➢ The expansion of the cape colony started with the Dutch occupation at the cape. ➢ Their settlement at the cape was accidental in 1647 ➢ It took place because of Harlem wreckage that gave the 1st landing site at the cape. ➢ In 1652, the Dutch merchants sent Jan van Reinbeck to set up settlement at the cape. ➢ Three ships of the Dutch merchants sent with 120 people. ➢ They settled along river lies beck. ➢ The settlement proved to be expensive on the side of the Dutch merchants. ➢ In 1657, they agreed to colonize the cape and nine soldiers were the ones to start it. ➢ The soldiers were given land at lies beck valley and each soldier was to have 13 and a half acres ➢ By then the colony was still small with little people. ➢ In 1665, commissioner verberg started expanding the colony and he set up new settlement beyond the cape. ➢ The population now increased up to 150 families ➢ By 1700, the colony was 55 miles in radius ➢ By 1750, the colony expanded to 255 miles in radius Summarized notes of the History of South Africa, July 2019 Page | 21 ➢ The colony reached 500 miles radius in 1775 ➢ It reached fish river by 1780 ➢ The colony expanding northwestwards and eastwards. ➢ During the expansion of the colony the Dutch were establishing the local commando defense unit to protect them against Africans. ➢ In 1785, the colony had four major stations, i.e. Cape Town, Stellenbosch, swellendam and graafreinet each forming a district. ➢ Cape Town had been established in 1652. ➢ In between 1680 – 1700, they established Stellenbosch ➢ In 1746, they established swellendam. ➢ Graafreinet was established between 1778 – 1786. ➢ The expansion of the cape colony was in phases and through force under the initiative of the Dutch farmers but not the company.
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