South Africa - What was life like in South Africa in 1948? Flashcards
When the National Party came to power in 1948, what 4 racial groups was SA divided into?
Whites
Africans
Coloured
Indians
Who were the Africans? How many were there in 1951?
original inhabitants
8.5 million
Who were the two categories whites? How many were there in 1951?
Afrikaners (60%)
descended from Dutch, French and German settlers
British descent
descendants of British colonists who arrived after the Cape became part of British Empire in 1806
Irish and Jewish minorities
1.6 million
Who were the Coloureds? How many were there in 1951?
those who were not classed as white or African
descendants of slaves from South East Asia by Dutch
from relationships between whites, Africans and others
Afrikaans speaking
1.1 million
Name 5 examples of segregation and discrimination in this period.
- whites did not have to share power with blacks
- MPs were white (except in old Cape colony)
- 1936 - Africans completely disenfranchised
- 1948 elections almost entirely decided by white minority (21%)
- blacks were forced to live in townships
URBANISATION/INDUSTRIALISATION
When was gold discovered in the Transvaal? What city quickly grew to provide services to miners?
1886
Johannesburg
URBANISATION/INDUSTRIALISATION
By 1948, what was the population of Johannesburg reaching? Which race was growing bigger than whites?
1 million
Africans
URBANISATION/INDUSTRIALISATION
How was gold the motor of the South African industrial economy?
industry diversified from gold to producing: textiles clothing food chemicals machinery
URBANISATION/INDUSTRIALISATION
What industry did the state develop?
major iron and steel industry (ISCOR)
generated electricity, largely from coal
URBANISATION/INDUSTRIALISATION
Where did Africans live? Where did white live?
Africans - countryside
Whites - towns and cities
URBANISATION/INDUSTRIALISATION
What did the state determine about whites after the ‘poor white problem’? Where were many whites absorbed into for employment?
they should be kept as a separate and distinct group
state employment
URBANISATION/INDUSTRIALISATION
How did the nationalists appeal to white voters?
poor whites had the vote
nationalists appealed to their sense of insecurity with promise of protected employment in government service
they wished to avoid working under black supervision
TOWNSHIPS
What had governments and municipal councils prior to 1948 been to keen to keep the cities as?
white spaces
TOWNSHIPS
What were the areas outside of cities called?
townships
TOWNSHIPS
Who were townships allocated to?
housing black migrants
TOWNSHIPS
What was the conditions in these townships?
health care and sanitation poor
RURAL SOCIETY
What percentage of land was owned by whites? Who inhabited this land however?
80%
not just whites, black people were the majority on farms
RURAL SOCIETY
What did rural areas allow white to maintain? Why was this?
their racial authority
they worked in a strict hierarchy with black workers doing the hard labour
RURAL SOCIETY
What role did women play?
they were the lynchpin of the rural economy
domestic and agricultural labour
RURAL SOCIETY
Where did men put most labour?
they were migrant labourers in the cities
AFRIKANER CULTURE AND POLITICS
What divided the white population? Who had tried to unite them?
the bitter legacy of the Boer War (British Empire vs Dutch Afrikaners)
some Afrikaners remained resentful about lingering imperial presence and role of English-speaking South Africans in supporting Britain
Jan Smuts, a politician, had aimed to unite them
AFRIKANER CULTURE AND POLITICS
How was Jan Smuts opposed by J.B.M. Hertzog?
Hertzog founded exclusively Afrikaner National Party in 1913
he won 1924 election where he introduced bilingualism of Afrikaans AND English in white schools
AFRIKANER CULTURE AND POLITICS
When and why did Smuts and Hertzog join together in the United Party?
1934
the Great Depression undermined Hertzog
AFRIKANER CULTURE AND POLITICS
However, who split from Hertzog to re-find National Party?
D.F. Malan
AFRIKANER CULTURE AND POLITICS
What was the Great Trek?
1830 = 1/4 Afrikaners left Cape Colony, under British control, to establish independent republics
e.g. Transvaal and Orange Free State
AFRIKANER CULTURE AND POLITICS
Why did the 1930s see an increased pride in Afrikaner culture?
1938 was centenary of Great Trek
was commemorated by dramatic re-enactment
Afrikaans books, magazines and bibles were poured off the presses
AFRIKANER CULTURE AND POLITICS
What was the result of the Great Trek centenary?
Afrikaans books, magazines and bibles were poured off the presses
new communities built
1948 Afrikaner vote became significant
rising sense of Afrikaner self with own language, religion and culture
THE INFLUENCE OF BRITAIN
How was South Africa connected to Britain?
it was a self-governing part of the British Empire
THE INFLUENCE OF BRITAIN
How did Britain influence South Africa?
- British investors dominated mines and industries
- English joint official language
- British sports (rugby and football) were popular across South Africa
THE INFLUENCE OF BRITAIN
What did these strong cultural links encourage South Africa to do?
to join in WW2 on side of Britain
THE INFLUENCE OF BRITAIN
By 1948, what were some Afrikaners attracted to at expense of British rule?
they were attracted to possibility of republican government
