1770s in South Africa

	1770s in South Africa
1750s 1760s « 1770s » 1780s 1790s
Years in South Africa

Events

1771

• The Dutch East India Company institutes a policy in the Cape Colony which dictated that schools should teach exclusively in Dutch and strict laws of assembly
• Clashes between Trekboers and Xhosa begin as trekkers cross the Gamtoos River in the east
• 12 August Baron Joachim van Plettenberg, is appointed acting Governor of the Cape Colony after the death of Ryk Tulbagh

1774

• A commando mounted against the San tribes kill 503 and capture 241 San
• 18 May Joachim Ammema, Baron van Plettenberg, is appointed to the full post of Governor of the Cape

1775

• 13 of England's American colonies erupt in revolt

1776

• England's revolting colonies declare themselves the independent United States of America

1778

• The Cape Colony boundary is extended to Buffels, Zak and Fish Rivers
• Hendrik Jacob Wikar and Robert Jacob Gordon meet Khoikhoi, Geisiqua and Tswana tribes along lower and middle Gariep which Gordon names Orange River in honour of the Netherlands Stadtholder
• 6 February - France formally recognises the United States as a nation by signing a treaty of Friendship and Trade. An undeclared war with Britain soon erupted
• 27 July - French and British navies clash just off the coast of France
• 30 December - Britain captures the port of St. Lucia in the Caribbean Sea
• British forces capture Pondicherry in the Bay of Bengal from the French, later recapured
• The Dutch port of St Eustatius in the West Indies became the world's busiest port handling the majority of supplies and arms bound for the United States

1779

• Xhosas moving south clash with the settlers at the Fish River starting the first of nine Cape Frontier Wars
• 12 April - Spain joins with France and America in the war against Britain

Births

• 1 May 1772 - Sir Gilbraith Lowry Cole, Governor of the Cape Colony, is born
• 14 April 1775 - John Philip, a London Missionary Society's missionary to South Africa, is born at Kirkcaldy, Fife, Scotland

Deaths

• 1771 - Ryk Tulbagh, Governor of the Cape dies

References

See Years in South Africa for list of References