• Français
  • Home
  • News
  • About Us
  • Contact Us
  • Subscribe
  • Donate
Dictionary of Canadian Biography
  •  Browse
  •  Advanced Search
  •  Reader Mode
  •  Printer-friendly
mobile
    • Outline
    facebook sharing button Share
    twitter sharing button Tweet
    • New Biographies
    • Minor Corrections
    • Biography of the Day
      d. 17 May 1815 at Quebec
      PANET, JEAN-ANTOINE
      d. 17 May 1815 at Quebec
      See previous
    • Themes, Essays, and Guides
      • The War of 1812
      • The First World War
      • Confederation
      • Women in the DCB/DBC
        • See complete list
    facebook sharing button Share
    twitter sharing button Tweet

South African War (1899–1902)

On 13 Oct. 1899, without consulting parliament, Prime Minister Sir Wilfrid Laurier agreed to send Canadian volunteers to South Africa to support Great Britain in its war against the Boers. British imperialism, ever present as background, prompted two different visions of the country’s future – imperialism versus nationalism – and divided English and French Canadians. Between 1899 and 1902, Canada dispatched 7,300 men to assist the British in the South African War. The end of the war in May 1902 temporarily eased tensions between English and French Canadians over relations between the mother country and Canada.

Related Biographies

ALDERSON, Sir EDWIN ALFRED HERVEY
ALMOND, JOHN MACPHERSON (baptized John)
BLAKE, SAMUEL HUME
BORDEN, HAROLD LOTHROP
BORDEN, Sir FREDERICK WILLIAM
BOULTON, EDITH SARAH LOUISA (Nordheimer)
BOURASSA, HENRI (baptized Joseph-Henry-Napoléon)
BRANT-SERO, JOHN OJIJATEKHA (baptized John Sero, rebaptized John Brant-Sero) (Ojijatekha)
BUTLER, MARTIN
BYRON, FRANCES DALRYMPLE (Redmond)
CARRUTHERS, WALLACE BRUCE MATTHEWS
CHASE-CASGRAIN, THOMAS
CLOUSTON, Sir EDWARD SEABORNE
CONYBEARE, CHARLES FREDERICK PRINGLE
COWPERTHWAITE, HUMPHREY PICKARD
CREAN, FRANCIS JOSEPH PATRICK
DAVIN, NICHOLAS FLOOD (baptized Nicholas Francis)
DENISON, GEORGE TAYLOR (1839-1925)
DOMVILLE, JAMES
DUNSMUIR, JAMES
EATON, DANIEL ISAAC VERNON
ELLIOT, GILBERT JOHN MURRAY-KYNYNMOUND, Viscount MELGUND and 4th Earl of MINTO
FITZGERALD, FRANCIS JOSEPH
GIROUARD, Sir ÉDOUARD PERCY CRANWILL
GODFREY, HENRY HERBERT
GRAHAM, HUGH, 1st Baron ATHOLSTAN
GRANT, GEORGE MONRO
HANBURY, DAVID THEOPHILUS
HENDRIE, Sir JOHN STRATHEARN
HERCHMER, LAWRENCE WILLIAM
HUGHES, Sir SAMUEL
HUTTON, Sir EDWARD THOMAS HENRY
HÉBERT, LOUIS-PHILIPPE (Philippe)
LAURIER, Sir WILFRID (baptized Henry-Charles-Wilfrid)
LESSARD, FRANÇOIS-LOUIS (baptized Louis-François-Guillaume)
LLOYD, GEORGE EXTON
MACDONALD, MARGARET CLOTILDE (Clothilde)
MACDONALD, Sir DONALD ALEXANDER
MASSEY, WALTER EDWARD HART
MERRITT, WILLIAM HAMILTON (1855-1918)
MILLS, HARRIET ANN (Roche; Boomer)
MONK, FREDERICK DEBARTZCH
MORRISON, Sir EDWARD WHIPPLE BANCROFT
MacINNES, DUNCAN SAYRE
McCRAE, JOHN
OTTER, Sir WILLIAM DILLON
PARKIN, Sir GEORGE ROBERT
PELLETIER, PANTALÉON (baptized Marie-Joseph-Pantaléon)
PETTY-FITZMAURICE, HENRY CHARLES KEITH, 5th Marquess of LANSDOWNE
POLSON, MARGARET SMITH (Murray)
POWER, RICHARD L.
PRICE, Sir WILLIAM
PROWSE, DANIEL WOODLEY
ROWELL, NEWTON WESLEY
RYERSON, GEORGE ANSEL STERLING
SCHULTZ, SAMUEL DAVIES
SCOTT, Sir RICHARD WILLIAM
SMITH, DONALD ALEXANDER, 1st Baron STRATHCONA and MOUNT ROYAL
SMITH, GOLDWIN
SPROULE, THOMAS SIMPSON
STEELE, Sir SAMUEL BENFIELD
STEWART, CHARLES JAMES TOWNSHEND
STINSON, MARION ELIZABETH (Ottaway; Crerar)
TAILLON, Sir LOUIS-OLIVIER
THOMPSON, RICHARD ROWLAND
THOMSON, THOMAS JOHN (Tom)
TRENHOLME, CLEMENTINA (Fessenden)
TUPPER, Sir CHARLES
TURNBULL, JESSIE (McEwen)
VAIL, EMMA FRANCES JANE (Birge; Pratt)
VALLANCE, MARGARET (Taylor) (Lady Taylor)
WALLACE, NATHANIEL CLARKE
WEBSTER, ELLA HOBDAY (Bronson)
WRIGLEY, GEORGE WESTON

