Life In South Africa c1948 Flashcards
Definition of apartheid
Policy or system of segregation or discrimination on grounds of race
Rainbow nation
A multiracial or multicultural country
Why was South Africa’s location important
Near the americas
Lots of access to sea so lots of trade
What happened in 1652
The first Dutch settlers landed at the cape. mainly employees for the Dutch East India Trading Company
What happened when the first Dutch settlers landed in South Africa
Meet the San and the Khoi Tribes who are fearful
They fail to force local African communities to work for them
They move inland (North and west) meeting the Xhosa population and campaign against native tribes and import slaves from the east
When did the British arrive in South Africa
1815 as a result of the French Revolutionary and Napoleonic wars
What happened to the San , Khoi and Xhosa after British invasion
San and Khoi had more or less been exterminated by war fare or disease
Xhosa were gradually being defeated by the British army who had more sophisticated military technology
Why was it useful for Britain to control the cape
Due to their involvement in India it was useful
Dutch reaction to British controlling the cape
Created tensions
What happened in 1833
The British abolished slavery causing the boers and afrikaners to move north to land yet to be claimed by Europe (hinterland)
This was called the Great Trek
what was the great trek 1838-54
when about 1/4 of afrikaners left the cape colony which was under British control
they then established there own independent republics in the interior of South Africa
what two new Boer republics were created during the great trek
the orange free state
(South African republic) Transvaal
what myth was developed by the boers when the moved Hinterland during the great trek
Land appeared largely uninhabited due to local wars or famine which the boers knew nothing of
they moved into empty land and used this to suggest that African people had no right to the land in South Africa and that africans had moved into these area roughly the same time as the boers
what was the covenant created in 1938 used to justify the Boer possession of the land
when the boers encountered the Zulu nation there was conflict
on the eve of the battle of blood river against the Zulus the boers were alleged to have a covenant with God asking for victory.
this was the basis of the Boer belief that God had granted them the land of south Africa
what caused the second Boer war
the discovery of diamond and gold in great quantities in Transvaal in 1867 and 1886 and this caused a gold rush
what happened within the Boer war 1880
the British invaded the South African republic and the boers retaliated and were initially successful .
however the British were willing to expend men and money to achieve their goals and they won in 1902 and promised self government for the area
what was the second Boer war 1899-1902
boers seeking to assert their complete independence from Britain and wished to extend its influence to gain control over the gold and diamond industries in Transvaal
What happens in 1902
The Second boer war ends with the British winning and taking control
(War over diamond and gold)
What happened in 1910
Britain agreed that the colony of SA be given self determination for the white population only
what was the country created as a part of the British empire in 1910 called when the Boer war
the union of south Africa
Features of being boer
Arrived in Cape of good hope in 1652
Interested in the goods
Worked mostly as Dutch farmers (trekboers) as the local people refused to supply them
Didn’t view or people is equal and moved further north
Features of being British
Conquered the Cape in 1795 also wanted the goods
most people were involved in the British army or local politicians
Some were farmers but gave up because it was too difficult and became traders or went into the metal industry
Reformed the judicial system
Took steps to eliminate racially discriminatory features of colonial society
What were both of the Danish and the British aims in South Africa?
To exploit the land for its resources
What were some causes of the apartheid?
You can’t remove racism
There’s a new white party in power
Colonisation and slavery
What caused the segregation to continue in 1948
White minority party Afrikaner national party came to power
by 1948 what had happened to black people
they had been disposed of most their land
couldnt vote
subject to wide spread discrimination
how were africans divided
they were kept as far way as possible from each other and were expected to think of themselves as either Zulu or Xhosa and not as a collective
what other ethnic groups were the apart from the indigenous black people
- “coloured” people or descendent of mixed marriages who mostly lived in the cape province some could still vote
- indian people were descendants of 150,000 people imported by the British during the 19th century who had ne introduced as agricultural labourers. later went on to work as administrators and found a prosperous merchant class of traders and shop keepers. Mainly lived in Natal
- white people- compromised of Afrikaans and English speakers
what did Afrikaans feel about the English people until 1948
that they dominated both economically and politically
Why didn’t some white people like blacks to be fully segregated
They felt they were racially inferior however the fundamental contradiction of segregation in legislation was they needed them to do cheap labour that they don’t want to do
Therefore the 1913 native land act was passed to encourage them to leave the rural areas to work in the industry especially in mines
When were pass laws created
Over the nineteenth and early twentieth centuries to control the movement of African people and manage migrant labour
What were the pass laws
Operated as a type of internal passport system to control where the African people could live, work and visit
While each province has its own system of pass laws what were they formalised by
The abolition of passes and coordination of documents act 1952
The pass laws became the lynchpin of apartheid
What were the voting arrangements pre 1948
All non white groups faced discrimination
Only some coloured peopel and whites could vote, no one else
What were the white peoples racist views of black people
They were lazy and untrustworthy and dangerous
Felt they were most content in rural areas working on farms away from temptations of urban life
What were 2 reasons for the white peoples racist views
Ignorance and fear of the consequences for their position and safety if black people were given economic and political rights
Need to feel reassured that separation from white people was in African peoples best interest and that they were content in a pastoral environment
What is a pastoral environment
Rural life based on small scale agriculture
