Stellaland

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Template:Short description Template:Use South African English Template:Use dmy dates {{#invoke:Infobox|infoboxTemplate |templatestyles = Template:Infobox country/styles.css | bodyclass = ib-country vcard | aboveclass = adr | above =

{{#if:Republic of Stellaland
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United States of Stellaland
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United States of Stellaland
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Republic of Stellaland
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United States of Stellaland
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Location of Stellaland in Southern Africa (1882–1885)

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and largest city
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Tswana


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Website
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| belowclass = mergedtoprow noprint | below = {{#if:| Template:Navbar }} }}{{#invoke:Check for unknown parameters|check|unknown=Template:Main other|preview=Page using Template:Infobox country with unknown parameter "_VALUE_"|ignoreblank=y| admin_center_type | admin_center | alt_coat | alt_flag | alt_flag2 | alt_map | alt_map2 | alt_map3 | alt_symbol | anthem | anthems | antipodes | area_acre | area_data2 | area_data3 | area_footnote | area_ha | area_km2 | area_label | area_label2 | area_label3 | area_land_acre | area_land_footnote | area_land_ha | area_land_km2 | area_land_sq_mi | area_link | area_rank | area_sq_mi | area_water_acre | area_water_footnote | area_water_ha | area_water_km2 | area_water_sq_mi | regexp1 = border_[ps][%d]+ | calling_code | capital_exile | capital_type | capital | cctld | coa_size | coat_alt | common_languages | common_name | conventional_long_name | coordinates | currency_code | currency | date_end | regexp2 = date_event[%d]+ | date_format | date_post | date_pre | date_start | demonym | regexp3 = deputy[%d]+ | drives_on | DST_note | DST | empire | englishmotto | era | regexp4 = established_date[%d]+ | regexp5 = established_event[%d]+ | established | ethnic_groups_ref | ethnic_groups_year | ethnic_groups | event_end | event_post | event_pre | event_start | regexp6 = event[%d]+ | flag| flag_alt | flag_alt2 | flag_border | flag_caption | flag_caption | regexp7 = flag_[ps][%d]+ | flag_size | flag_type | flag_type_article | flag_width | flag2_border | regexp8 = footnote_[a-h] | regexp9 = footnote[%d]+ | footnotes | footnotes2 | FR_cadastre_area_km2 | FR_cadastre_area_rank | FR_cadastre_area_sq_mi | FR_foot | FR_foot2 | FR_foot3 | FR_foot4 | FR_foot5 | FR_IGN_area_km2 | FR_IGN_area_rank | FR_IGN_area_sq_mi | FR_metropole_population_estimate_rank | FR_metropole_population | FR_metropole | FR_total_population_estimate_rank | FR_total_population_estimate_year | FR_total_population_estimate | GDP_nominal_per_capita_rank | GDP_nominal_per_capita | GDP_nominal_rank | GDP_nominal_year | GDP_nominal | GDP_PPP_per_capita_rank | GDP_PPP_per_capita | GDP_PPP_rank | GDP_PPP_year | GDP_PPP | Gini_change | Gini_rank | Gini_ref | Gini_year | Gini | government_type | HDI_change | HDI_rank | HDI_ref | HDI_year | HDI | house1 | house2 | image_coat | image_flag | image_flag2 | image_map_alt | image_map_caption | image_map_size | image_map | image_map2_alt | image_map2_caption | image_map2_size | image_map2 | image_map3 | regexp10 = image_[ps][%d]+ | image_symbol | iso3166code | languages_sub | languages_type | languages | languages2_sub | languages2_type | languages2 | largest_city | largest_settlement_type | largest_settlement | regexp11 = leader_name[%d]+ | regexp12 = leader_title[%d]+ | regexp13 = leader[%d]+ | legislature | life_span | linking_name | location_map | loctext | lower_house | map_caption | map_caption2 | map_caption3 | map_width | map2_width | map3_width | membership_type | membership | micronation | module | motto | name | national_anthem | national_languages | national_motto | native_name | navbar | nummembers | official_languages | official_website | org_type | other_symbol_type | other_symbol | regexp14 = [ps][%d]+ | patron_saint | patron_saints | percent_water | politics_link | pop_den_footnote | population_census_rank | population_census_year | population_census | population_data2 | population_data3 | population_density_km2 | population_density_rank | population_density_sq_mi | population_estimate_rank | population_estimate_year | population_estimate | population_label2 | population_label3 | population_link | recognised_languages | recognised_national_languages | recognised_regional_languages | recognized_languages | recognized_national_languages | regexp15 = ref_area[%d]+ | regexp16 = ref_pop[%d]+ | regional_languages | recognized_regional_languages | religion_ref | religion_year | religion | regexp17 = representative[%d]+ | royal_anthem | flag_anthem | march | national_march | regional_anthem | territorial_anthem | state_anthem | sovereignty_note | sovereignty_type | regexp18 = stat_area[%d]+ | regexp19 = stat_pop[%d]+ | regexp20 = stat_year[%d]+ | status_text | status | symbol| symbol_type_article | symbol_type | symbol_width | text_symbol_type | text_symbol | time_zone_DST | time_zone | title_deputy | title_leader | title_representative | today | type_house1 | type_house2 | upper_house | utc_offset_DST | utc_offset | regexp21 = year_deputy[%d]+ | year_end | year_exile_end | year_exile_start | regexp22 = year_leader[%d]+ | regexp23 = year_representative[%d]+ | year_start}}Template:Main other{{#if:|{{#ifeq:Boer Republic
ZAR protectorate (1884)|Colony|Template:Main other|{{#ifeq:Boer Republic
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The Republic of Stellaland (Template:Langx) was, from 1882 to 1883, a Boer republic located in an area of British Bechuanaland (now in South Africa's North West Province), west of the Transvaal. After unification with the neighbouring State of Goshen, it became the United States of Stellaland (Template:Langx) from 1883 to 1885.

