South Africa

How did the mixed race colored population originate?

The slaves, white settlers, and Khoisan interbred and their descendants became the mixed-race colored population.

What was "deep mining"?

The type of mining needed to recover gold,it required thousands of workers and great deal of capital for machinery. The work was difficult and dangerous.

What does Mfecane mean?

"Time of troubles"

From 1976-1981, how many homelands were created?

4 homelands, denationalizing 9,000,000+ South Africans.

What was the Great Trek?

A defining moment for Afrikaner identity, it was a migration from 1836-1850 in which thousands of Afrikaners migrated north out of what was now the British Cape Colony.

What was the Mineral Revolution?

A series od economical changes that would transform the economy, the politics, and the race relations of South Africa on a scale similar to the Industrial Revolution in the US.

What was the Mfecane?

A series of complex changes that many African groups underwent during the 1810s-1830s.

Describe what happened to the workers in the mines after the British started 'forcing' them to work there?

A wave of unskilled men, faced with fewer choices as a result of land losses and taxation, arrived to work on the mines. Many of the diamond workers were placed in closed compounds so that they could be completely controlled by the mine owners and to prevent theft.

What was the supreme goal of apartheid?

According to the Nationalist Party, was to establish racial separation legally and maintain white authority.

What happened to Afrikaners as a result of their experiences from the war?

Afrikaner nationalism began to grow significantly.

Why did Asians come to South Africa?

After British landowners experienced a labor shortage when they established sugarcane plantations in the Natal colony in the mid-1800s, they imported thousands of workers from India. From 1860-1866, 6,000 Indians arrived in Natal as indentured servants, marking the beginning of a permanent Indian community in South Africa.

How did the British gain control of the Dutch East India Company and Cape Colony?

After the Napoleonic Wars, the British took over the bankrupt Dutch East India Company and the Cape Colony. They assumed official control in 1806.

In unified South Africa, who could vote?

All white males could vote, but only some Africans had voting rights, and those were limited.

What happened in Transvaal that happened 4 years prior to the South African War of 1899-1902?

An attempted coup against the Afrikaner leadership further increased tensions and within 4 years the Afrikaners launched attacks against the British.

What epidemic spread in 1896-97 and what did it do to many Africans?

An epidemic spread through the cattle, killing 90% of the cattle and further destroying the black African societies. Many Africans became dependent on whites for their survival.

When and where did the Bantu-speaking people come into South Africa?

Around 200 CE. They expanded from the east coast of Africa into the southern areas. By the 1500s, these farmers had occupied nearly all of the land in the eastern half of South Africa and had developed into several fluid tribal groups, such as the Zulu and the Xhosa.

Describe the encounters between the trekboers and the native people.

As the Boers moved away from the original settlement at Cape Town, they became increasingly removed from communication with the European world while simultaneously having more interactions with Africans.

How were people "sorted" into homelands?

Black Africans were assigned to a homeland based on their tribal grouping, which was in accordance with their record of origin. Often times, these records of origin were incorrect.

What happened to blacks who opposed the Separate Representation of Voters Act?

Blacks who rejected the restriction risked imprisonment and/or death. Since 1963, the Security Police had killed 100+ people in political confinement. Tens of thousands were imprisoned, many without trials or access to lawyers, relatives, or friends. Thousands more died in political protests, many gunned down by the police or the military

What encouraged the whites to turn to slave labor? Where did most of them come from?

Cost-cutting measures and concern for profits encouraged them to turn to slave labor.

What happened to the political rights of those living in the homelands?

Every political right held by black Africans was restricted to their designated homeland, including the right to vote. The South African government established this law in hopes of black Africans becoming citizens of their designated homelands, thereby forfeiting their citizenship to South Africa. Along with their loss of citizenship, blacks lost every right to take part in South African government, which held complete dominance over their homelands.

What could happen if you didn't have your passbook on you?

Forgetting to carry the dompas, misplacing it, or having it stolen rendered one liable to arrest and imprisonment. Each year, 250,000+ blacks were arrested for technical offenses under the Pass Laws.

What was Riebeeck initially ordered to do?

