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The Union of South Africa is formed under British dominion. The South Africa Act of 1909 has taken away the political rights for most black South Africans.
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The Native Labor Regulation Act forbids black South African workers from striking. The Mines and Works Act refuses black South Africans industrial competency certificates that you have to have for mining jobs
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The Representation of Natives Act weakens black South Africans' political rights in some regions, placing them on separate rolls and only letting them vote for white representatives.
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More than 75,000 black South Africans go on strike for higher wages. Lots more than 1,000 workers are injured or killed by police.
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The ultra-right Afrikaner National Party legalized racial segregation, or apartheid
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The Population Registration Act puts South Africans into three racial groups: white, colored (mixed race or Asian), and Bantu/native (African/black). The Group Areas Act sets aside specific communities for each race.
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The Bantu Authorities Act creates ten black South African "homelands" as independent states, takeing millions of their South African citizenship and requiring black people to carry passports to enter white areas.
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The Abolition of Passes Act ends the "pass" system but it reallyrequires all black South Africans to carry "reference" books with lots of forms of identification. They then burn these books as a form of protesting.
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The Reservation of Separate Amenities Act legalizes the "separate but not necessarily equal" public places for blacks, "coloreds," and whites that have been started since 1948.
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More than 70 black South Africans are killed in Sharpeville after refusing to carry their reference books.
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Part of the ANC and others work against apartheid, led by Nelson Mandela, they launch an armed resistance in the country.
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The United Nations establishes the Special Committee Against Apartheid to support a start of peaceful change in South Africa.
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Nelson Mandela is sentenced to life in prison.
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National Party Prime Minister and "architect of apartheid" Hendrik Verwoerd is assassinated.
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MID 1970s: The anti-apartheid movement gains power with more organization and help by whites.
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More than 3 million black South Africans are forced to go live in "reserves."
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Black South African students protest educational discrimination. Police killed more than 500 people and injure thousands more.
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Steve Biko, the leader of the Black Consciousness Movement, is beaten and arrested, and dies in police custody.
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President P.W. Botha declares a state of emergency and inforces martial law. Through the next four years, thousands of blacks are taken or killed.
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The U.S. passes the Anti-Apartheid Act
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F.W. de Klerk replaces P.W. Botha as state president and relaxes or repeals some segregationist laws ike those separating whites and non-whites in public places.
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De Klerk lifts the ban that outlaws the ANC and they free Nelson Mandela and five other anti-apartheid leaders. The ANC get read of its armed struggle against the white people-led government.
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De Klerk repeals the remainder of the apartheid laws and calls for a new constitution.
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A multiracial government is approved.
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South Africa holds its first democratic elections. Nelson Mandela is elected President.
