Voortrekker

Voortrekker, name given to Afrikaners (or Boers) who migrated north from the British Cape Colony (modern southwestern South Africa) during what became known as the Great Trek (1835-1843). The word Voortrekker means “pioneer” in the Afrikaans language. The migration of the Voortrekkers marked the birth of Afrikaner nationalism and the determination of Afrikaner, settlers of Dutch and French Huguenot descent, to shake off British control. In the course of the Great Trek, the Voortrekkers fought the Zulu and other Bantu-speaking peoples for their land. The Voortrekkers then established the Afrikaner republics of the Orange Free State and the South African Republic (in the Transvaal region). Leaders of the Voortrekkers, such as Hendrik Potgieter, Andries Pretorius, Pieter Retief, and Dirk Uys, are among the most revered names in Afrikaner history. The Voortrekker Monument in Pretoria, inaugurated in 1949, was built as a symbol of Afrikaner nationalism, and as a celebration of the Great Trek.