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Apartheid begins
apartheid beginsAfter the National Party, a political party in South Africa, came to power in early June of 1948, the policy of apartheid was enforced. Aparheid seperated the South Africans into four major groups, Black, White, Indian, and Coloured The policy was intended to maintain and extend political and economic control of South Africa by the white minority. -
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Apartheid in South Africa
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Group Area Acts
group area actsThe Group Area Acts was three acts passes by the Parliament of South Africa to furthermore continue apartheid. These acts assigned racial groups to different residential and buisness sections. This law banned non-Whites from living in the most developed area which were restricted to Whites. The larger non-Whites majority were given small areas to live in while the smaller White majority controlled most of the country. -
The Bantu Homelands Act
Bantu Homelands ActThis law declared the lands of black Africans independent nations. Blacks were stripped of their citizenship and forced to stay in their "homelands." They were considered foreigners in the dominant white South Africa, and could only enter with a passport, in order to serve menial jobs for the whites. -
The Defiance Campaign
Defiance CampaignThe Defiance Campaign was a campaign against unjust laws that was launched by the African National Congress (ANC) in late June of 1952. Nelson Mandela was elected National Volunteer-in-Chief and traveled around South Africa organizing resistance to discriminatory legislation. The Defiance Campaign was in reality a mass civil disobedience campaign. -
Abolition of Passes and Coordination of Documents Act
Abolition This misleadingly-named law requires all Africans to carry identification booklets with their names, addresses, fingerprints, and other information. Africans are frequently stopped and harassed for their passes. Between 1948-1973, over ten million Africans were arrested because their passes were "not in order." Burning pass books becomes a common form of protest, and leads to wounded or dead Africans. -
The Treason Trial
treason trialOn December 5, 1956, South African police forces arrested 144 people, including Nelson Madela. The following week another 12 people were arrested totaling 156, and were all charged with "high treason and a countrywide conspiracy to use violence to overthrow the present government and replace it with a communist state." They arrested them in return to the adoption of the Freedom Charter, and the punishment for high treason was death. -
The Sharpeville Massacre
sharpeville massacre videoThe Sharpeville Massacre A large group of blacks in the town of Sharpeville refused to carry their mandatory passes protesting the pass laws. The government declares a state of emergency and responds with fines, imprisonment, and whippings. During this protest, 69 die, and a total of 187 are wounded.The African political organizations, the African National Congress and the Pan-African Congress, are banned in South Africa. -
Nelson Captured
MandelaOn August 5, 1962, Nelson Madela was captured after living on the run for 17 months. The United States CIA allegedly tipped off his whereabouts and disguise therefore making his arrest possible. On October 25, 1962 Nelson Mandela started serving his life sentence at Robben Island, and would remain here 18 out of his 27 years in prison. -
Not supporting apartheid
No supportResistance to apartheid increases by organizing at church and at work. Whites join the blacks, and International support comes to South Africa too. Steven Biko leads protests just shy of two years after South Africa was banned from it's second Olympics games. More and more people all throughout South Africa in protesting apartheid. -
The Soweto Uprising
soweto uprising videoSoweto uprising People in Soweto, especailly students, rioted and demonstrated against discrimination. The police react by shooting at anything and everything. Thousands are injured and arrested, and a total of 575 people were killed. Steven Biko is beaten and left in jail to die from his injuries. Protesters against apartheid link arms in a show of resistance to the South African legislation. -
Mandela is released
Releasal Mandela release video On February 11, 1990, Nelson Mandela was released from Robben Island Prison after serving 27 years behind bars. Four years later, the first multiracial elections were held. Nelson Mandela, the African resistance leader who had been jailed for 27 years, was elected President of South Africa.
