1820 British settlers arrive in the eastern Cape

After the Napoleonic Wars, Britain faced severe unemployment and social distress. Parliament funded an emigration scheme that attracted tens of thousands of applicants, of whom about 4,000 travelled to the Cape in 1820. Many were artisans or urban workers seeking economic opportunity rather than experienced farmers.

The government located most parties in the Albany district. Its aims were to relieve distress at home, establish an agricultural population and strengthen a contested frontier after repeated Xhosa–colonial wars and cattle raids. Settlers received small farms and initial supplies under conditions set by the colonial government. Their placement also increased pressure on land from which Xhosa communities had recently been driven eastward.

Poor soil in some locations, crop disease, floods, drought, small allotments and limited farming experience caused many farms to fail. Settlers petitioned for relief, and many moved to Grahamstown, Port Elizabeth and other towns, returning to trades, commerce and professions. Others adapted through livestock and wool production.

Significance

The settlers were participants in a colonial frontier scheme, but they were not simply a military instrument: many were economically vulnerable migrants whose expectations were frustrated by official planning and difficult conditions. Their arrival strengthened the English-speaking population and affected frontier politics, while their later commercial, agricultural and civic activity extended well beyond the original settlement plan.