Who are the Boers?
The Boers were people who settled in the Transvaal region of South Africa in the 17th century. The term “Boer” is used to describe individuals who are descended from these original early settlers, along with people who are associated with Boer culture. The role of the Boers in African history has often been tumultuous, and sometimes a subject of controversy; the Boers, for example, are credited with the institutionalized racism which came to be known as apartheid in South Africa. The word Boer is Dutch for “farmer,” and it should come as no surprise to learn that many of the Boers were Dutch Protestants. However, the Boers also came from Germany, France, Ireland, England, Wales, Spain, Poland, Italy, and numerous other places, sharing the common cause of being conservative Protestants with an independent streak. Their region of South Africa came to be known as the Orange Free State or the Boer Republic. The Boers are often associated with a very nomadic lifestyle, perhaps because many
