1820 Settlers Talk

My 1820 Settlers talk has not come out of my personal heritage. It is simply because I am a passionate South African and I have always loved history. I worked as a tour guide in Europe, the Balkans, in the UK, and the Republic of Ireland. I enjoyed researching and sharing about the places we visited to give my guests a more exciting and interesting experience.

History in South Africa

I grew up in apartheid South Africa. Propaganda drove our education system. White Europeans ‘won’ all the battles against the Zulus. White people were always the heroes. And at school, we learned the same topics every year to showcase our glorious past to make us loyal subjects of a regime.

My favourite teacher was Miss Baker, our history teacher. I loved her ability to share a story with facts and research. And when I became a teacher, I found myself teaching just like Miss Baker.

The story of the British who settled in the eastern Cape in 1820, is a really big part of South African history. Most English-speaking South Africans have a connection with these settlers. It may be because their ancestors were part of these settler groups. Maybe because they currently live where the 1820 Settlers are remembered and celebrated. Or they may have married into an 1820 Settler family.

Comparison

In 1620, the Mayflower set sail from British shores to the USA. They had 102 passengers onboard and a crew of about 30. Today this event is celebrated, remembered, and commemorated. And yet almost 4,000 people left Britain in 1820 for South Africa. And few people in Britain know about this event or talk about it.

My 1820 Settlers Talk

I am on a mission to share this fascinating story as widely as I can (online or in person). I will admit that I don’t know everything there is to know about these 1820 Settlers, but I hope to whet your appetite a little to explore further, and possibly talk about it in your own communities.

Get in touch for more info and for my rates: dawn@dawnadenton.com