He was ordered by the Company only to barter with the local Khoisan natives for cattle and to grow fruits and vegetables. All non-essential contact with the natives was to be avoided because the trading company feared the costs of settling disputes or administering a colony

4 years after establishing the colony at the Cape of Good Hope, what was Riebeeck ordered to do? What happened because of that?

He was ordered to cut costs by laying off many of the men he had brought with him. Since they needed to make a living, he granted each one a 28-acre farm on grazing land used by the Khoisan.

What was the South African War of 1899-1902 once called? Why is this wrong?

Historians used to call it the Anglo-Boer War. This name implied that black Africans were not involved. On the contrary, blacks fought with both sides, and many suffered from the scorched-earth and concentration camp policies as well. Thousands of black who had worked on Afrikaner farms were rounded up, and additional thousands of African refugees died during the war.

What was "endorsing out" and what effect could it have on the worker and his/her family?

If a worker displeased an employer who in turn refused to endorse the pertinent time period, the worker's right to stay in the area was jeopardized. Government officials had the power to expel the worker from the area by adverse endorsement in the passbook. This was known as 'endorsing out' and could be carried out at any time and for any reason, without explanation. the family of the worker who was 'endorsed out' also forfeited their right to remain in the area and faced eviction and exile to a bantustan.

What happened with the early English settlers?

In 1820, the first large group of English, Scottish, Welsh, and Irish settlers arrived. Unlike earlier settlers, they did not adopt the Afrikaans language or the Afrikaner culture. Their arrival added more complexity to the ethnic mix of the region. The descendants of these settlers became known as "English" regardless of national origin. Many moved inland to establish farms.

When was slavery abolished in South Africa?

In 1834, when the British abolished slavery in all of its colonies.

When and why did the British Government demand political reform in the Afrikaner republic of Transvaal?

In 1895, the British government demanded reform in Transvaal to favor the English people living there and weaken the economic control of Afrikaners.

What was formed in 1912?

In 1912, several hundred mission-educated, conservative African men formed the African National Congres (ANC) to organize Africans and oppose discrimination through petitions and appeals to Great Britain. Recognizing that ethnic rivalries had hampered past attempts at resistance, the ANC stated that "We [the African population] are one people" regardless of ethnic group affiliations.

Who were the first people to make CONTACT with South Africa and when?

In the late 1400s, Portuguese explorers went south along the Atlantic coast of Africa, reaching the Cape of good Hope in 1487. As commerce between Europe and Asia increased, the southern tip of Africa increasingly became of interest to Europeans.

What did the Statue Laws allow the South African government to do?

It allowed them to incarcerate any citizen to a remote region of the country. this harsh banishment meant blacks were forbidden by state mandate to travel, write, or speak publicly, just to name a few sanctions. They had no power to appeal against these sanctions.

What did the unification of South Africa allow whites to do?

It allowed whites to continue increasing their wealth while preventing blacks from doing the same.

What did the Reservation of Separate Amenities Act of 1953 do?

It created separate facilities to be used by blacks and whites.

What did the Bantu Self-Government Act of 1950 do?

It created the bantustans (homelands) for the black population based upon their tribal groupings.

What did the Group Areas Act of 1950 do?

It divided the lands in which blacks and whites resided into distinct residential zones. This act established the distinct areas of South Africa in which members of each race could live and work, typically setting aside the best urban, industrial, and agricultural areas for whites. Blacks were restricted from renting or even occupying property in the areas deemed as "white-zones" unless they had received permission from the state to do so, granted to those who needed to live near their employers, like household workers.

What happened to Afrikaner and British relationships due to the Mineral Revolution?

It exacerbated (made worse) tensions between the Afrikaner Republics and the British Empire.

What did the peace treaty at the end of the South African War of 1899-1902 detail?

It guaranteed that the British could continue to employ cheap labor at the mine and that the Afrikaners could maintain internal political control.

Did Europeans contribute to the Mfecane?

It is unclear to what extent the Europeans contributed, but some trekbeors took advantage of the temporarily available​ land and some contributed to the violence.

