Explain why Dutch settled at the cape during the 17th century?
Dutch settlement at the Cape: The first white people to settle at the cape were Dutch or Boers from Holland who settled at the Cape of Good Hope in 1652 under the leadership of Jan Van Riebeeck.
After settled at the cape they called themselves by the name of Afrikaners which means “whites of Africa” and spoke language known as Afrikaans.
Dutch had the company known as Dutch East India Company (D. E. I .Co) under Jan Van Riebeeck which formed during the 1602.
At the cape Dutch grew vegetables, fruits and kept animals such as cattle. Also they practiced barter trade with Khoikhoi by exchanging tobacco and alcohol for the cattle.
During this period, the Portuguese discovered the route to India and the Dutch used the same route.
The following are motives of the Dutch settlement at the cape;
To control land for production, Dutch aimed to settle at the cape in order to produce vegetables, fruits and other food staffs. This was after realizing that they will produce more if they will settle at the cape. This was dome through grabbing agriculture land from local people especially Khoikhoi.
The aim to establish stations, the one of the Dutch reason to settle at the cape was to get Refreshment, fresh water and fresh food like vegetables to the sailors. Some of their staffs were allowed to start agricultural activities. But in the beginning, only nine free burghers (free Boers) started cultivation of fruits and vegetables.
To enjoy good climatic condition, the cape climatic condition was different from other African countries whereby there was cool climatic condition which support settlement of Europeans.
The need to control trade, Dutch settled at the cape in order to control trade activities which passed at the cape. Dutch believed that after settling at the cape they will monopolize trade trough selling supplies to the ships which came from other European nations as well as control local trade within the cape. Example the trade between Afrikaners and Khoikhoi.
They aim to refuel ships and treatment of sick sailors, the cape was a good place where trading ships could stop to be refueled and then continue. Also those sick sailors treated at the cape before to continue with their journey.
