Het huiselik en maatschappelik leven van de Zuid-Afrikaner
in de eerste helft der 18de eeuw
"Het huiselik en maatschappelik leven van de Zuid-Afrikaner" by F. C. Dominicus is a historical account written in the early 20th century. The work delves into the domestic and social life of South Africans during the first half of the 18th century, focusing specifically on the white population in the Cape Colony. It aims to paint a picture of their living conditions, societal structures, and interactions within the context of colonial governance. The opening of the work introduces the reader to the premise that the author will explore the life of the white South African population in the Cape during the early 18th century. It emphasizes the necessity to clarify who the "Zuid-Afrikaner" refers to, explicitly excluding non-white inhabitants due to a lack of substantial historical accounts about their domestic lives. Dominicus discusses the foundation of the colony by the Dutch East India Company and characterizes the early settlers and their circumstances, setting the stage for a more detailed examination of their social and domestic environments in subsequent chapters.