south africa- unit 1 test

who was bartolomeu dias?

• arrived in south africa in 1488

• first european to reach the cape

• named the area the cape of storms, later renamed the cape of good hope

who was vasco de gama?

• 1498

• first european to sail around africa to india

what are south africas 3 capitals? why are they this way?

• pretoria: administrative

• cape town: legislative

• bloemfontein: judicial

• government and its powers are distributed across the country to ensure that all white citizens has access to and could be included in decision making

what natural resources were discovered and how did they change society?

• gold and diamonds

• british assumed control of the mines, which were on boer land, but operated on the unskilled labor of native africans

• this heightened tensions between boers and british

• exploitation of black labor, creating socioeconomic differences between racial groups

from which groups do the majority of black south africans originate from?

• khoisan people: spoke khoikhoi, were herders

• bantu-speaking people: migrated from west and central africa pre-european arrival, xhosa, zulu, swazi. most people are related to this group.

• bantu speaking people entered conflicts with the dutch over land, entered frontier wars

when did the dutch arrive in south africa? why were they there and what was their impact?

• 1652

• came to establish a port/post for the dutch east india company, decided to stay because of the area and resources

• ‘intermingling’ created new racial groups, and eventually a new racial hierarchy

• frontier wars w natives led to the loss of native land

• enslaved people were being ‘imported’ for labor, also creating new racial groups

when did the british arrive? what was the impact of their presence?

• 1795

• led to tension with boers when british outlawed slavery

what was the purpose of the great trek? why was important?

• 1835

• cause: not allowed slaves by british, not ‘given’ land by natives

• moved inland and north, away from british control

• a more established and independent afrikaner identity

what sparked the boer war? what was its impact?

• 1899-1902

• disputes over control of mines

• british scorched earth policy (30,000 boer farms burned, wells poisoned, fields salted)

• boer concentration camps for those who lost land

• native south africans also lost land and lives as constant victims of white supremacy

what happened in the case of breaker morant? why was it impactful?

• britain drew on colonies and former colonies to help fight in the boer war

• unfair trial given to australian soldiers to the british crown who killed prisoners of war

• ‘following orders’

• sentenced to death and swept under the rug to protect the reputation of britain

• what do murder charges mean during times of war? can people be held accountable for the things they do under orders? who is at fault when people’s smaller actions contribute to greater atrocities?

what were the greatest impacts of the end of the boer war?

• 4 british colonies: cape, natal, orange free state, transvaal

• british and afrikaners agreed on white supremacy and segregation

• growth of afrikaner nationalism (language, settler history, dutch reformed church/predestination)

when was the union of south africa?

• 1910

• unified previously separated colonies

what was the mines and works act? what did it accomplish?

• 1911

• only white people could work skilled jobs in mines/railways

• skilled jobs payed more, which enforced a racial/economic hierarchy

what was the natives labor regulation act?

• 1911

• recruited rural black workers to the mines

• natives needed a ‘pass’ to enter/work in white cities —> systemic control of black communities

what was the natives land act?

• 1913

• territorial segregation, with natives restricted to specific areas that didn’t have farmable land, leading people to seek work in cities

• people had no choice but to work in mines or work for white people

what was the national party and why did it gain afrikaner support?

• 1914

• political party that capitalized off the ‘common man’s’ frustration towards the british

• many afrikaners didn’t wish to be allied with britain in ww1, and many of the deaths during protests and the war created martyrs for the cause

• succeeded based on platforms of afrikaner identity and political mobilization

• funded and run by members of the broederbond

what was the broederbond? why was it essential to afrikaners?

• 1918

• ‘the brotherhood’

• secret society of white afrikaners aiming to celebrate, protect, and support afrikaner culture and politicians

• FAK for music, writing, and ‘culture’

• encouraged support of national party members and businesses

• aligned themselves with many of hitlers ideas

how did hitler influence white south africans?

