Cecil Rhodes
1853 – 1902 British businessman, politician, colonial administrator
Mining magnate and imperialist who drove British expansion in southern Africa.
- Religion
- Anglican
- Affiliations
- British South Africa Company, Cape Colony government
Cecil Rhodes made a fortune in diamonds through De Beers and used it to advance British colonial expansion. As prime minister of the Cape Colony and head of the British South Africa Company, he pushed north into lands later named Rhodesia after him. His career and racial policies are now widely criticized, and his legacy is heavily contested.
Connections
- associate of Joseph Chamberlain — Backed his southern African ambitions and was linked to the Jameson Raid.
- associate of Lord Salisbury — Worked with and around Rhodes's southern African expansion.
In the timeline
- 1867 South Africa's mineral revolution mentioned
- 1871 Cecil Rhodes arrives at the Kimberley diggings central figure
- 1871 The Kimberley diamond fields and De Beers mentioned
- 1873 Barney Barnato arrives in Kimberley mentioned
- 1877 Rhodes writes his Confession of Faith mentioned
- 1877 Rhodes's Confession of Faith mentioned
- 1877 Cecil Rhodes writes his 'Confession of Faith' central figure
- 1877 Cecil Rhodes initiated as a Freemason at Oxford central figure
- 1880 De Beers Mining Company founded by Cecil Rhodes central figure
- 1887 Rhodes and Rothschild financing secure the De Beers buyout campaign mentioned
- 1888 Founding of De Beers mentioned
- 1888 Cecil Rhodes founds De Beers central figure
- 1888 De Beers Consolidated Mines formed, merging Rhodes and Barnato's holdings mentioned
- 1889 Rhodes and the British South Africa Company mentioned
- 1889 British South Africa Company granted royal charter mentioned
- 1889 Kimberley Masonic Temple built on Dutoitspan Road mentioned
- 1889 Chartered companies revive in the Scramble for Africa mentioned
- 1889 British South Africa Company chartered under Cecil Rhodes central figure
- 1890 Rhodes becomes Prime Minister of the Cape Colony mentioned
- 1890 Cecil Rhodes, mining magnate and Cape premier central figure
- 1891 Rhodes and Stead found a secret society, 1891 mentioned
- 1891 Quigley dates the secret society's founding to February 1891 mentioned
- 1891 Cecil Rhodes founds his secret society central figure
- 1891 Rhodes and Stead discuss a secret society mentioned
- 1891 Rhodes founds the Society of the Elect mentioned
- 1895 Jameson Raid fails in the Transvaal mentioned
- 1895 Jameson Raid mentioned
- 1897 Alfred Milner appointed High Commissioner for South Africa mentioned
- 1899 Rhodes drafts his final will mentioned
- 1899 Siege of Kimberley during the Second Boer War mentioned
- 1899 Robert Williams founds Tanganyika Concessions mentioned
- 1902 Rhodes dies and endows the Rhodes Scholarships mentioned
- 1902 Cecil Rhodes dies, will proved central figure
- 1902 Rhodes Trust established mentioned
- 1902 Cecil Rhodes dies, establishing the Rhodes Scholarships central figure
- 1902 Death of Cecil Rhodes central figure
- 1902 Cecil Rhodes dies a lifelong Freemason central figure
- 1908 Round Table Groups organized mentioned
- 2003 Mandela Rhodes Foundation established mentioned
- 2018 Rhodes Scholarships open globally mentioned