The Dutch arrive in South Africa
Dutch farmers (called Boers) migrate across land inhabited by Bantu and Khoi peoples on horseback and in wagons. The boers seize the land from the people to graze cows and grow crops. They use their shotguns to obtain the land.
The Dutch import slaves from West Africa, Malaysia, and India to South Africa. They establish their dominance over the non - white population.
The british missionairies criticize the way in which the Boers treat the black Africans, the Boers think that they have the right to treat them the way they do, as they feel that they are superior to the Africans.
Africans are but to work in the diamond mines; they do the most dangerous jobs and are payed far less than whites. They live in fenced, patrolled barracks. They were constantly surveyed and oppressed to stop the Africans from revolting.
A constitutional convention is held to give South Africa independence of Britain. The Africans aren't allowed to vote, and it is becoming apparent to the people that they should be treated better.
The Africans lose all of the political rights in 3 out of 4 of Africa's states.
Africans educated in the missionaries try to revolt to resist white rule and gain political power. They are unsuccessful as most of the African population is uneducated and money is very scarce.
The African National Congress is formed. It was created to organise Africans in pursuit of civil rights.
Africans receive 7.3% of the country's land, they make up 80% of the population. They are prohibited from owning land outside their region. Africans are only allowed to be on white land when they are working.
The Africans lose their jobs, which are given to the Whites.
African political rights are weakened and they are only allowed to vote for white representatives.
Less than 30% of Africans are educated and Whites receive five times as much education as the Blacks.
African mine workers are paid twelve times less than their white counterparts and are forced to do the most dangerous jobs. 75,000 African workers go on strike in revolts, and so, the whites use violence to get them back to work; thousands are injured or killed.
The population is split into 3 racial groups; white, blacks and mixed race/ asians. These racial groups and not allowed to intermarry to keep 'racial purity'.
There are specific communities for each of the races (white, colored (mixed race or Indian), and native (African/black) ). The best areas and the majority of the land are reserved for whites. Non-whites are relocated into "reserves." Mixed-race families are forced to live separately.
The white government declares that the lands reserved for black Africans are independent nations. Blacks lose their South African citizenships and become citizens of their new 'homelands'. Africans become foreigners in South Africa and are only allowed to enter, with a passport, if they are doing menial jobs for the whites.
The homelands are too small for the large amounts of people in them In Soweto, for example, seventeen to twenty people live in a four-room house.
A political organization for Africans, encourages peaceful resistance to the discriminatory laws of apartheid. The ANC issues a Freedom Charter that states, "South Africa belongs to all who live in it, black and white, and that no government can justly claim authority unless it is based on the will of the people." The government reacts by arresting people and passing more repressive laws.
All Africans are required to carry identification booklets with their names, addresses, fingerprints, and other information. Africans are frequently stopped and harassed for their passes. Between 1948-1973, over ten million Africans were arrested because their passes were "not in order." Burning pass books becomes a common form of protest.
"separate but not necessarily equal" parks, beaches, post offices, and other public places for whites and non-whites are established. There are also segregated toilets in English and Afrikaans.
A law where the white government supervises the education of all blacks. Schools condition blacks to accept white domination. Non-whites cannot attend white universities.
A large group of blacks in the town of Sharpeville refused to carry their passes. The government declares a state of emergency and responds with fines, imprisonment, and whippings. In all, 69 people die and 187 people are wounded. All African organisations are banned.
Created by the United Nations to support a political process of peaceful change. The Special Committee observes the International Day Against Racism to mark the anniversary of the people who died in the Sharpeville protest.
Nelson Mandela, head of the African National Congress, is jailed.
Organizing by churches and workers increases. Whites join blacks in the demonstrations.
Under the leadership of Steven Biko, helps unify students through the Black Consciousness movement.
People in Soweto riot and demonstrate against discrimination and instruction in Afrikaans, the language of whites descended from the Dutch. The police react with gunfire. 575 people are killed and thousands are injured and arrested. Steven Biko is beaten and left in jail to die from his injuries. Protesters against apartheid link arms in a show of resistance.
Africans go to forbidden regions in search of work. Civil disobedience, demonstrations, and other acts of protest increase.
International campaign to boycott South Africa from governments and people all around the world. Some countries ban the import of South African products, and citizens of many countries pressure major companies to pull out of South Africa. These actions have a crippling effect on the South African economy and weaken the government.
South Africa pressured to end Apartheid by countries. Some of the segregationist laws are repealed.
South Africa President F.W. de Klerk repeals the rest of the apartheid laws and calls for the drafting of a new constitution.
A multiracial, multiparty transitional government is approved.
Elections are held. The United Nations sends 2,120 international observers to ensure the fairness of the elections. The African National Congress, representing South Africa's majority black population. Nelson Mandela, the African resistance leader who had been jailed for 27 years, is elected President.
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