#48 The Discovery of Diamonds in Southern Africa

In this episode we discuss how the discovery of diamonds changed the economic and political landscape of Southern Africa. We look at the development of the town of Kimberley. Who was Cecil John Rhodes and how did his company, De Beers Consolidated Mines, change the organisation of labour on the diamond fields? We look at the compound system and how the racial division of the industrial labour force came about. We consider how British imperialism and, more specifically, Britain's drive for confederation actually increased levels of conflict and division in Southern Africa. We look at the example of war between the Transvaal Boers and the Pedi people under the leadership of Sekhukhune. This is the first episode in a series that aims to provide a broad overview of South African history from 1870 to 1910. We've drawn on the work of the historian Robert Ross for this episode.