement and civilization; a place of wealth, adventure, opportunity, and untrammeled individualism…

    • 1873 Words
    • 8 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    The western frontier is full of many experiences that changed the frontier. Each significant event has an important role on the shaping of society and way it influenced a new nation. Each author brought a new perspective and thought process to the western experience which either contradicted Turner or supported his theories. The frontier ideas that interested me include topics such as trading frontier, farming frontier, nationality and government, and the neglecting of women.…

    • 1050 Words
    • 5 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    Effects Of Reconstruction

    • 300 Words
    • 2 Pages

    People also moved out West for ranching, and farming. The major challenge that the settlers faced, was the conflict with the Indians. Since no treaties were set in place, many problems arose. This affected the Indians by making them leave their homes and live on reservations. Their culture started to decay and still is…

    • 300 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Good Essays

Related Topics