In South African history, the Great Trek was the eastward and north-eastward migration of descendants of Dutchcolonists that began in 1835 for the purpose of escaping the recently imposed British rule.
The British had abolished slavery in 1833 and recognized equality of rights under the law of persons of African and European descent.
The wordtrek has entered the English language as one of few words derived from Afrikaans. It means a long, hard journey.