• ossewabrandag- opposed south african participation in ww1, wanted white republic ruled by afrikaners

• voortrekker: south african version of hitler youth

what was the impact of celebrations of the great trek and other afrikaner battles?

• celebrated afrikaner separation from british and the killing of native south africans

• large emotional impact that supported/inspires ethnic pride —> afrikaner national identity, not individuals

what was the natives urban areas act?

• 1923

• set up segregated areas to house black workers

• influx control—> threats to the white minority

• passes were required to enter urban areas, with harsh consequences for violations

what was the wages act?

• 1924

• set minimum/civilized wage for white unskilled workers

• made natives dependent upon whites for land and money

• black workers heavily exploited, had no political power

How did apartheid affect the diverse population groups in South Africa (both white and non-white)?

• jews overall benefitted from it because of their whiteness, but some jewish people were outspoken anti-apartheid activists. generally, jewish people were more left-leaning and more uncomfortable with black suffering, although many were complacent in order to protect themselves

• white people were doing great. because, like, white supremacy

• and native south africans, coloureds, indians, and asians were not.

how did the national party victory in 1948 come to be? what was its impact?

• economic issues in south africa post ww1 and the influx of native south africans in cities led to racial tensions and general unrest

• national party runs of a platform of apartheid

• white fear, economic issues, and the growth of afrikaner nationalism secured the victory

what was the industrial conciliation act?

• 1924

• native south africans couldn’t be classified as employees

• cant strike or unionize

what was the amended mines and works act?

• 1926

• continued raising wages for skilled jobs for whites

• ‘certificates of competency’ to

what was the native administration act?

• 1927

• designated certain parts of the government and certain laws/regulations to deal with affairs relating to natvies

what was the representation of natives act?

• 1936

• natives, men or women, owners of property or not, could not vote in elections (which were only on white politicians anyway)

what was the population registration act?

• 1950

• classified south africans based on appearance and race (stereotypes) so they could be controlled by other laws

what was the group areas act?

• 1950

• imposed residential segregation

• white, black, coloured, and indian areas

what was the bantu authorities act?

• 1951

• legalized forced deportation of blacks to government designated homelands

• homelands were assigned based on race (language, tribal association)

what were the offical pass laws?

• 1952

• pass books controlled movement in and out of white areas (influx control)

• if not produced, one could be arrested, detained, and forced to do hard labor. most were treated with brutality and violence.

• significance: no freedom of movement, forced migrant labor, constant reminder of white supremacy —> exploitation of cheap labor and white supremacy

what was the bantu education act? why was it so impactful in the past and present?

• 1953

• segregated schools with a modified curriculum with no science and very basic math

• gave blacks no opportunities for a better life, only equipping them with the knowledge they would need to work unskilled labor jobs

• creates an uneducated populus for generations to come, leading to people keeping the same jobs and staying in poverty for generations—> when black south africans regain control, they don’t have all of the tools they need to run a proper government —> reinforces ideas about africans being corrupt and unintelligent

what was the reservation of seperate amenities act?

• 1953

• separate public facilities—> racial segregation, opposite of the resistance movement building in the US

what was the bantu self government act?

• 1959

• 10 distinct bantu homelands with limited self government

• part of government policy with the goal of encouraging the development of ‘fully fledged independent’ african homelands

• giving natives the illusion of choice/self determination, while the rest (majority) of south africa remains in control of the whites

• set up for failure: no education, economy, resources, or political structure

who was hendrick verwoerd? what was his justification for apartheid? how was this perception different from reality?

• afrikaner nationalist prime minister who instituted apartheid. he supported and created many pieces of legislation. he was also a member of the broederbond.

• he asserted that apartheid was necessary and beneficial to all people living in south africa, and that togetherness would only bring forth conflict and violence.

• he justified apartheid by saying that this separation gave both racial groups the space to accomplish individual goals and protect individual traditions/ways of life.

• he also believed that with integration, black people would see the lives of white people and be angered by the differences in conditions

• neighborly