Basutoland (British Colony)

This article is about the specific polity Basutoland (British Colony) and therefore only includes events related to its territory and not to its possessions or colonies. If you are interested in the possession, this is the link to the article about the nation which includes all possessions as well as all the different incarnations of the nation.

If you are looking for the page with the statistics about this polity you can find it here:All Statistics

Fearing expansionism of the Boer states in the area, the Kingdom of the Basotho concluded a treaty in 1843, placing the Kingdom under British protection. Basutoland gained its independence from the United Kingdom on 4 October 1966 and was renamed the Kingdom of Lesotho.

Establishment

January 1844: As Boer immigrants began to settle in Basotholand, king Moshoeshoe decided to seek support from the British at the Cape. A treaty was concluded in 1843 with Moshoeshoe, placing him under British protection.

Chronology

Interactive Chronologies with maps are available in the section Changes Navigation

1. Events

February 1848: The Orange River Sovereignty (1848-1854) was a short-lived political entity between the Orange and Vaal rivers in Southern Africa.

February 1869: A short skirmish between Boers and Sotho led to the conclusion of the treaty of Aliwal North, which defined the borders between the Orange Free State and Basutoland. The country lying to the north of the Orange River and west of the Caledon River, formerly a part of Basutoland, was ceded to the Free State, and became known as the Conquered Territory.

November 1871: Basutoland was annexed to the Cape Colony by Act No. 12 of 1871 of the Parliament of the Cape of Good Hope, confirmed by Order in Council of 3 November 1871.

March 1884: Basutoland was a British Crown colony that existed from 1884.

October 1966: Basutoland gained its independence from the United Kingdom on 4 October 1966 and was renamed the Kingdom of Lesotho.