What did the Bantu Education Act of 1953 do?

It provided black pupils with different expectations and future goals than white students. They were given different syllabi and facilities than whites. They were trained for practical work whereas whites were given schooling for a professional job. Elite jobs were set aside for whites while the only reason for blacks to be taught was to make sure that they were of maximum benefit to the economy by training to be artisans, tradesmen, and semi-skilled laborers.

What evolution did South Africa go through as a result of the Mineral Revolution?

It quickly evolved from a rural, agricultural state to an urban, industrial nation with the richest gold and diamond mining areas in the world. The city of Johannesburg, surrounded by gold deposits, became the largest city in sub-Saharan Africa.

What did the Population Registration Act of 1950 do?

It required all citizens of South African to be classified into categories according to their race.

What did the Pass Laws Act of 1952 do?

It required black South Africans over the age of 16 to carry a dompas everywhere and at all times.

What did the Bantu Authorities Act of 1951 do?

It stripped blacks of their rights to participate in the national government of South Africa. It created a basis for ethnic government in African reserves (homelands).

What was the Separate Representation of Voters Act?

It terminated the right of black South Africans to vote in the national governmental elections.

What happened at the Battle of Blood River and what is its importance?

It was a battle on December 16, 1838, between the Zulus and the Afrikaners, which came to symbolize the Afrikaner movement. Although the battle was of minor importance to South African history, Afrikaners mythologized it, claiming that a group of trekboers had gathered to pray, asking God to give them victory in exchange for a church built as soon as possible to worship God and commemorate the as a great anniversary from that day forward.

When did the trekboers finally reach eastern South Africa? How?

It was not until 1811 that the Boer settlers reached eastern South Africa, with the help of British Troops.

Why did Africans fight in the South African War of 1899-1902?

Many Africans believed that their support of the British during the war would lead to further political rights after the British defeated the Afrikaners in 1902, but these hopes did not materialize.

What did the Boers under British rule think of the British?

Many Boers came to hate British rule,and they increasingly felt discriminated against. They also resented that the British authorities returned, in 1835, much of the land seized from the Xhosa, which the trekboers had hoped to use for themselves.

What early methods did the Africans, Coloreds, and Asians use to protest unfair laws? Did they work?

Many participated in tax boycotts, refusing to pay taxes that they felt were unjustly imposed upon them by authorities whom they had no role in choosing. these actions did not succeed in repealing the racist laws and, in fact, thousands of Africans and colored died fighting for more rights.

Describe the early situation of the mines in South Africa.

Many thousands of Africans came to work in the mines, initially as migrant, often skilled workers. Additional thousands developed and staffed new trading routes which grew as a result of the large numbers of people now living in the area. For the first several years, African workers had some control over their decisions about working in the mines.

What shift in British governance did the Mineral Revolution cause?

Mining caused a shift in British governance, which in Cape Colony had emphasized class differences, towards racial segregation. As a result, Africans became poor in way they had not been before mining began.

What happened under apartheid?

More than 25 million blacks had their rights revoked while the less than 5 million whites held the power of government in South Africa.

Were the wages from working in the mines enough to support a family? What happened as a result?

No, they couldn't support a family, so a system of migrant labor began, which involved husbands and fathers leaving for 11 months a year while their families stayed in the countryside as farmers.

Who made the first PERMANENT settlement in South Africa. Where did they make it and why?

On April 6, 1652, Jan van Riebeeck arrived on the behalf of the Dutch East India Company to establish the first permanent settlement at the Cape of Good hope to be used as a provisioning stop for ships traveling from Europe to India and the Spice Islands.

What type of political system did the British begin to develop?

One that was based on class, rather than race, which prevented Boers without property from participating in the government.

What did the Extension to University Education Act do?

Only a few students in the public schools aspired beyond their mediocre training to higher education levels. Those that did were segregated into black universities under this law. Only 14% of black student reached secondary school and even less furthered their education to the university level.

What were "dompas"?

Passbooks

What was the political organization within these Bantu groups?

