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The Second Boer War
The South African Boer War begins between the British Empire and the Boers of the Transvaal and Orange Free State. The Boers, also known as Afrikaners, were the descendants of the original Dutch settlers of southern Africa. ... Minor fighting with Britain began in the 1890s, and in October 1899 full-scale war ensued. -
South Africa Act
The South Africa Act 1909 provided for a Parliament consisting of a Senate and a House of Assembly. -
Creation of the Dominion of South Africa
The Union of South Africa was formed in 1910 from the four self-governing colonies of the Cape Colony, Natal, the Transvaal, and the Orange Free State (the last two were former Boer republics). -
Formation of the SANNC
The South African Native National Congress (SANNC), later known as the Africa National Congress (ANC) was founded on the 8 January 1912. At SANNC's inaugural conference, Rev. John Dube was elected as its first president in absentia. Its main goal the maintenance of voting rights for Coloureds (persons of mixed race) and black Africans in Cape Province.
It was considered an elitist group and a “body of gentlemen with clean hands.” -
SANNC name changes to ANC
During this period, the party attempted to reinvigorate itself by changing its name from the SANNC to the ANC, adopting a national anthem and a flag, and significantly adopting the Bill of Rights. -
The transition from Dialectic to Language
Hertzog made Afrikaans the National language alongside English. The teaching of Afrikaans became cumpolsary in all school, furthermore the Bible became translated into Afrikaans. -
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South Africa allies with Britain during WW2
In 1939 South Africa allied with Britain in WW2; 180000 men served in the armed forces. Africans experiences an increase in jobs in cities, further more townships also rose. Due to the fact that there was an increase in jobs, black wages rose from 1/5 of a whites to a 1/4. This led to industrialisation and urbanisation; due to urbanisation South Africa experienced an increase of Africans, leading to the fear of a black peril and miscegenation thus creating a sense of inferiority and insecurity. -
Formation of the ANC Youth League
Under Anton Lembede the AYL was formed. Lembede criticised the ANC for being “a body of gentlemen with clean hands” and for appealing to white help of liberty. Furthermore Lembede aimed to adopt the idea of ‘Africanism’ and stressed the importance of black pride and a psychological rejection of white superiority. Under Lembede the AYL aimed to take a more militant stance.