From Colonisation to Democracy traces the development of modern South African society, establishing the geographical and historical context in which adaptation has occurred. Alan Lester identifies and explains the most important historical continuities in South Africa which have shaped present society. These include social groupings and their stratification, political institutions, the patterns of human geography, economic structure and external links and influences.

How did those responsible for creating Britain's nineteenth-century settler empire render colonization compatible with humanitarianism? Avoiding a cynical or celebratory response, this book takes seriously the humane disposition of colonial officials, examining the relationship between humanitarian governance and empire. The story of 'humane' colonial governance connects projects of emancipation, amelioration, conciliation, protection and development in sites ranging from British Honduras through Van Diemen's Land and New South Wales, New Zealand and Canada to India. It is seen in the lives...