Battle of Blood River
December 16, 1838
At a bend in the Ncome River in Natal, 470 Voortrekkers in a laager of wagons shot down three thousand attacking Zulu warriors. The river, they said, ran red. The Afrikaners took it as a covenant from God and marked the day for a century. For the Zulu kingdom, it was the beginning of a long erosion.
In context
Also in 1838 (3 other events on record)
- Trail of Tears · North America · Politics
- People's Charter · Europe · Politics
- West Indies Slavery Ends · North America · Politics
Before and after in Africa
- Before: 1836: Great Trek Begins
- After: July 26, 1847: Liberia Independent
Before and after in War
Era
Industrial Age (1801–1900), one of 513 events from that era on Saeculum.