Fort Hare
*The British-built Fortress, Fort Hare, is established on this date in 1835. Fort Hare was in the foothills of the Amatola Mountains, near the Eastern Cape in South Africa.
White-European colonization in the 17th century invaded the lives and territories of Black African peoples, mainly the Zulu and Xhosa. The Fort was originally constructed in the 19th century by the British during the Xhosa Wars, which pitted British troops against the Xhosa people. In 1837, the British also built Fort Glamorgan on the West Bank of the East London harbour, which was annexed to the Cape Colony that same year. It is part of a series of forts established by the British, including Fort Murray, Fort White, Fort Cox, Fort Hare, and Fort Willshire, in British Kaffraria.
On December 29, 1850, during the Eighth Frontier War with the Xhosas, approximately 220 British troops were forced to retreat to Fort Hare following an unsuccessful attempt to relieve Sir Harry Smith, who was encircled at Fort Cox. Some of the ruins of Fort Hare are still visible, including the graves of British soldiers who died in service there. Missionary activity (James Stewart) led to the establishment of a school for missionaries in the early 20th century. This school gave rise to the University of Fort Hare. The university, guided by Christian principles, offered low and heavily subsidized fees.
