The Progressive Party of the

Cape Colony The Cape Colony (), also known as the Cape of Good Hope, was a British Empire, British colony in present-day South Africa named after the Cape of Good Hope. It existed from 1795 to 1802, and again from 1806 to 1910, when it united with three ...

was a political party in the

Cape Parliament The Parliament of the Cape of Good Hope functioned as the legislature of the Cape Colony, from its founding in 1853, until the creation of the Union of South Africa in 1910, when it was dissolved and the Parliament of South Africa was establish ...

that was primarily composed of and supported by white immigrants to the Cape. It supported pro-

imperialist Imperialism is the maintaining and extending of power over foreign nations, particularly through expansionism, employing both hard power (military and economic power) and soft power ( diplomatic power and cultural imperialism). Imperialism fo ...

policies, and was in power from 1900 until 1908.

History

The Progressive Party formed in the late 1890s from the pro-imperialist politics of politicians such as

Cecil John Rhodes Cecil John Rhodes ( ; 5 July 185326 March 1902) was an English-South African mining magnate and politician in southern Africa who served as Prime Minister of the Cape Colony from 1890 to 1896. He and his British South Africa Company founded ...

Alfred Milner Alfred Milner, 1st Viscount Milner, (23 March 1854 – 13 May 1925) was a British politician, statesman and colonial administrator who played a very important role in the formulation of British foreign and domestic policy between the mid-189 ...

and John Gordon Sprigg. They initially formed the opposition to the government of Prime Minister William Philip Schreiner, after they lost the 1898 election to him. However, the Progressives came to power on 18 June 1900 under Prime Minister John Gordon Sprigg, and later under Prime Minister Leander Starr Jameson. They lost power on 2 February 1908, to the opposition

South African Party The South African Party (, ) was a political party that existed in the Union of South Africa from 1911 to 1934. History The outline and foundation for the party was realized after the election of a 'South African party' in the 1910 South Af ...

under John X. Merriman. After this election the Progressives renamed themselves the "Union Party". The similarly named "Progressive Movement" started in the neighbouring Transvaal in 1891 as a movement of wealthy foreign immigrants (or ''"Uitlanders"'') who opposed the Afrikaner government of the Transvaal. Just before Union, they became the "Progressive Association of the Transvaal". They won 21 of the 69 seats in the 1907 elections, losing to Het Volk Party which won 39 seats. After the creation of the

Union of South Africa The Union of South Africa (; , ) was the historical predecessor to the present-day South Africa, Republic of South Africa. It came into existence on 31 May 1910 with the unification of the British Cape Colony, Cape, Colony of Natal, Natal, Tra ...

, the Union Party of the Cape, the Progressive Association of the Transvaal and the Constitutional Party of the Orange Free State merged to form the Unionist Party.

References

{{Political history of South Africa , state=expanded Defunct political parties in South Africa Politics of the Cape Colony 1890s establishments in the Cape Colony Political parties established in the 1890s Liberal parties in South Africa

History

See also

References