Uit De Blauwe: A European South Africa

[Clearthor]

"Maurits Pasques de Chavonnes (1654–8 September 1724) was governor of the Cape of Good Hope from 1714 till 1721."


Part 1: Free Families From The Fatherland

Three centuries ago, on 24 June 1716, a very important letter arrived from Amsterdam in Cape Town; a letter that would change the future of what would become South Africa. Written by the Board of the Dutch East India Company, the letter requested the Council of Policy in Cape Town to reflect on the economic needs of the still small and fragile colonial settlement. In particular, the Board wanted to know whether the Council of Policy would recommend more European immigration to the Cape or whether an increase in slave arrivals would be preferred.

Seven members of the Council responded. Six members recommended that slavery was the better choice. The reason was simple: slaves could supply cheaper labour than European wage labourers. And because all agricultural output had to be sold to the Company stores in Cape Town, cheap labour meant that the Company could pay farmers less for their produce, allowing the Company to make a very decent return when reselling the produce to passing ships.

One member of the Council of Policy, however, disagreed. Dominique Marius Pasques de Chavonnes, not to be confused with the then governor of the Cape Colony, Maurits Pasques de Chavonnes.
“We should encourage more European immigration.” He half-shouted beneath the agreeing voices of the other six. The forty-one year old seemed to have a slightly annoyed expression spread across his face as the others slowly noticed his singular disapproval.

“The company’s interests come before charity Dominique.” One of them shot back. “We cannot burden ourselves with paying more for produce, managing the burghers and making this port even more of a liability. A man in your position should realise that. Slaves are the logical choice.”

“Oh, I very well do realise that slaves are cost effective as they provide gratis hands to toil in the fields, however, the short-term benefit of the few shall surely be outweighed by the returns of a long-term investment for the many.” Dominique stood up from the wooden table and almost seemed like he wanted to leave the room. Before continuing:

“Free men have an incentive to invent while slaves do not”, he said, pre-empting what Adam Smith would write in his Wealth of Nations half a century later.

One of the men let out an obnoxiously loud sigh to this reasoning and leaned back in his wooden chair. Dominique turned his gaze onto him and with a rather reluctant expression the member felt obliged to voice what was making him uncomfortable. “That may be true Dominique but we don’t need our workers to take any sort of “initiative”, we want them to produce what is expected of them. We already have a serious problem with the free burghers going beyond the borders of the port and avoiding taxes, more free-men will only worsen the situation and raise costs.”

Dominique sank back into his chair and remained silent for a few moments. “Via a foolish counting of heads this council will over-rule reason in favour of frugality. But what is to be expected of the Dutch?” he thought to himself.

He gave each member a panning stare as they sat back in unison against his proposal. The rectangular wooden table felt like a triangle with Dominique at the point and the rest of the council of policy on the adjacent side. Dominique was about to concede and even unknowingly stood up and walked over to the door leading to the fort courtyard.
But he couldn’t get himself to leave the room right away. He turned from the door and faced the council again.

“Go for a walk outside. This “port” is roughly the same size as the Fatherland, yet it is almost empty. Many of the Hottentots have left their heathen ways and have been baptised in the name of Christ. There is much more to be gained from increasing our land assets and importing skilled labour rather than more heathen hands.”

Another interrupted. “Ha!, so instead of slaves you want land is it? I won’t be stopping you from buying yourself a nice cottage back in Holland. You can indulge in your aristocratic fantasies then, but here we’re focused on finance, not artistic delusions. It’s either that or you seem to want to run a charity. In which case, the Church could be your calling!” The council let out chuckles as Dominique left the room.


A few hours later Dominique and another man returned to find the council sipping wine.
“Look, it’s the Governor gentlemen.” One member of the council blurted out at which point everyone realised that Dominique had brought the ageing Governor, a general from the recent war with France, to the council room. Maurits Pasques de Chavonnes.

Everyone greeted him but some were still wondering why he was bothering the council.

“I see the council has now decided on the policy for drinking up the wine!” The old military leader joked to the six seated men. Dominique did not laugh as he stood beside him.

“But in all seriousness, I heard from Dominique that you are having trouble deciding about immigration and labour management.” The general had a twinkle in his eye and a sly aura surrounding his demeanour. The council, save for Dominique, seemed visibly confused.

“We can assure you there is zero trouble. One Councilman said. “We have unanimously decided to import more slaves. “We will prepare a letter to be sent back to Amsterdam in the coming days.”

