The Struggle for the Eastern Cape 1800-1854

The struggle for the Eastern Cape 1800-1854: Subjugation and the roots of South African democracy reconstructs our understanding of a period that has been given little attention in the historical narratives of South African democracy. It is a narrative of the land struggles of the Xhosa and other indigenous populations against subjugation by the British ruled Cape Colony in the first half of the 19th century. The book also examines an important turning point in South African history: the introduction of a non-racial franchise in 1854 which represented the roots of democracy in this country. By the end of the 19th century this franchise had nurtured generations of African voters, amongst them the founders of the 20th century African nationalists who fought for democracy against white minority rule.