The discovery of gold also brought to prominence a strictly capitalist society where the balance of wealth was grossly unequal. A system where powerful white magnates shared almost all the wealth and comforts while the poorer whites were laborers . During this time the natives were allowed to continue living their traditional lifestyle, however, as time progressed, particularly after the Boer war, the whites were united with political and monetary power, and the blacks became the abused laborers. Also, with the discovery of gold the first significant tensions between the whites occurred. Conflicts arose between the Boers, English, and Germans and could have spilt over had it not been for their common goal, white supremacy. After the Boer war, in which the whites were given political power they became totally united in their aim. During this time the blacks were almost totally disregarded, however, a social structure began to form which gave ominous signs for their future.
The Uitlanders were not well received by the Boers, and consequently did not have equal rights in the area. They were taxed heavily, had no voting rights and could not claim residency for fourteen years. The Boers were, at this stage, loyal to the British empire and it was not until the Jameson Raid, in 1895, that a Boer nationalist movement gained prominence. In Great Britain, the British leaders were under pressure to liberate the British in Transvaal. Negations were organized between the leader of the Boers, Paul Kruger, and a British representative, Alfred Milner. Although Kruger wanted peace, Milner seemed determined for warfare and the negotiations broke down. War was declared on October 10 1899. Byron Farwell wrote of Milner, "This financial expert arrived in South Africa and went to work applying his genius to very human problems. South Africa never recovered form the experience-. Originally, the war was fought using conventional tactics from both sides.