Maurits had a slight smirk that disappeared when these words were uttered. The old general looked over to Dominique for a few moments. Dominique did not utter a word.
The Governor continued. “I said you’re having trouble because I thought you’d be making the wrong decision, and it seems to be true.” The old general grabbed a glass from the table.

A councilman shot back. “Governor, I must voice my disapproval at you meddling in the council’s affairs after being mislead by a dissenting member. Please understand that anything Dominique has told you about importing more expensive and disobedient burghers will result in a decline in order and economic well-being of this station, which is your duty to uphold.” The councilman had a sharp tone in his voice and was obviously annoyed at the disruption.

The General was not moved. “He told me nothing of the sort, all he explained to me was what you were discussing, that you weren’t all in agreement, and that it would be good to hear my input, my advice.” The general poured himself a glass and took a sip. “I understand your frugality worries but honestly, an army based on discipline and skill rather than sheer cheap manpower is ideal.”

“This is a company, not a regiment.” Someone replied.

“I knew you’d say that, but I plead with you to hear me out. Beyond the Breede river lies more fertile land, very much in fact according to reports from a few months ago. However, slaves cannot build, they can only do what is instructed of them, they are an unruly and irregular regiment, almost useless on the battlefield. Forgive my use of metaphors, but you all get my meaning.”

He waited for an approving silence to allow him to continue.

“The slaves will give us more cheap labour, yes, but we will still produce relatively the same amount of food and wine, even though it may be “cheaper”. The prosperity of the station does not increase, not much more food is produced than before, only more cheaply as we only have so many farms that we can manage at the moment.”

At this remark, Dominique could be seen smiling at how attentively the council was listening.
The general continued. “It’s like having a cannon, no matter how many cannonballs you have, a cannon can only shoot so many balls in a given time span. I would rather be issued more cannons than simply more cannonballs."

“Please stop with the metaphors.” One member moaned.

“Okay, I’ll get to the point.” The general said. “We can expand the amount of farms and increase our food output. The increase in overall output would lower the price of agricultural produce, rather than just needlessly importing cheaper labour with output not really increasing. All you get is the same amount of goods at a cheaper price, while if we were to expand our borders with settlers from the fatherland, output would increase in unison with a decrease in price due to the larger abundance of produce.”

The general’s glass was now empty as he finished explaining. He gestured for a councilman to pour more wine for him. As he poured, the others seemed to have nothing to add except one. Surprisingly, Dominique.

“But with short-run costs in mind, Governor, where would we find more workers at an financially effective rate?” He asked.

The general seemed to light up, almost knocking over his wine. “Easy! What haunts my conscious is the knowledge of those families left without a husband or father since the end of the war. When I lead my men into battle, I lead them with the idea that this was for their families, their King, and that this was a cause worth obediently offering your life for. Their families are without a doubt going through hard times now, absent a working male.”

“Then it is settled” Dominique replied. And the council reluctantly agreed with the Governor’s reasoning. One member of the council leaned over to another and whispered in a cheeky tone. "These Frenchmen will surely lead us to bankruptcy."

Months later a letter found itself at the Board of the VOC, and it was this letter, detailing the need for European immigration, mostly from unemployed soldiers or widowed families for the need of expanding the Cape’s farming output, that would influence Southern Africa’s future for the coming centuries.

"De Tafelbaai by Aernout Smit, 1683"


Do tell me what you think and if I should continue, feel free to advise where you think the story should go. I want to be very engaged with the readers.

 

[Unknown]

This sounds interesting...

Waiting for more...

 

[Stuyvesant]

Love me some alt South Africa.

 

[Sevarics]

I love me a good expanded Dutch South Africa TL

 

[Unknown]

Will this be like Male Rising in terms of format?

 

[General Ripper]

Interesting start.

 

[Sceonn]

If the Dutch, with increasing colonization retain South Africa, it'll turn into the heart of their nation simply because there'll be more Dutchmen in South Africa then in Europe.

 

[Sevarics]

If the Dutch, with increasing colonization retain South Africa, it'll turn into the heart of their nation simply because there'll be more Dutchmen in South Africa then in Europe.

How many Dutchmen would conceivably migrate if/when gold and diamonds are discovered?

 

[Unknown]

Just did a translation of uit de blauwe; it means "out of the blue".

That's interesting...

