Cecil Rhodes and the Boer War
Lesson details
Learning outcome
I can recall that the British government along with individuals like Cecil Rhodes took control of southern Africa after the Boer Wars.
Key learning points
- Cecil Rhodes made a fortune from gold and diamond mines in South Africa and gained political power there.
- Between 1860-1890 Britain invaded the Boer states in southern Africa due to the discovery of gold and diamonds.
- A peace settlement was reached in 1902 after Britain's use of a scorched earth policy and concentration camps.
- In 1910 the Cape Colony, Natal and Boer states merged to form South Africa, extending British control over Africa.
- The British government introduced social reforms in Britain due to the poor health of the troops that fought.
Keywords
Cape Colony - British colony in southern Africa
Boer - a member of the Dutch population which settled in southern Africa in the late 17th century
Scorched earth - the strategy of destroying crops and other resources to prevent their falling into enemy hands
Concentration camps - a camp for detaining prisoners, usually political prisoners
Social Darwinism - the theory that the concept of natural selection applies to human societies and race
Common misconception
Cecil Rhodes was Prime Minister of South Africa.
Cecil Rhodes was Prime Minister of the Cape Colony - the British colony in the region of southern Africa.
Teacher tip
Ensure students are aware of the central role played by Cecil Rhodes in creating conditions ripe for conflict.
Content guidance
Depiction or discussion of discriminatory behaviour
Depiction or discussion of discriminatory behaviour
Depiction or discussion of sensitive content
Depiction or discussion of violence or suffering
Depiction or discussion of violence or suffering
Supervision
Adult supervision recommended
Licence
Lesson video
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Prior knowledge starter quiz
6 Questions
Q1.Which word describes to divide into parts?
Q2.In which year did Britain buy shares in the Suez Canal?
Q3.Which of the following were vast African resources that explorers and missionaries told stories of in the 19th century?
Q4.Who led the Berlin Conference?
Q5.What name is often given to the European powers' division of Africa at the Berlin Conference?
Q6.Complete the sentence with the missing word: The impacts of colonial rule in Africa include the disruption of African traditions and the exploitation of Africa's natural resources.
Assessment exit quiz
6 Questions
Q1.Which word describes the strategy of destroying crops and other resources to prevent their falling into enemy hands?
Q2.Which word describes the theory that the concept of natural selection applies to human societies and race?
Q3.Who made a fortune from gold and diamond mines in South Africa and gained political power there?
Q4.What was the Treaty of Vereeniging?
Q5.In which year did the Cape Colony, Natal and Boer states merge to form South Africa, extending British control over Africa?
Q6.How did the Boer Wars impact Britain?
To help you plan your 10 history lesson on: Cecil Rhodes and the Boer War, download all teaching resources for free and adapt to suit your pupils' needs...
To help you plan your 10 history lesson on: Cecil Rhodes and the Boer War, download all teaching resources for free and adapt to suit your pupils' needs.
The starter quiz will activate and check your pupils' prior knowledge, with versions available both with and without answers in PDF format.
We use learning cycles to break down learning into key concepts or ideas linked to the learning outcome. Each learning cycle features explanations with checks for understanding and practice tasks with feedback. All of this is found in our slide decks, ready for you to download and edit. The practice tasks are also available as printable worksheets and some lessons have additional materials with extra material you might need for teaching the lesson.
The assessment exit quiz will test your pupils' understanding of the key learning points.
Our video is a tool for planning, showing how other teachers might teach the lesson, offering helpful tips, modelled explanations and inspiration for your own delivery in the classroom. Plus, you can set it as homework or revision for pupils and keep their learning on track by sharing an online pupil version of this lesson.
Explore more key stage 4 history lessons from the Britain: Migration, empires and the people - c790 to the present day unit, dive into the full secondary history curriculum, or learn more about lesson planning.