On 30 January 1854, a royal proclamation was signed abandoning and renouncing all dominion in the Orange River Sovereignty. On 23 February 1854, the Orange River Convention officially recognised the independence of the area which was called the Orange Free State.
On January 30, 1854, a royal proclamation declared the end of Dutch rule over the Orange River Sovereignty. On February 23, 1854, the Orange River Convention formally recognized the independence of the area that became known as the Orange Free State.