 

[Clearthor]

"St. George's Cathedral, Cape Town"

Part 2: Expansion, Growth and Prosperity

Maurits Pasques de Chavonnes not only had a hand in convincing the council to expand the burgher population and borders of the Cape Colony, he also for the first time in the Cape's history allowed soldiers to wear uniforms and drafted instructions for the use of weapons and ammunition. De Chavonnes also instituted grazing licenses for the Cape stock farmers: in July 1714 he decided that "every person that has the requirement for grazing on any land shall request permission, and for recognition shall pay a semi-annual fee of six or an annual fee of twelve Dutch rijksdaalder to the Company". Furthermore, the farmers had to pay tithes of all their harvests to the Dutch East India Company. He contributed to the development of the Cape and was promoted to Justice of India in 1721.

His military innovations included the organisation of so-called Free Black and Asian citizens in Table Valley into a military unit called Companie Vryswarten (Company Free Blacks) in 1722 under the command of their own officers. This company, together with others, took turns in the night watch of the company's barracks.

He died on 8 September 1724 in the Cape, aged 70, after a day's illness and was buried with military honours on 14 September.


Prior to the immigration reforms instigated in the early 18th century, the Cape had a net European immigration rate of a little more than 10 persons a year, consisting mostly of employees of the VOC. The colonists were differentiated into three primary groups. That being the townsmen of the De Kaap, the grain and wine farmers of the Berg river valley beyond the natural barrier of the sandy Cape Flats and finally the cattle farmers, or trekboers, notorious tax evaders constantly pushing the frontier and starting trouble with the ever diminishing Hottentots and Bushmen. The townsmen consisted of company officials, free burghers and slaves. There were shopkeepers, butchers, fishmongers, carpenters, builders, brick-makers and market gardeners. Free settlers numbered about 2 300 along with more than 1 000 company officials in the year 1720. Meanwhile slaves numbered just under 1 800.

The Hottentots, who were pastoral farmers and bushmen, who were hunter-gatherers, numbered between 13 000 to 15 000 in 1720, but subsequent outbreaks of smallpox as a direct result of the European settlement devastated their populations in the coming years and their tribal structures fell apart. Many converted to Christianity to become official burghers under the VOC and work the farms of the European settlers as labourers, supplementing the slave population that consisted primarily of peoples from the Dutch East Indies, Madagascar and Angola.

The sudden increase in European immigration caused a shift in the demographic make-up of the colony. With immigrants arriving from the Netherlands, Belgium, Germany, France and even parts of Scandinavia. Within the core borders of the Cape Colony, slaves and natives eventually inter-bred with the arriving Europeans, and by the end of the 18th century, had become almost indistinguishable with the rest of the population, save for perhaps slightly darker complexions.
The rapid expansion of the Cape Colony’s population, growing from a little more than 5000 in 1720 to over 30 000 by 1754, pushed the borders beyond the Breede river. This growth was helped in turn by immigration and high birth rates.

Contact with the Xhosa was made as early as 1739 by European cattle farmers, or trekboers. These farmers moved eastward up the coast and encountered the Xhosa in the region of the Great Fish River. The Xhosa were already established in the area and herded cattle. Competition for land ensued almost immediately. The First Xhosa War broke out in 1746 between trekboers and the Xhosa. This led to the trekboers capturing a large number of cattle from the Xhosa and claiming to have driven them out of Zuurveld, a district between the Great Fish and the Sundays Rivers, by July 1751.

The second war in 1759 involved a larger territory. It started when the Gqunukhwebe clans of the Xhosa started to penetrate back into the Zuurveld. Some trekboers allied themselves with Ndlambe clan to repel the Gqunukhwebe. Panic ensued and farms were abandoned.

The third and final war started in January 1765 with a Xhosa rebellion that was soon utterly crushed. Discontented Hottentots had revolted, joined with the Xhosa in the Zuurveld, and started attacking European farms. Commandos from Graaf-Reinet and Swellendam were sent in with orders to pacify the Xhosa once and for all as revenge for the attacked farms. The Xhosa armies were completely destroyed in subsequent clashes with the 1 000 strong commandos. They made use of laager (a cirlce of wagons) formations as a means to fire on advancing Xhosa from a safe position. They went on to cross the Great Fish river and march up to the Kei, dispersing entire villages and seizing cattle from the Xhosa. They would briefly resupply near the port town of Die Baai [Port Elizabeth] and then return to wreck havoc on the Xhosa. By 1769, not a single Xhosa village was left inhabited between the Kei and Great Fish rivers. Bisho, the de facto “capital” of one of the larger encroaching clans, was burned to the ground in 1767. An area roughly the size of Belgium was wiped clean of the Xhosa.
There was never more raiding attempts made by the Xhosa thereafter. A peace was agreed upon in 1770.

