Study Guide

Section 1: Apartheid Legislation and Segregation

  1. “Petty Apartheid” refers to the everyday / minor forms of racial segregation, such as separate public facilities.

  2. “Grand Apartheid” focused on territorial separation through laws governing land ownership and political rights.

  3. The Population Registration Act classified South Africans into White, Coloured, and African (Black).

  4. The Group Areas Act enforced the segregation / division of residential areas by race.

  5. Townships were created to house Black/African populations, often through forced removals.

  6. The Bantu Education Act aimed to provide inferior / limited education to Black South Africans.

  7. The Bantustan system attempted to create separate homelands for Black ethnic groups.

  8. Bantustans were also known as “homelands.”

  9. The apartheid system denied Black South Africans voting rights and parliamentary representation.

  10. Segregation extended to amenities such as transportation, restaurants, and beaches.


Section 2: Impact on Individuals

  1. Apartheid laws restricted freedom of movement and association.

  2. Black South Africans were required to carry passbooks / passes.

  3. Families were often split/separated due to forced removals.

  4. Employment opportunities were limited to menial / unskilled labor for Black citizens.

  5. The psychological impact included feelings of inferiority and hopelessness / frustration.


Section 3: Resistance and Protest

  1. Bus boycotts were a form of nonviolent / economic protest against fare increases and segregation.

  2. The Defiance Campaign (1952) encouraged volunteers to deliberately break / defy unjust laws.

  3. The Freedom Charter (1955) declared that “South Africa belongs to all who live in it, Black and White.”

  4. The Sharpeville Massacre occurred in 1960 (year).

  5. The massacre was a response to protests against pass laws.

  6. After Sharpeville, the ANC decided to adopt an armed struggle.

  7. The armed wing of the ANC was called Umkhonto we Sizwe (MK).

  8. The Rivonia Trial took place between 1963 and 1964.

  9. The trial led to the imprisonment of 8 (including Mandela and others) ANC leaders.

  10. The ANC leadership was imprisoned on Robben Island.


Section 4: Key Figures and Organizations

  1. Nelson Mandela was a leader of the ANC and later became South Africa’s first Black president.

  2. Mandela was sentenced to life imprisonment (originally)27 years in prison.

  3. Albert Luthuli was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize in 1960.

  4. Luthuli advocated for nonviolent / passive resistance.

  5. The African National Congress (ANC) was founded in 1912.

  6. The ANC’s primary goal was to fight for equal political and civil rights.

  7. The South African Communist Party (SACP) allied with the ANC to promote racial / social equality.

  8. The MK (Umkhonto we Sizwe) means “Spear of the Nation.”

  9. MK was responsible for acts of sabotage.

  10. The ANC and MK were banned by the South African government / state.


Section 5: Significance (Short Paragraphs)

  1. Petty Apartheid: Institutionalized daily discrimination (public amenities, transport, toilets) reinforced racial hierarchy and normalized segregation in everyday life.

  2. Grand Apartheid: Structured South Africa into racially defined areas and excluded Black South Africans from land ownership and political participation; entrenched systemic inequality.

  3. Population Registration Act: Foundation of apartheid; rigid racial classification determined every aspect of an individual’s rights, residence, and opportunities.

  4. Group Areas Act: Legalized forced removals and racial segregation of communities, breaking apart multi-racial neighborhoods.

  5. Townships & Forced Removals: Created overcrowded, underdeveloped Black areas far from economic centers; disrupted families and livelihoods.

  6. Bantu Education: Designed to prepare Black South Africans only for unskilled labor, perpetuating economic subjugation.

  7. Bantustan System: Attempted to legitimize apartheid by presenting Black “homelands” as self-governing, but in reality stripped Black South Africans of citizenship and political power.

  8. Bus Boycotts: Showed mass grassroots resistance and solidarity; effective in pressuring local authorities and exposing injustice internationally.

  9. Defiance Campaign: First large-scale, multi-racial mass action; marked shift to organized civil disobedience against apartheid laws.

  10. Freedom Charter: Became ideological backbone of anti-apartheid movement and later South Africa’s post-apartheid Constitution.

  11. Sharpeville Massacre: Turning point; international condemnation intensified; ANC shifted to armed struggle.

  12. Rivonia Trial: Symbolized the state’s crackdown but also showcased leaders’ commitment; Mandela’s speech became a rallying cry for freedom.

  13. Nelson Mandela: Embodied struggle for justice; leadership, imprisonment, and eventual presidency symbolized reconciliation and the end of apartheid.

  14. Albert Luthuli: Provided moral authority and international visibility to the anti-apartheid struggle through nonviolent advocacy.

  15. ANC, SACP, and MK: Demonstrated unity between different ideological groups against apartheid; transition from peaceful protest to armed resistance highlighted the escalation of the struggle.