Hi there, I'm Mr. Roberts and thanks for joining me for today's History lesson where my job will be to guide you through our History resources.

I'll be making sure that by the end of today's lesson, you'll be able to securely meet our lesson objective.

By the end of today's lesson, you'll be able to recall that the British government, along with individuals like Cecil Rhodes took control of Southern Africa after the Boer Wars.

There are five key terms which we need to make sure we're comfortable with before embarking on our learning journey.

The Cape Colony was the name given to the British colony in Southern Africa, a Boer was a member of the Dutch population, which settled in Southern Africa in the late 17th century.

A scorched earth policy is the strategy of destroying crops and other resources to prevent them falling into enemy hands.

Concentration camps are camps for detaining prisoners, usually political prisoners, and Social Darwinism is the theory that the concept of natural selection applies to human societies and race.

Our lesson on Cecil Rhodes and the Boer War is separated into three learning phases, and the first one is dedicated to who Cecil Rhodes was and what his interests in Africa were.

Cecil Rhodes, the son of a clergyman, was born in England, but due to illness, his family sent into South Africa in 1870 for the warmer climate.

Rhodes joined his older brother, Herbert, who was already taking part in the fast growing diamond mining industry in Kimberley, Cape Colony.

Rhodes thrived in the competitive environment of business and he quickly accumulated substantial wealth.

By 1881, at the age of 28, Rhodes was elected to the Cape Colony Parliament, and by 1890 Rhodes had secured the position of Prime Minister.

His time as Prime Minister was marked by his aggressive pursuit of British imperial interests.

In 1888, Rhodes established the De Beers Consolidated Mines Company, which soon came to dominate the global diamond market.

De Beers controlled 90% of the world's diamond production, securing Rhodes's reputation as one of the most influential businessmen of his era.

He used his significant financial resources and political influence to expand British territorial control in Southern Africa, cementing his power and furthering his imperialist ambitions.

Let's make sure we've secured some key information now.

What was Cecil Rhodes' primary achievement in the diamond industry? A, establishing the Rhodes Diamond Empire, B, founding the Kimberley Diamond Corporation, or C, establishing the De Beers Consolidated Mines Company.

Pause the video while you decide on the answer and then press play when you are ready to resume.

Welcome back and well done if you said C.

Establishing the De Beers Consolidated Mines Company was Cecil Rhodes primary achievement in the diamond mining industry.

I'd now like you to match the key features of this period with their definition on the screen.

Pause the video while you work out the correct answers, and then press play to check your answers against mine.

Welcome back.

And well done if you correctly identified the Cape Colony as the British colony in Southern Africa run by Cecil Rhodes, Cecil Rhodes as the British man who became a wealthy businessman and politician, and De Beers as the diamond mining company set up by Cecil Rhodes.

Next, I'd like you to complete the following task.

Using your learning so far, describe Cecil Rhodes' life from being born in Britain to becoming Prime Minister of Cape Colony.

Write one paragraph for your answer.

Pause the video while you answer this question and then press play when you're ready for some feedback in the form of a model answer.

Welcome back.

I asked you to describe Cecil Rhodes' life from being born in Britain to becoming prime minister of Cape Colony.

Everyone will have written something slightly different in answer to this question, but well don if you were able to include any of the following in your answer.

Cecil Rhodes, born in England, relocated to South Africa in 1870 due to health issues.

There, he joined Kimberley's flourishing diamond mining industry.

Rhodes swiftly accumulated wealth, and by the age of 28, he entered politics and secured a seat in the Cape Colony Parliament.

Rhodes' political success culminated in his appointment as Prime minister in 1890.

Throughout his time, he pursued British imperial ambitions, and in 1888, he established the De Beers Consolidated Mines Company, solidifying his status and expanding British control in South Africa.

Well done for your hard work there.

And now it's time to move on to the second learning phase of our lesson today where we'll be examining the details of the Boer War.

In the 1800s, the British Empire and the Boers, descendants of Dutch settlers, clashed over control of Southern Africa.

