Battle of Blaauwberg
Bloubergstrand, Table Bay, Cape Town, South Africa
What happened
A British force under General David Baird fought the Batavian (Dutch) garrison of the Cape Colony under Governor Jan Willem Janssens. British troops landed north of Cape Town and met Janssens's army on the slopes of Blaauwberg hill at sunrise on 8 January. Some of Janssens's hired troops fled, the British captured his guns, and the Dutch withdrew inland.
Why it matters
Why it matters: The Cape lay on the main sea route between Europe and India, and holding it let Britain control shipping in two oceans. British rule shaped southern Africa for more than a century.
What came next
Cape Town surrendered on 10 January, and Janssens capitulated on 18 January. The Netherlands formally gave the Cape to Britain in 1814.
Did you know?
Months later, a French warship almost sailed into capture because her crew still believed the Dutch held the Cape.
Timeline
- 8 January 1806The British win at Blaauwberg.
- 10 January 1806Cape Town's surrender is signed.
- 18 January 1806Janssens capitulates.
- 13 August 1814The Cape is ceded to Britain.
- 31 May 1910The Cape becomes part of the Union of South Africa.