Other Resources

10 Quick Facts on... The South African War - Quick Facts - Information for Educators - Remembrance - Veterans Affairs Canada. Content archived on 3 Oct. 2022
BBC - History - The Boer Wars
Boer War. Content archived on 24 June 2018
Boer War begins in South Africa - Oct 11, 1899 - HISTORY.com
Canada Remembers the South African War Historical Sheet - South African War - History - Remembrance - Veterans Affairs Canada. Content archived on 19 Apr. 2021
Canada and the Boer War – All About Canadian History
Canada and the South African War - The Canadian Encyclopedia. Content archived on 25 Dec. 2024
Canadian Troops and Farm Burning in the South African War - Canadian Military Journal
First Anglo Boer War | South African History Online
First Boer War - Wikipedia
For Queen and Country: Canadians and the South African War, 1899-1902 | Dispatches | Learn | Canadian War Museum
Military history of South Africa - Wikipedia
Parks Canada - Canada and the South African War National Historic Event
Second Anglo-Boer War 1899 - 1902 | South African History Online
Second Boer War - Wikipedia
South Africa War Graves Project
South Africa and World War One - History Learning Site
South African War (1899-1902) - Canada.ca. Content archived on 29 Nov. 2023
South African War - History - Remembrance - Veterans Affairs Canada. Content archived on 17 Apr. 2021
South African War | British-South African history | Britannica.com
South African War | The Queen's Own Rifles of Canada Regimental Museum and Archives
South African War, 1899-1902 - Service Files, Medals and Land Applications - Library and Archives Canada
South African Wars (1879–1915) - Wikipedia
The Boer War
The Boer War in South Africa (1899-1902). Content archived on 4 Aug. 2021
WarMuseum.ca - Canada and the South African War (Boer War) - 1899-1902
WarMuseum.ca - South African War - Boer War Maps

Image Gallery

We acknowledge the financial support of the Canadian Museum of History through the Online Works of Reference Program funded by the Government of Canada.
Nous reconnaissons l'aide financière du Musée canadien de l'histoire à travers les œuvres du programme de référence en ligne financés par le gouvernement du Canada.

We acknowledge the support of the Government of Canada.

Nous reconnaissons l’appui du gouvernement du Canada.

© 2003-2025 University of Toronto/Université Laval

Suggest corrections or additions

Important Notices

Websites of Interest

 
OK Cancel
OK