Political organization within Bantu groups were relatively similar. While farming provided most of their food, the ownership of cattle formed the foundation of political power and chiefdoms developed out of alliances built through marriages and cattle trading. the precolonial South Africa region was ethnically diverse and socially complex.

When were diamonds found in South Africa? Gold?

Prospectors first found diamond deposits in 1867, and diamonds were first successfully excavated in 1871. Gold was successfully excavated in the 1880s.

What did dompas contain?

The individual's fingerprints, photograph, personal details of employment, permission from the government to be in a particular part of the country, qualifications to work or seek work​ in the area, and an employer's reports on worker performance and behavior.

Why did mine owners need to make their mines more profitable?

Since deep mining required a lot of workers and the ore in South Africa was also of poor quality (2 tons of mined ore produced 3/4 of an ounce of gold), mine owners needed low costs to make their mines profitable.

Who formed the Transvaal and The Orange Free State and why?

Small bands of Afrikaners formed these independent republics where they could preserve a society with clear color-based distinctions between master and servant and where the interests of white farmers would come before the claims of the African population.

By 1981, how strict were the laws regarding the homelands?

So strict and severe that black Africans needed passports to enter into South Africa, the land that had formerly been their country of citizenship.

Where did most of the slaves come from?

Some slaves were Khoisan children who had been captured after their parents were killed in raids and battles. Most slaves--about 60,000 over 150 years-- came from Madagascar, Eastern Africa, Western Africa, India, and southeast Asia.

Who created apartheid and why?

Strategists belonging to the Nationalist Party who wanted to guarantee their (white) control over the economy and social system of South Africa.

What did mine owners begin to do to make their mines more profitable?

The British began to impose taxes on the Africans in order to force them to work in the mines so that they could earn enough money to pay those taxes. Mire and more African land was seized-- and people taxed-- as more gold and diamond deposits were found.

How many British soldiers fought in the South African War of 1899-1902? How many Afrikaner soldiers?

The British brought 500,000 troops to South Africa while Afrikaner troops numbered around 40,000.

What happened in 1910?

The British colonies and Afrikaner Republics were joined together as the Union of South Africa.

After unification in 1910, what laws were passed?

The British government passed laws which regulated Africans to the lowest jobs in the mining industry and then made it a criminal offense for blacks to strike. The 1913 Natives Land Act became the first piece of major legislation creating separate areas for Europeans and Africans by limiting African land ownership to specially designated Natives' reserves on 8% of the countryside.

What were the tactics used in the South African War of 1899-1902?

The British implemented a scorched-earth campaign to prevent guerrilla attacks from the Afrikaners. Afrikaner women and children were rounded up and placed in concentration camps where 28,000 died from disease. ​

What did the Immorality Amendment Act of 1957 do?

The Immorality Act prevented showing or having intentions to have any type of relationship between members of a different race.

How did the Khoisan live? Where did they live?

The Khoisans were hunter-gatherers and pastoralist who relied on cattle, sheep, and goats and vast grazing lands for survival. they lived in the deserts of the South-West tip of Africa.

Who were the two groups of earliest inhabitants of South Africa? What are they collectively known by and why?

The San and Khoi Khoi, which are referred to as the Khoisan because they spoke related languages.

Describe what happened during the Mfecane.

The Zulu and surrounding groups competed violently for resources, which became scarce after population growth and drought. Various chiefdoms came under the control of larger groups, sometimes voluntarily for protection from slave raiders from the Cape who started raiding Bantu societies in the early 1800s. Weaker groups were sometimes driven off or killed entirely. Groups expanded and consolidated rapidly, and several powerful African military leaders emerged during the time period.

What was the result of the Mfecane?

The creation of several large African kingdoms with complex political systems.

What foundation did the Mineral Revolution and the structure of the mining economy lay?

The foundation for a completely racially segregated society.

Why did it become difficult for young farmers/trekbeors to seek their fortunes (around 1834)?

The land in the area was becoming more regulated and expensive.

What formed the basis of the new Boer, and later Afrikaner identity?

Their rugged, isolated farming culture.

Who are the Afrikaners? When did people start using this term?

