Orange Free State

High school (ages 12+)
Geography

Name:

Date:

Step 1 · Read the article

Open the article and read it at the level above. Then answer the questions below in your own words.

https://smallwhale.org/articles/orange-free-state

Write what each word means, using the article.

Do not copy the article. Write two things you learned, the way you would explain them to a friend.

Answers below are taken from the article’s stored facts, so they match what the student read.

1. What is the geographic location?Southern Africa, situated between the Orange and Vaal rivers
2. What is the date of independence?February 23, 1854, established by the Orange River Convention
3. When did the Orange Free State become independent?It became independent on February 23, 1854, after the Orange River Convention.
4. Why did the Boers want to create the Orange Free State?They wanted to live on their own, away from British rule, and keep their Dutch, German, and French Huguenot traditions.

Boer Republics: Independent states established by Dutch-speaking settlers (Boers) in Southern Africa during the 19th century, seeking self-governance.
Orange River Convention: The treaty signed in 1854 that formally recognized the independence of the Orange Free State from British oversight.
Second Boer War: A major conflict (1899-1902) between the British Empire and the Boer republics (Orange Free State and South African Republic), resulting in British victory.
Annexation: The act of formally incorporating territory into an existing state or empire, in this case, by the British Empire.