AHC: Brits arm Africans during Second Boer War

I'm not sure why you say "in theory" - it was a well-respected plank of the colonial makeup, and black voters could exercise the franchise on exactly the same terms as white voters.

That's why at confederation they send a delegation to argue for full suffrage for peoples of all races in the new Union of South Africa - and, of course, fail.

1908 delegation from Cape Colony to the conference

800px-JT_Jabavu_-_A_Abdurahman_-_W_Schreiner_-_W_Rubusana_and_other_Cape_politicians_of_anti-South_Africa_Act_delegation.jpg



Picture included mainly to make the point that Cape Colony sent a thoroughly mixed delegation to a conference in which at least two of the other states with which they would be debating had left the area of South Africa in large part to ensure they would be permitted to keep slaves.


It's true that this may not indicate full racial equality, depending on how you define "full", but since the alternatives to "Black people may vote on the same terms as Whites" are:

1) All may vote
2) Black people may vote under less restrictive terms than whites
3) Black people may vote under more restrictive terms than whites
4) Black people may not vote

Only (1) is more equal in racial terms.
(2) and (3) are not equal - they are, in fact, discriminatory. That in one case it's positive discrimination does not change that.
(4) is of course not equal at all.

Your attribution is wrong for the delegation.

It's actually an unofficial delegation of "black" leaders from the Cape Colony led by WP Schreiner to protest at the proposed constitution for a united (White) South Africa. It's from a visit to London after the "Closer Union" conference in 1909.
 

Saphroneth

Banned
Your attribution is wrong for the delegation.

It's actually an unofficial delegation of "black" leaders from the Cape Colony led by WP Schreiner to protest at the proposed constitution for a united (White) South Africa. It's from a visit to London after the "Closer Union" conference in 1909.
Right - should I edit the post to reflect my (subsequent, and chastising!) understanding?
 
I do remember that book - but you could of course do a supplement, for the coal industry

I will suggest it to her. She is on the hunt for another book project, and I will tell her about the great interest about the South African coal mining industry that exists in the Antipodean expat community in London.
 
Right - should I edit the post to reflect my (subsequent, and chastising!) understanding?

An interesting ATL could be one where the Cape Colony delegation did actually look like that. It would be interesting to have something of a multi-racial democracy in the Cape against the Boer republics (although the ZAR was generally more reactionary than the OFS) and the more conservative British settlers in Natal.
 
Right - should I edit the post to reflect my (subsequent, and chastising!) understanding?

Sorry - I missed Marius' first comment on the likely source for the photo.

Your only chance for a racially inclusive Cape would be for the Cape not to join in any Union.

Which had a snowball's chance in hell of happening after Carnavon, Frere and Rhodes
 
Sorry - I missed Marius' first comment on the likely source for the photo.

Your only chance for a racially inclusive Cape would be for the Cape not to join in any Union.

Which had a snowball's chance in hell of happening after Carnavon, Frere and Rhodes

The Cape was already pretty reactionary by the end of the 19th century - Union didn't change much.
 
The Cape was already pretty reactionary by the end of the 19th century - Union didn't change much.

Only after the Imperialists took hold in the 1880's

Butterfly some of the worst excesses of Rhodes et al and the "liberals" under Schreiner, Solomon and Molteno may have a better chance.
 

Saphroneth

Banned
From memory, Cape Town sought an exemption to the separation of whites and blacks on trains? That's at least something.
 
I will suggest it to her. She is on the hunt for another book project, and I will tell her about the great interest about the South African coal mining industry that exists in the Antipodean expat community in London.

Thank you, on behalf of all of us here in London
 
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