Apartheid Flashcards

Flashcards covering key terms and figures related to the history of apartheid in South Africa.

Nelson Mandela

Key anti-apartheid revolutionary, political leader, and first black president of South Africa. Leader of the ANC and co-founder of the MK. Symbol of resistance against racial oppression.

Oliver Tambo

An anti-apartheid politician and key figure in the ANC. Served as ANC president in exile, mobilizing international support against apartheid.

Albert Luthuli

South African teacher, activist, and politician; president of the ANC from 1952 to 1967. Awarded the Nobel Peace Prize in 1960 for non-violent resistance to apartheid.

Petty Apartheid

Smaller-scale aspects of apartheid policies, such as segregation in public amenities, shops, and transportation. Affected many aspects of daily life.

African National Congress (ANC)

Political party and key movement in the struggle against apartheid. Founded in 1912, seeking to unite Africans and fight for political and civil rights.

The South African Communist Party (SACP)

Marxist-Leninist political party closely allied with the ANC in the fight against apartheid. Significant role in organizing labor strikes and opposing the regime.

The MK (Umkhonto we Sizwe)

Armed wing of the ANC, founded by Nelson Mandela in 1961. Carried out acts of sabotage against government infrastructure as part of the armed struggle against apartheid.

The Sharpeville Massacre

March 21, 1960, police opened fire on a peaceful protest against the pass laws in Sharpeville, killing 69 people. Led to increased opposition to apartheid.

The Rivonia Trial

Trial in 1963-1964 where Nelson Mandela and other ANC leaders were charged with sabotage against the apartheid government. Leaders were sentenced to life imprisonment.

Grand Apartheid

Overarching system of racial segregation in South Africa, encompassing major political and economic policies. Created homelands and restricted black South Africans to these areas.

Pass System

System of laws requiring black South Africans to carry passbooks when outside their designated homelands, restricting movement and access to employment.

Bantustan System

Policy of creating "homelands" for black South Africans to strip them of South African citizenship, confining them to specific areas often under harsh conditions.

Townships

Segregated urban residential areas where black South Africans were forced to live under apartheid. Overcrowded, lacking infrastructure, located on the outskirts of cities.

Soweto

A township southwest of Johannesburg that became a symbol of black resistance to apartheid. Site of the 1976 Soweto student uprising.

Robben Island

A maximum-security prison off the coast of Cape Town where Nelson Mandela and other anti-apartheid leaders were imprisoned for many years.

Walter Sisulu

Prominent ANC leader and mentor to Nelson Mandela. Played a critical role in the ANC's organization and the creation of the MK.

Winnie Mandela

Wife of Nelson Mandela, political activist. Major role in the anti-apartheid movement while Nelson Mandela was imprisoned.

Afrikaner

White ethnic group descended primarily from Dutch settlers. Dominant political force behind apartheid; language and culture central to South African nationalism.

DF Malan

Prime Minister of South Africa from 1948 to 1954. Officially introduced apartheid as state policy, institutionalizing racial segregation and discrimination.

Bantu Education Act of 1953

Law passed by the apartheid government that created a separate and inferior education system for black South Africans. Aimed to limit educational opportunities.

Sophiatown

Multiracial diverse area of Johannesburg. Was destroyed by the apartheid government in the 1950s, with its residents forcibly removed.