They are the descendants of the early Dutch settlers. reinforced by Protestants arriving from France, German and other European countries. This term meant "African" in the Dutch-based language Afrikaans that developed there. This term came into widespread use in the 1900s. Before, "Dutch" or "Beor" was commonly used.

How did early whites who used slavery begin to see slavery?

They began to see it as not only economically necessary but natural.

What overall effect did the laws that were passed after unification have?

They built on each other to form a system of racial segregation in which whites and Africans had little contact with each other. Later, the designers of the apartheid system would draw from these early laws in their attempt to further limit rights for Africans, coloreds, and Asians.

After taking over Xhosa land, what did the British do?

They burned Xhosa homesteads and grazing lands. the combination of warfare and a deadly cattle disease in the 1850s eventually reduced many Xhosa to poverty.

How long did the Afrikaners celebrate the anniversary of the Battle of Blood River and what did they claim because of it?

They celebrated it late into the 1900s, and used the myth of God's favor to support their claims of superiority.

How did most black Africans feel about the peace treaty at the end of the South African War of 1899-1902?

They felt betrayed, as many had assisted the British forces in their march toward victory. They had expected more rights as a result.

What did the Immorality Act of 1950 and the Mixed Marriages Act of 1949 do?

They prohibited marrying a person outside of one's own race.

Who were the trekboers? How did they initially spread?

They were Boer farmers who slowly spread out from Cape Town, acquiring land along the way. Beyond the frontiers of the Dutch East India Company's land, they lacked the institutions and rules of an organized government.

What happened to the Khoisan who opposed the farmers that once worked for Riebeeck?

They were defeated in sporadic battles. The dutch stole most of their cattle. As a result, some Khoisan entered into agreements as free laborers working for the Dutch, while still others retreated away from European settlements to continue living their traditional lives. The arrival of the Europeans who brought new diseases​ and who disrupted the Khoisan economy, eventually caused the Khoisan population to decline significantly.

What were the laws established under apartheid designed to do?

They were designed to create restrictions based upon race. These restrictions dealt with matters such as land issues, jobs, housing, living areas, personal relationships, constitutional rights and general rights.

Describe "homelands"

They were established by the national government to function as independent states.

Describe the Xhosa people's defence against the trekboers.

They were more unified than the Khoisan and were able to defend their territory more effectively against the advancing Europeans. they outnumbered the settlers, and while they did not have horses or guns, their resistance to the trekbeors was largely successful for about 100 years.

South Africa was the first to accomplish what under apartheid?

They were the first country in the world to officially legalize racism thereby allowing discrimination of people based on the color of their skin.

What was the Suppression of Communism Act of 1950?

This outlawed any type of opposition to apartheid, be it Communist or otherwise. This allowed the South African government to oppress any one person or group they felt posed a threat to their system of apartheid.

How was apartheid legally established?

Through 317 thorough laws that touched every aspect of black living.

Describe alliances between groups in pre-colonial South Africa.

Throughout all of South Africa's early history people of these different groups intermarried, and a clan could change alliance from one chieftaincy to another. Sometimes groups split into 2+ sub-groups.

How did the discovery of precious minerals in South Africa change the British attitude toward inward expansion?

Until precious metals were discovered, the British didn't want to manage the interior of the country, as that would required frequent and expensive military intervention, but after precious minerals were discovered, they expanded their empire through violent conquest of African societies to develop this new industry.

When was apartheid officially established?

When the Afrikaner Nationalist Party came to power in 1948

Who primarily owned the mines in South Africa? Who got rich off of mining?

While Afrikaners got wealthy from the gold mining industry in the late 1800s, the mines themselves were primarily owned by the British.

Was unified South Africa still a part of the British Empire?

While South Africa now enjoyed self-governance, it was still part of the British Empire.

While for some the Great Trek and the formation of the Transvaal and the Orange Free State was a purely economical and political movement, what other motivation did some trekboers have?

While most wanted land, some of the trekboers saw themselves as fulfilling the will of God in a manner they likened to the flight of the Old Testament Israelites from Egypt. The trip was a long, difficult, and often dangerous attempt to seize land from the Africans who lived there.