Initially, the British annexed Cape Colony in 1806 prompting the Boers to migrate.

They migrated northward, establishing the Transvaal and the Orange Free State.

However, tensions escalated with the discovery of diamonds and gold in Boer territory, attracting British interest and settlers.

Cecil Rhodes saw the economic potential of these resources and led efforts to exploit them.

He established numerous mines in Boer territory, prompting fears among the Boers that their land and way of life were under threat.

From 1860 to 1890, Britain undertook invasions of the Boer states in southern Africa.

Boer leader, Paul Kruger, staunchly resisted granting political rights to British settlers, exacerbating tensions.

Conflict broke out, and the Boers, armed with modern rifles and adept at guerilla tactics, initially caught the British off guard with their strength and knowledge of the terrain.

Now, let's make sure we've secured some key information there.

What was the main reason for the conflict between the British Empire and the Boers in southern Africa? A, disputes over trade routes, B, control of diamonds and gold resources or C, religious differences.

Pause the video while you decide on the correct answer and then press play when you're ready for the answer to be revealed.

Hello again and well done if you identified the correct answer as B, control of diamond and gold resources.

In response, British troops enacted a scorched earth policy, systematically destroying Boer farms, crops, and livestock to starve the Boers.

In addition, Britain established concentration camps to detain more civilians, including women and children under terrible conditions where disease and death were common.

And before we move on again, let's do another learning check.

Complete the sentence on the screen using two key words from this lesson.

As ever, pause this video while you do this and then press play when you're ready for the answer to be revealed.

Welcome back and well done if your sentence looks like this.

British troops enacted a scorched earth policy destroying Boer farms, crops, and livestock.

Britain established concentration camps to detain Boer civilians, including women and children under terrible conditions.

The British justification for these harsh measures was influenced by Social Darwinism, a belief in the inherent superiority of the British race and their natural right to dominate so-called weaker races.

Rhodes and other British imperialists subscribed to this ideology using it to rationalise their aggressive expansionist policies and severe measures taken during the Boer Wars.

By 1902, after years of relentless fighting and heavy casualties on both sides, a peace settlement was reached with the signing of the Treaty of Vereeniging.

This treaty marks the formal end of the conflict with the Boers conceding defeat and their territories being incorporated into the British Empire.

However, concessions were granted to the Boers, including promises of eventual self-governance and protections for their language and property rights.

So next, I would like you to explain how each of the following relate to the Boer War, scorched earth policy, concentration camps, Social Darwinism, and Treaty of Vereeniging.

Pause the video while you complete the details of each one and then press play to continue with this lesson.

Welcome back and well done if you said that the scorched earth policy refers to British troops systematically destroying bull farms, crops, and livestock to starve the Boers.

Well done if you remembered, the concentration camps in this context were used to detain bore civilians under terrible conditions leading to disease and death.

Well done if you knew that Social Darwinism was the British justification for harsh measures influenced by the belief in the superiority of the so-called British race.

And finally, well done if you could recall that the Treaty of Vereeniging is relevant to the Boer War because after years of fighting, the Treaty of Vereeniging was signed in 1902, marking the formal end of the conflict.

With that complete, we can now move on to the final phase of our learning today, where we'll be looking at both South Africa and Britain after the Boer War.

In 1910, Cape Colony, Natal and various Boer states merged to form the Union of South Africa.

The unification of these different regions under British control demonstrated through the growing reach and influence of the British Empire in Africa.

While the creation of South Africa brought opportunities for economic development and infrastructure expansion, it also posed significant challenges such as reconciling the diverse cultural identities and historical grievances of the various ethnic groups inhabiting the newly formed nation.

The legacy of colonialism, along with the deep seated tensions between settlers of British and Boer descent, presented formidable obstacles to the new country.

While the creation of South Africa brought opportunities for economic development and infrastructure expansion, it also posed significant challenges such as reconciling the diverse cultural identities and historical grievances of the various ethnic groups inhabiting the newly formed nation.

