Pretorius, Andries

Pretorius, Andries

▪ Boer South African leader
in full  Andries Wilhelmus Jacobus Pretorius  
born Nov. 27, 1798, near Graaff-Reinet, Cape Colony [South Africa]
died July 23, 1853, Magaliesberg, Transvaal

      Boer leader in the Great Trek from British-dominated Cape Colony who became the dominant military and political figure in Natal and later in the Transvaal.

      After taking part in several frontier wars in the Cape Colony, Pretorius went on an exploratory trek in 1837; he left his farm permanently to settle in Natal the following year. When King Dingane's (Dingane) Zulus murdered trek leader Piet Retief and his party and threatened the safety of the settlers in Natal, Pretorius raised a commando force of 500 and defeated 10,000 Zulus at Blood River, killing 3,000 with hardly any loss of his own men. Dingane's brother Mpande then organized a revolt that won the support of Pretorius. Their combined forces defeated Dingane at the Battle of Magono (January 1840), putting Mpande on the Zulu throne. That same year Pretorius succeeded in getting the Boer settlements in the Transvaal to join in a federal union with Natal.

      In 1842 the British occupied Durban, in Natal, and, when Pretorius failed to dislodge them, he resigned as commandant general. After the annexation of Natal, he remained on friendly terms with the British authorities. But when the Cape governor, Sir Henry Pottinger, ignored his plea to settle Boer grievances, Pretorius decided to lead a trek once more to the remote Transvaal (1847). The territory known as the Orange River Sovereignty was annexed by the British the following year, provoking Pretorius and the Transvaal Boers to verbal and then armed protest. After taking Bloemfontein, Pretorius and his followers were defeated at Boomplaats (August 1848). Pretorius fled to the Transvaal with a price of £2,000 on his head.

      As one of the four commandants general of the Transvaal, Pretorius played a leading role in negotiations with the British (who had removed the price on his head). That conference resulted in the Sand River Convention (Jan. 17, 1852) by which the independence of the Transvaal (the South African Republic) was recognized. With the British in an anti-imperialist mood, Pretorius pressed further for their acceptance of the independence of the Boers in the Orange River Sovereignty, which was finally guaranteed by the Bloemfontein Convention (February 1854), seven months after his death.

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Universalium. 2010.

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  • Pretorius,Andries Wilhelmus Jacobus — Pre·to·ri·us (prĭ tôrʹē əs, tōrʹ ), Andries Wilhelmus Jacobus. 1798 1853. Afrikaner soldier and politician who led the defeat of the Zulus (1838) and negotiated the independence of the Transvaal (1852). His son Marthinus Wessels Pretorius (1819… …   Universalium

  • Pretorius, Andries (Wilhelmus Jacobus) — born Nov. 27, 1798, near Graaff Reinet, Cape Colony died July 23, 1853, Magaliesberg, Transvaal Boer leader in the Great Trek. Pretorius s forces defeated the Zulu at Blood River in 1838 and at Magono in 1840. In 1842 he led an unsuccessful fight …   Universalium

  • Pretorius, Andries (Wilhelmus Jacobus) — (27 nov. 1798, cerca de Graaff Reinet, Colonia de El Cabo–23 jul. 1853, Magaliesberg, Transvaal). Líder bóer del Gran Trek. Sus fuerzas derrotaron a los zulúes en Blood River en 1838 y en Magono en 1840. En 1842 dirigió una infructuosa lucha… …   Enciclopedia Universal

  • Pretorius, Andries — ► (1798 1853) Colonizador sudafricano. Fue el fundador de la República del Transvaal, hoy República de Sudáfrica. La c. de Pretoria tomó este nombre en su memoria …   Enciclopedia Universal

  • Andries Pretorius — Saltar a navegación, búsqueda Andries Pretorius Andries Wilhelmus Jacobus Pretorius (27 de noviembre de 1798 23 de julio de 1853) fue un líder de los Bóers que contribuyó decisivamente a la creación de la República de Transvaal, así co …   Wikipedia Español

  • Andries Pretorius — Andries W …   Deutsch Wikipedia

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  • Pretorius — (Andries Wilhelmus Jacobus) (1798 1853) homme politique sud africain. Victorieux des Zoulous à la bataille de Blood River (1838), il fonda la Rép. du Natal (annexée par la G. B.), puis la Rép. du Transvaal. Il donna son nom à la ville de Pretoria …   Encyclopédie Universelle

  • Andries — (as used in expressions) Pretorius Andries Wilhelmus Jacobus Treurnicht Andries Petrus Andries van Wesel * * * …   Universalium

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