During its short history, the small state became a focal point for conflict between the United Kingdom and the South African Republic, the two major players vying for control of the territory. After a series of claims and annexations, British fears of Boer expansionism led to its demise and, among other factors, set the stage for the Second Boer War.

Background

Before the proclamation of the republic, the area was under the control of competing Korana and Tswana groups, while the United Kingdom laid claim to it as a part of the emerging protectorate of British Bechuanaland. Two of the indigenous groups were under the leadership of chiefs Mankoroane and Montšioa, whom the British regarded as "friendly,"<ref>Template:Citation</ref> and two others under the leadership of chiefs Moshette (a Motswana) and Massouw (a Korana). When a feud erupted between Mankoroane and another chief, each side resorted to recruiting volunteers, promising them land in return for their assistance. After a settlement was negotiated with mediation from the Transvaal Republic,<ref name=mccall>Template:Citation</ref> large portions of Mankoroane's land with 416 farms of 3,000 morgen (2,563 ha) each were given to Boer mercenaries who had fought on his adversary's side, and the new inhabitants decided to declare independence.<ref name=fireside>Template:Citation</ref>

Unification

File:Map Stellaland.jpg
Stellaland with its capital Vryburg on a contemporary map prior to unification with Goshen to the northeast

The Republic of Stellaland was created on 26 July 1882, under the leadership of its elected president Gerrit Jacobus van Niekerk, a farmer from Transvaal,<ref name=mccall /> and was given the name Stellaland (Star Land) in reference to a comet that was visible in the skies at the time.<ref name=mccall /><ref name=fireside /> The town of Vryburg was founded and declared its capital. At its founding, the new country covered an area of Template:Cvt and was home to an estimated population of 20,500 individuals, 3,000 of whom were of European ancestry.<ref name=tijd>Template:Citation</ref>

The State of Goshen, named after the biblical Land of Goshen, was founded by Nicolaas Claudius Gey van Pittius in October 1882 in the neighbouring area called Rooigrond<ref name=fireside /> with the approval of chief Moshette.<ref name=mccall2>Template:Citation</ref> Goshen had an estimated population of 17,000, of whom approximately 2,000 were of European origin, and covered an area of Template:Cvt.<ref name=tijd />

In 1883, Stellaland merged with Goshen to form the United States of Stellaland.<ref>Template:Citation</ref>

Status

Whether or not the independence of any of these states was ever recognised by another country is not clear. In Stellaland's favour, one can point out that the Montevideo convention which formalised the definition of sovereignty in the modern sense would not be signed until 1933, and that the local chiefs approved its existence.<ref name=mccall2 /> On the other hand, several British sources refer to Van Niekerk and his followers as "freebooters"<ref>Template:CitationTemplate:Page needed</ref>Template:Page needed<ref name=sillery>Template:Citation</ref> and "marauders".<ref name=cook>Template:Citation</ref> A telegram erroneously sent by Sir Charles Warren, military commander for British Bechuanaland, to Van Niekerk endorsed Cecil Rhodes' settlement in Stellaland.Template:Clarify Only later did Warren realise that his wording could be interpreted as an implicit acknowledgement of Stellaland's legality,<ref name=sillery /> and he denied that the message had such implications. In February 1884, Great Britain unilaterally declared the area a British protectorate.<ref>Template:Citation</ref>

Stellaland's laws and constitution were practically identical to those of the South African Republic.<ref>Template:Citation</ref> It never issued an independent currency, but instead—like all the surrounding states—used the South African pound; it did, however, print its own postage stamps beginning in February 1884<ref>Template:Citation</ref> which are still traded among collectors to the present day.Template:Cn

Annexation

Because Van Niekerk's government had announced its intention to levy taxes on all trade going through its territory, Cecil Rhodes, founder of the De Beers diamond company, and the British administration feared a setback for their endeavours in the mining business,<ref name=paulin>Template:Citation</ref> because Stellaland lay on one of the main trade routes. It was also presumed that the small country could eventually be incorporated into the neighbouring South African Republic in an effort to circumvent the Pretoria Convention of 1881 which called for an end to Boer expansionism.<ref name=cook />

Rhodes even asserted that the area was of such a crucial nature to the Crown that if the territory held by Stellaland remained under Boer control, British presence "should fall from the position of a paramount state in South Africa to that of a minor state."<ref>Template:Citation</ref> These fears were fuelled when, on 10 September 1884, President Paul Kruger of Transvaal declared the area to be under the protection of the South African Republic<ref name=cook /> and annexed it six days later.<ref>Template:Citation</ref> In December 1884 the British sent in a force under Sir Charles Warren, who invaded the country and abolished the republic in August of the following year before it was incorporated into British Bechuanaland.<ref name=cook />

See also

Template:SouthAfrica state

References

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Template:South African Governments Template:SouthAfricaBoerRep Template:Political history of South Africa Template:Authority control Template:Coord

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