The legacy of colonialism, along with deep seated tensions between settlers of British and Boer descent, presented formidable obstacles to the new country.

And before we move on again, let's just check the following.

True or false? In 1910, Cape Colony, Natal and different Boer states united to create the union of South Africa.

Pause the video while you decide on the correct answer and then press play when you're ready for the answer to be revealed, welcome back and well done if you identified the correct answer as true.

Now, let's justify that answer.

Which of the following provides the correct justification for that? A, this demonstrated the expanding control of the British Empire in Africa, or B, this demonstrated the receding control of the British Empire in Africa.

Pause the video while you come to a decision on the correct justification and then press play to continue with the lesson.

Welcome back and well done if you said the answer was A, this demonstrated the expanding control of the British Empire in Africa.

In Britain, the poor health of returning soldiers from the Boer War prompted social reforms, inspiring the government to initiate social reforms that aimed at improving the wellbeing of its citizens.

These reforms included healthcare, education, housing, and labour rights.

Key initiatives included the establishment of a national health insurance system and the instruction of social welfare programmes to help the vulnerable.

This was very different to previous economic policies and signalled the shift towards a more active and welfare focused government.

These social reforms not only improved the living standards of British citizens, but also set a precedent for subsequent generations of governments around the world.

Before we move on again, let's check the following.

True or false? The poor health of returning soldiers from the Boer War prompted social reforms in Britain.

Pause the video while you work out the correct answer and press play to resume the lesson.

Welcome back.

And well done if you said the answer was true.

Now we need to justify that answer.

A, the Boer War led to the British government offering social reforms that were reversed shortly afterwards.

Or B, the Boer War led to the initiation of social reforms, which set a precedent for generations of global governance.

As ever, pause the video while you work out the correct justification and then press play to continue.

Welcome back and well done if you said the correct answer was B.

Finally, I'd like you to complete this task.

Using your learning today, explain the following, how Cecil Rhodes instigated the Boer War.

How the Boer War war led to social reforms in Britain.

As ever, pause the video while you complete this task and then press play when you're ready for some feedback in the form of two model answers.

Welcome back.

I asked you to explain how Cecil Rhodes instigated the Boer War.

Your answer could have included the following.

Cecil Rhodes fueled the Boer War by exploiting the economic potential of diamonds and gold in Boer territory.

Establishing mines there heightened Boer fears of British encroachment.

Tensions escalated as Boer leader, Paul Kruger, resisted granting political rights to British settlers.

Conflict erupted when the Boers, armed and adept to guerrilla tactics, clashed with the British, caught off guard by their strength and familiarity with the terrain.

I then asked you to explain how the Boer War led to social reforms in Britain.

Well done if your answer included any of the following.

The Boer War prompted social reforms in Britain as the poor health of returning soldiers spurred the government to improve citizen wellbeing.

Initiatives such as national health insurance, free education and social welfare programmes marked a departure from previous policies, signalling a shift towards a more active and welfare focused government.

These reforms not only raise living standards, but also set a global precedent for future governments prioritising social welfare.

Really well done today.

With that task finished, we've arrived at the end of our lesson.

The following is a summary of our key learning points, and it'd be great if you could remember these going forward.

Cecil Rhodes amassed wealth from South Africa's gold, and diamond mines, attaining political influence in the region.

From 1860 to 1890, Britain undertook invasions of the Boer states in southern Africa following the discovery of gold and diamonds.

Following Britain's use of scorched earth tactics and establishment of concentration camps, a peace accord was brokered in 1902.

The amalgamation of Cape Colony, Natal and Boer states in 1910 culminated in the formation of South Africa, thus expanding British domination across Africa.

And in response to the ill health endured by returning soldiers, the British government enacted social reforms with Britain.

Really well done today.

It's been an absolute pleasure to guide you through our learning resources.

And I very much look forward to seeing you again in the future where we'll be looking at what sources can tell us about the expansion of the British Empire.