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European Settlers came to South Africa and enforced slavery
European explorers came to South Africa and treated the black people who've lived there first, terribly. The significance of this event is that it's one of the reasons the apartheid started because these settlers encouraged and wanted the rights of black people to be restricted. -
African National Congress
Black South African leaders who were against discrimination formed the African National Congress to prevent white people from controlling black people. However, this political party was banned by the president of South Africa later on which enacted apartheid. When President F. W. de Klerk unbanned the African National Congress, it signaled the end of apartheid in 1990. -
Natives Land Act
The Native Lands Act permitted the black South Africans with only 10% of the land even though roughly 80% of South Africa's population consists of black people. It was extremely unfair for the black people because they lived in South Africa first and white settlers are taking over their land and there is nothing the black people can do about it. Amongst the land they were given, black people had to grow crops and do farm work as well. -
The Strike of Black Workers
Black workers go on a “strike” which means that they quit their jobs until they get what they want which is a higher wage. This caused more than 1000 Black workers to get injured or killed by the police. The significance of this is that The National Regulation Act formed in 1911 prohibits black workers from striking but the black workers still risked their lives to go on a strike "breaking the law". -
Apartheid Begins
The National Party promised that if they won, they would make laws restricting black rights. This attracted the votes of "White Africans" (European settlers) and the apartheid began in May of 1948 which made the lives of black people terrible. Laws were also enacted in some regions of South Africa that only allowed black people to vote for white representatives. So basically, they were voting for their rights to be provoked. -
The Population Registration Act
The Population Registration Act was a law that classified the citizens of South Africa into 3 groups; black, mixed, and white, where a different community was established for each racial group. The law also stated that black people and white people weren't allowed to get married or have sexual relationships. Children were sometimes separated from their families due to this law because some children were born mixed and had to be sent away to the mixed community. -
The Bantu Education Act, 1953
The Bantu Education Act was a law that seperated the education between white people and black people where the two races had to go to different schools and learn different things. The black people were taught how to work for white people, while the white people got a proper education, learning careers. -
The Bantu Education Act, 1953 (Continue)
Black people were also forced to learn Afrikaans which is a language that descended from the Dutch. The significance of this act is that it heavily controlled black people. They couldn't learn their own language which takes away part of their culture. Also, it didn't allow black people to be anything other than slaves. They were taught how to become slaves and work for the whites and that's what they know all their lives. Black people were kept in the working class and couldn't do anything else. -
Sharpeville Massecre
One of the laws of apartheid is that every black person had to carry around their passbooks which contained their personal information whereever they went. On March 21, 1960, black protestors didn't carry their passbooks so 69 protestors were killed by the police. This even was one of the events that triggered the forming of the Black Consciousness Movement and it caused the African National Congress to be banned. -
Nelson Mandela Sent to Life in Prison
In December of 1956, Nelson Mandela was already put into prison for treason because he was an anti-apartheid but was released. On August 5, 1962, Mandela was arrested and sentenced to a life in prison for being incharge of launching bombing attacks on the government. Mandela was the leader of an anti-apartheid group so his arrest made people realize that they needed to step up. Mandela was even willing to die if it means black people have rights and this encouraged more people to stand up. -
Black Consciousness Movement
The Black Consciousness Movement was an anti-apartheid movement lead by Steve Biko and was formed in the 1960s and 1970s. The movement increased in popularity after the Sharpeville Massecre took place because more people, including the white, took part in the movement. Steve Biko went through a lot of trouble to keep this movement going and raise awareness to end apartheid. -
South Africa kicked out of United Nations
Because of apartheid, South Africa was removed from the United Nations and weren't allowed to join again until apartheid was over in 1994. The UN made campaigns against apartheid and they tried their best to stop apartheid. They enacted oil sanctions, held meetings, and stopped any weapons to be sold into South Africa. The UN believed in human rights and were against apartheid and they did a lot to help end it. -
Soweto Massacre
On June 16, 1976, around 10,000 school children walked onto the streets holding banners and slogans protesting against educational discrimination. Police surrounded the group of children and threw gas grenades into the crowd and fired at the school children and around 500 were killed or injured. Ambulances couldn't get through the crowd to reach the injured children. The event was a bloodbath but it encouraged people to stand up for themselves. -
The Death of Steve Biko
Steve Biko, the leader of the Black Consciousness Movement, was arrested and died from brain damage due to the beating of the police officers in prison. Steve Biko was an incredible man who fought for what he believed in which was equality, a freedom of speech and the ending of apartheid, however, he died before he could fullfill his beliefs. -
President lifts bans from African National Congress
The former president was murdered so F. W. de Klerk takes on the position of president of South Africa. He started out by slowly taking away most of the segregation laws such as the ones that separated white people from black people in public places. President F. W. de Klerk also unbanned the African National Congress which was banned from the previous president and its laws released the anti-apartheids in prison including Mandela. -
Nelson Mandela is released from prison
Because of the segregation laws being banned and the African National Congress being unbanned, Nelson Mandela, along with other anti-apartheids who were arrested, were released from prison. Mandela took part in ending apartheid in South Africa along with President F. W. de Klerk. The two recieved a noble prize for their achievements. -
Nelson Mandela becomes President
South Africa slowly alter into a democracy and had their first democratic election in 1994 in which Nelson Mandela's political party, the African National Congress, won the most seats making him the first black president of South Africa. Mandela said that he will never let opression take place in the beautiful country of South Africa again. -
The Death of Nelson Mandela
Nelson Mandela died from a respiratory infection on December 5 of 2013 at the age of 95. Many white people fear that black people will uprise and cause conflict again but however, South Africa has still maintained its peace just like when Mandela was still alive. This shows how powerful his actions are because he might be dead, but his beliefs and actions still greatly influence South Africa.
