1950s: Defiance and the Freedom Charter Flashcards
Bantu authorities act led to
a number of rural protests
like boycotts, stayaways, strikes and civil disobedience
ANC’s programme of action
1952 defiance campaign launched
aim of mobilizing widespread defiance against the unjust laws
ANC 1951-3
membership grew from 7,000-100,000
defiance campaign was
broken by the banning and imprisonment of many of its organisers
relocation of Sophia town
residents in 1953 was resisted by the locals
school boycott
in 1954 the ANC called for a boycott of Bantu education schools
considerably successful initially- opposition collapsed when the government threatened to deny education to blacks
women’s demonstrations
1952 Federation of South African Women and ANC coordinated campaigns of non-registration and pass burning
led to a mass demonstration in 1956 of 26,000 women
women’s opposition
slowed down the state action of extending passes to women but failed to prevent it
1959 women’s protests
the police had been raiding shebeens
so women attacked official beer halls
significance of women’s protests
an important part of the mobilisation of the 1950s
opposition to state interference in established rights of women
most successful campaigns of the decade
were in the country
men fiercely resisted the governments attempts to start cattle culling and limitations on grazing
the struggles of the 1950s
failed to realise their potential in challenging the state
a decade of heightened defiance but also of lost opportunities
failures of ANC in 50s
they failed to mobilise and coordinate widespread unified protest, due to its limited financial and administrative resources
Freedom charter delegates
28,44
government failure of freedom charter
they were unable to prevent such a gathering since the Congress of People did not contravene existing laws
failure of congress of people
156 leaders arrested and Congress was labelled a communist movement
treason trial
served to publicise the cause of the ‘charterists’ more widely, both at home and abroad
PAC and ANC
despite PAC having lower numbers than the ANC, they captured the sense of township frustration better
anti-pass marches
in Dec 1959 organised by ANC
PAC called for a more sustained campaign of refusal to carry passes and mass presentations at police stations
sharpeville shootings
69 killed
180 wounded
sharpeville consequences
a state of emergency was declared
ANC and PAC leaders were detained
both organisations banned
sharpeville revealed
the failure of non-violent resistance and forced a new approach from the opponents of apartheid
international effect of sharpeville
calls for economic sanctions from UN
successful bus boycotts
as they forced the government to change their policy and lower the fares