Various towns sprung up along the coast as the Cape farms expanded, and the frontier was being continually pushed as the trekboers attempted to avoid taxes in pursuit of their pastoral way of life.

By 1795, the population of the colony numbered over 100 000 (not counting the trekboers, who couldn’t be counted very well due to their lack of tax records), and the border stretched from the Atlantic coast to the Kei river. Nearly half of the population resided in Cape Town, which had become the most developed colonial settlement outside of the Americas. The economy was based on grain, wine, sheep, cattle and ostrich farming. Cape Town also profited immensely from the passing of ships on their way from Europe to India and South East Asia. The trekboers lust for freedom could never be satisfied and by the start of the 19th century they had already crossed the Orange river.

Trouble was brewing elsewhere however.

In the winter of 1794, French soldiers invaded the Netherlands and captured Amsterdam. The French National Convention reconstituted the Dutch Republic into a revolutionary client state named the Batavian Republic. The Stadtholder, William of Orange, fled to Britain. There he issued the Kew Letters instructing his colonial governors to cooperate with British occupation forces. At the urging of Sir Francis Baring, the Secretary of State for War Henry Dundas authorized a mission to ensure control of the Cape Colony and eliminate the potential threat it posed to the East Indian trade. The Admiralty sent two battle squadrons to the Cape on 3 April 1795, one under Vice-Admiral Sir George Keith Elphinstone and the other under Commodore John Blankett, carrying an expeditionary force of around 2 500 soldiers under Major-General Sir James Henry Craig. A larger force under General Alured Clarke, numbering a bit more than 7 000, was instructed to follow these squadrons on 15 May with troops and supplies for a longer campaign, with orders to hold at Salvador until requested.

On the morning of the 10th of June 1795, ships were slowly appearing on the horizon. These ships did not have the intention of landing for resupply on the route to India, neither were they filled with hopeful immigrants. These ships had with them a force of British regulars bolstered by artillery with the intention to capture and occupy the port city of Cape Town.


The door swung open in the office of the then Governor of the Cape, Abraham Josias Sluysken. He was seated in his desk writing a letter but was slightly startled by the sudden entrance of what seemed to be an unfamiliar company official. “Yes, what is it?” he asked the man standing in the door. He was breathing heavily, like he had been running.

Catching his breath for a moment, the official finally spoke.“Governor, a fleet of British ships have been spotted coming from the North near Robben island, it is believed they intend to land.” He said these last words with wide and fearful eyes.

The Governor was silent for a few moments, processing what he just heard.

“Ready the garrison, and may God be with us.”

"Flag of the Batavian Republic"

 

[Sceonn]

How many Dutchmen would conceivably migrate if/when gold and diamonds are discovered?

Dutch are a mercantile people, they follow the money. So... anyone who could!
Of course even before that, South African Dutch population would still be relatively high. The Dutch had reached the optimum population they could support with available technology, so you'll see immigration as a way to mitigate that.

 

[Ameck16]

Nice work subbed...............watched

 

[Jürgen]

Very interesting.

A few thoughts about the population, the natural increase for this kind of colony will likely be around a doubling every generation in the 18th century. That give us 120000, which would give around 20000 Trekboers. But there's a but, with the war with the Xhosa, the Dutch have likely captured a lot slaves. The male slaves have likely been either been exported or worked as field slaves among the Dutch farmers, they will likely have little chance of reproduce. On the other hand the women have likely ended up as house slaves, where they have de facto been concubines beside servants. So we likely have a large coloured extra population beside those 120000 Dutchmen, I think between 30-60000 would be realistic.

Another aspect is the size of Cape Town (maybe Kaptstadt would be better, to show the "Dutch-ness" of TTLs Cape Town?) Amsterdam at this point only had 200000, Cape Town here is the size of a medium size European metropolis. I find it quite realistic. But it also means that Cape Town are a realistic place of exile, where William of Orange could upkeep his lifestyle while in exile or he could send his son instead (I like that idea better). While the Cape are not a major state, even with only 100000 people, it would still be the size of a German duchy, and it would be clear that it would grow in size and importance. For the British it would also be easier to just send the Dutch heir backed up by a British army to gain control over the colony.

