The Boers, Dutch colonists living in South Africa, wanted to establish their own country independent from British rule. The Natalia Republic was a Boer state and existed from 1839 to 1843. The territory had been part of the Zulu Kingdom and was ceded to Piet Retief, a Boer leader in 1838. The Natalia Republic was taken over by the British in 1843. The Boers, determined in having their own country, set up the Orange Free State in 1854. This entity prospered politically and economically until the outbreak of the Second Boer War; 1899 - 1902. With a British victory in the Second Boer War, the Orange Free State was also absorbed into Britain’s South African holdings. The Red Ensign was South Africa’s flag from 1902 until 1928. The flag from 1928 to 1994 featured three banners on the center horizontal stripe: the British Union flag, the Orange Free State flag, and the South African Republic flag.
