Nelson Mandela Worked to End Apartheid in South Africa

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I have always thought that Nelson Mandela has been one of the most important people in history. I find it very fascinating that one man could end the Apartheid and that is why I want to find out more about this. South Africa is a country with a past of enforced racism and separation of its multi-racial community. The White Europeans invaded South Africa and started a political system known as 'Apartheid' (meaning 'apartness'). This system severely restricted the rights and lifestyle of the non-White inhabitants of the country forcing them to live separately from the White Europeans. I have chosen to investigate how the Apartheid affected people’s lives, and also how and why the Apartheid system rose and fell in South Africa.

Racial segregation and White supremacy existed in South Africa a long time before the Apartheid began. The Natives Land Act of 1913, marked the beginning of the Apartheid. This act was passed because of pressure by Whites to prevent that the Blacks spread to White areas. Millions of Africans were affected by this. The most cathastrophic thing about the act was that it prevented Black Africans from buying or hiring land in 93% of South Africa. This law incorporated territorial segregation into legislation for the first time since the Union in 1910. (South African History, 2013)

The opposition of the Land Act formed the African National Congress (ANC).
The African National Congress wanted a democratic future where all races would enjoy equal rights. (Encyclopedia, 2008) South Africa was going through a hard time, ”The Great Depression” and ”The World War 2” brought economical problems for the Africans. The government needed to strengthen its policies of racial segregation, and they did. In 1948, the Afrikaner...

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... first free multiracial elections were held and Nelson Mandela was elected President of South Africa, this marked the official end of the Apartheid system.(HistoryWiz, 2013)

Nelson Mandela is known as one of the most world peace fighting and most respected people in history. Nelson Rolihlahla Mandela was the first South African president to be elected in a fully representative democratic election in 1994. He was born 18 July 1918 in South Africa. Mandela was an anti-apartheid activist, and the leader of the armed wing of the African National Congress (ANC). In 1962 he was arrested and convicted of sabotage and other charges, and sentenced to life in prison. Mandela served 28 years in prison, spending many of these years on Robben Island. He was released on February, 11th in 1990. Nelson Mandela is a great factor of why the Apartheid system fell.(Encyclopedia, 1997)

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