 

[Clearthor]

Very interesting.

A few thoughts about the population, the natural increase for this kind of colony will likely be around a doubling every generation in the 18th century. That give us 120000, which would give around 20000 Trekboers. But there's a but, with the war with the Xhosa, the Dutch have likely captured a lot slaves. The male slaves have likely been either been exported or worked as field slaves among the Dutch farmers, they will likely have little chance of reproduce. On the other hand the women have likely ended up as house slaves, where they have de facto been concubines beside servants. So we likely have a large coloured extra population beside those 120000 Dutchmen, I think between 30-60000 would be realistic.

Another aspect is the size of Cape Town (maybe Kaptstadt would be better, to show the "Dutch-ness" of TTLs Cape Town?) Amsterdam at this point only had 200000, Cape Town here is the size of a medium size European metropolis. I find it quite realistic. But it also means that Cape Town are a realistic place of exile, where William of Orange could upkeep his lifestyle while in exile or he could send his son instead (I like that idea better). While the Cape are not a major state, even with only 100000 people, it would still be the size of a German duchy, and it would be clear that it would grow in size and importance. For the British it would also be easier to just send the Dutch heir backed up by a British army to gain control over the colony.

I really appreciate your input. This is really what I enjoy.

Good observation with the trekboer and possible mixed race population. Frontier regions close to settled native societies would indeed result in race mixing. I was considering it to occur more or less as the Europeans expand in these areas with those of mixed or partially mixed race being close to half the population in these regions.

Within the Cape hinterland however I picture more that the Hottentots and Bushmen have been relatively assimilated by the early 19th century. The Cape Colony was quite small in OTL and thus a significant increase in size would realistically have made the historical smallpox outbreaks much more severe and devastating on them.

The importance of the Cape here in the ATL is indicated by the relatively large British force I'm setting on it. Nearly double than in OTL. Your ideas on William of Orange are very interesting and I will definitely consider them when I continue.

 

[Sevarics]

Subscribed also I love the idea of the Dutch heir being in the Cape Colony. Makes me think the colony might go the Brazilian route post Napoleon.

 

[Jürgen]

I really appreciate your input. This is really what I enjoy.

Good observation with the possible mixed race population. Frontier regions close to settled native societies would indeed result in race mixing. I was considering it to occur more or less as the Europeans expand in these areas with those of mixed or partially mixed race being close to half the population in these regions.

Yes that seem likely, and would fit with my low numbers

Within the Cape hinterland however I picture more that the Hottentots and Bushmen have been relatively assimilated by the early 19th century. The Cape Colony was quite small in OTL and thus a significant increase in size would realistically have made the historical smallpox outbreaks much more severe and devastating on them.

I agree, but we should also remember, that they have other sources of new slaves on the border. I could see many of the slaves taken in the Xhosa wars end up as either field or house slaves (depending on gender) among the farmers back west. Any slaves taken in the last Xhosa War would at this point only have produce adult children, while any 3/4 grandchildren would still be children.

The importance of the Cape here in the ATL is indicated by the relatively large British force I'm setting on it. Nearly double than in OTL. Your ideas on William of Orange are very interesting and I will definitely consider them when I continue.

I look forward to it.

 

[Sceonn]

So we're looking at around half of the Colony's population being of mixed ancestry?

 

[Clearthor]

So we're looking at around half of the Colony's population being of mixed ancestry?

About a 1/4 if we assume 40 000 out of 160 000 are mixed around the year 1800, the remaining 120 000 being European (20 000 of the 120 000 being trekboers). That's in the colony total.

However, the actual regions where the race mixing occurs, like the Eastern Cape, it's closer to half if you only take those regions.

 

[Jürgen]

I think 160000 is a good estimate for the entire population.

A few other thoughts about the future, with this Cape beside the local effect, I could also see it improve the Dutch ability to project power in the East Asia. The Dutch East Indies may be bigger here. Also if the Dutch succeed in keeping it, I could see a bigger expand Indonesia more in the 19th century, you could include Saravak, Papua New Guinea and Brunei (you could also include a Dutch Western Australia, but that may remove focus from the star of the timeline "the Cape") plus ending up with a higher Indo population, especially if the limit on using Dutch conscripts in the East Indies aren't extended to the Cape.

 

[Dunois]

Very interesting POD, I look forward to read more of this story!