The term “boer” might mean farmer BUT the term Boer denotes a specific branch of Afrikaans speaking Caucasian descended folks who developed on the Cape frontier during the late 17th cent who are the smaller segment of the White Afrikaans speaking population. [ Cape Dutch descended Afrikaners being the larger segment under the imposed Afrikaner designation. ] The Boers were renown for having founded a number of independent [ two of whom were internationally recognized ] Boer Republics & for their brave defense of them during the second Anglo-Boer War. During the 20th cent the term Boer was removed from the public sphere by the Afrikaner Nationalists [ whom were mainly of non-Boer / ie: Cape Dutch descent ] & the term Boer was used as a general derogatory term by various non White people against the general White population.
So the Boers were Dutch Protestants mostly?