1. Andries Wilhelmus Jacobus Pretorius was a leader of the Boers who was instrumental in the creation of the South African Republic, as well as the earlier but short-lived Natalia Republic, in present-day South Africa.
23 Facts About Andries Pretorius
1. 2.
Andries Pretorius had five children, the eldest of whom, Marthinus Wessel Andries Pretorius, later became the first President of the South African Republic.
3.
Andries Pretorius descended from the line of the earliest Dutch settlers in the Cape Colony.
4.
Andries Pretorius belonged to the fifth generation of the progenitor, Johannes Pretorius son of Reverend Wessel Schulte of the Netherlands.
5.
In September 1839, after the up company of Gerrit Maritz left Graaff-Reinet to go northwards, those that stayed behind including Andries Pretorius began to strongly consider leaving the Cape Colony.
6.
Andries Pretorius left his home in October 1837 on a scouting expedition to visit the Trekkers.
7.
Andries Pretorius abandoned his trek towards the Modderrivier and made haste to the Klein-Tugela river in Natal when he was summoned to lead the Voortrekkers who were there leaderless; Gerrit Maritz died of illness and Andries Potgieter left Natal moving deeper inland.
8.
Andries Pretorius arrived at the desperate Trekkers' main camp on 22 November 1838.
9.
Andries Pretorius led 470 men with 64 wagons into Dingane's territory and on the dawn of 16 December 1838, next to the Ncome River, they achieved victory over an attacking army of 10,000 to 15,000 Zulu warriors.
10.
Three men were injured, including Andries Pretorius who was injured on his hand by an assegai.
11.
Mpande and Andries Pretorius defeated Dingane's army at the Battle of Maqongqo, which forced Dingane and those loyal to him into exile, after which Dingane was murdered.
12.
Immediately thereafter, Andries Pretorius announced that Boer territory in Natal had been greatly enlarged due to the terms agreed with Mpande for Boer assistance.
13.
Andries Pretorius was the leader of the Natal Boers faction which opposed British designs on territory they had already staked claims on.
14.
In 1842, Andries Pretorius besieged the small British garrison at Durban, but retreated to Pietermaritzburg on the arrival of reinforcements under Colonel Josias Cloete.
15.
Andries Pretorius went to Grahamstown to seek an audience with the governor, Sir Henry Pottinger, but he refused to see Andries Pretorius or receive any communication from him.
16.
Andries Pretorius returned to Natal determined to abandon his farm and move beyond the reach of the British authorities.
17.
Andries Pretorius departed, and, on the proclamation of British sovereignty up to the Vaal River, fixed his residence in the Magaliesberg, north of that river.
18.
Andries Pretorius was chosen by the burghers living on both banks of the Vaal as their commandant-general.
19.
In 1851, Boer malcontents in the Orange River Sovereignty and the Basotho chief Moshoeshoe I asked Andries Pretorius to come to their aid.
20.
Andries Pretorius announced his intention of crossing the Vaal to "restore order" in the Sovereignty.
21.
Andries Pretorius's goal was to obtain an acknowledgment of the independence of the Transvaal Boers from the British.
22.
Andries Pretorius died at his home at Magaliesberg in July 1853.
23.
Marthinus Wessel Andries Pretorius was the first president of the Transvaal Republic.