South Africa

The Dutch & The British

  • Xhosas - Natives of South Africa, first to be encountered by the Dutch, put up resistance, but many died of smallpox

  • Dutch wanted to set up there so they can access India, there was very good farmland there

  • Dutch became Bowers, Bowers used Xhosas as slaves to farm

  • British win Cape Town in Napoleonic Wars, they outlaw slavery and force the Bowers to accept it or leave

  • Bowers choose to leave in the Great Trek with their slaves. They move north and encounter the Zulus

    • The Zulus are fearsome warriors, and the Dutch did not have the Maxim machinegun

    • The Zulus harass the Bowers who continue to move north

  • The Bowers discover Gold and Diamonds and catch the eyes of the British, who take over that area also and seize the gold

  • The British leave South Africa, but before they leave the establish a government

  • The Bowers who are still there choose to create the Apartheid Laws

Apartheid

  • Nationalistic party establishes the severe segregation and limits all rights of Africans, and some of the British White people

  • Many black leaders demonstrated against the Apartheid:

    • Nelson Mandela

    • Desmond Tutu

  • South African Police used violence to suppress protests

  • "Sharpeville" Massacre

    • 60+ people were gunned down

    • Peaceful protest gone wrong

    • Point where the Africans realize peaceful protests won't work and defaulted to bombing buildings

  • 1980's when world started to protest Apartheid

    • Many corporations and countries stopped trade with South Africa

    • Whites realized that it would be bad if they did nothing

    • They gave Mandela the presidency

  • Mandela established the "Truth and Reconciliation" Courts

    • People were to go to court point out all the sins of the accused, and the accused would have to merely apologize.

    • Both whites and blacks had 2 opinions on this

  • Mbeki - followed Mandela as President

    • Destroyed all incoming medicine for HIV and AIDS.