The château of Fontainebleau had been abandoned…

The Voortrekkers under Pretorius form the Boer republic of Natalia, south of the Thukela, and west of the British settlement of Port Natal (now Durban), in 1839, following the campaign against Dingane.

They establish a capital at Pietermaritzburg, named in honor of their slain leader Piet Retief and deceased leader Gerhard Maritz.

Mpande and Pretorius maintain peaceful relations.

Paul Kruger meets in Pietermaritzburg with the British representatives, Sir Henry Bartle Frere and Lieutenant General Frederic Thesiger (shortly to inherit the title of Lord Chelmsford) in September 1878, on his return from the second visit to London, n order to update them on the progress of the talks.

Sir Theophilus Shepstone, in his capacity as British governor of Natal, has his own concerns about the expansion of the Zulu army under King Cetshwayo and the potential threat to Natal especially given the adoption by the Zulus of muskets and other modern weapons.

Shepstone had been present at Cetshwayo's coronation, but has turned on the Zulus as he feels he is undermined by Cetshwayo's skillful negotiating for land area compromised by encroaching Boers.

In his new role of Administrator of the Transvaal, he is now responsible for protecting the Transvaal and has direct involvement in the Zulu border dispute from the side of the Transvaal.

Persistent Boer representations and Kruger's diplomatic maneuverings add to the pressure.

There are incidents involving Zulu paramilitary actions on either side of the Transvaal/Natal border, and Sir Shepstone increasingly begins to regard King Cetshwayo (who now finds no defender in Natal save Bishop Colenso) as having permitted such "outrages," and to be in a "defiant mood."

Alan Paton was born in Pietermaritzburg, Natal Province (now KwaZulu-Natal), the son of a minor civil servant.

After attending Maritzburg College, he had earned a Bachelor of Science degree at the University of Natal in his hometown, followed by a diploma in education.

After graduation, Paton had worked as a teacher, first at the Ixopo High School, and subsequently at a Maritzburg College.

While at Ixopo he had met Dorrie Francis Lusted.

Married in 1928, they will remain together until her death from emphysema in 1967.

(Their life together is documented in Paton's book Kontakion for You Departed, published in 1969.)

Paton serves as the principal of Diepkloof Reformatory for young (African Black) offenders from 1935 to 1949, where he has introduced controversial reforms of a progressive slant, including policies on open dormitories, work permits, and home visitation.

Boys are initially housed in closed dormitories; once they have proven themselves trustworthy, they are transferred to open dormitories within the compound.

Boys who show high levels of trustworthiness are permitted to work outside the compound.

In some cases, boys are even permitted to reside outside the compound under the supervision of a care family.

Fewer than 5% of ten thousand boys given home leave during Paton's years at Diepkloof ever break their trust by failing to return.

Paton portrays the tensions and complexities of his countrymen’s race relations in his first novel, “Cry, the Beloved Country,” published in 1948 to international acclaim.

Four months after publication, the separatist National Party comes to power in South Africa.