Dutch Colonialism and its Effect on Apartheid

1162 Words3 Pages
bulb-icon

Recommended: Segregation | Apartheid Essay

“A crime against humanity…” This is the indictment the United Nations General Assembly issued against apartheid during a meeting in 1973 (Churchil, Hampton, and Simmonds 469). Apartheid, which at its core reeks of racial discrimination, originated in South Africa. At the time, South Africa was under the control of the National Party, a political organization dedicated to elevating Afrikaners, or descendants of the original Dutch settlers, to the highest echelon of South African society through the subjugation of people classified as “non-white,” (Lowe et al. 28 - 30). The National Party accomplished this goal primarily by depriving native groups of an education in addition to their judicial and land rights.
Among the most inhumane crimes committed by the Afrikaners was depriving indigenes of their land rights. These crimes began in 1913, when the National Party passed the Land Act, an infamous law that existed purely to separate native groups and whites (“Land, Labour and Apartheid”). The separation enacted by this law was part of a policy called segregation, the predecessor to apartheid (“Land, Labour and Apartheid”). Millions of people classified as “non-white” were separated into areas set aside for them — the homelands (“Land, Labour and Apartheid”).
As the National Party’s goal was to oppress, the Land Act was naturally unfair. Though about three natives existed for each white person (“Census in South Africa”), the government allocated only 7.5% of South Africa’s land for native groups, and this land was poor and infertile (“Land, Labour and Apartheid”). Additionally, natives could not own land outside of their preset areas; this created a huge issue for natives who possessed land in white-only areas as they had to either wor...

... middle of paper ...

...nd, Labour and Apartheid.” South African History Online. South African History Online, n.d. Web. 21 January 2014. .
Lowe, Christopher C., et al. ”South Africa." Encyclopædia Britannica Online. Encyclopædia Britannica Inc., 21 January 2014. Web. 14 January 2014. .
O’Malley, Padraig. “Torture and Death in Custody.” O’Malley The Heart of Hope. Nelson Mandela Centre of Memory, n. d. Web. 22 January 2014. . Sheppard, Nathaniel, Jr. “Sacrificing Life with Family for S. Africa Work.” Chicago Tribune. Tribune Company, 9 December 1985. Web. 17 February 2014.

Show More
Related

  • The Connection between Slavery, Growth of Capitalism, and Colonization

    1143 Words  | 3 Pages

    Alexander, N, (2002) “’Race’ and class in South Africa historiography: An overview”, An ordinary country, Scottvile: University of Natal Press.

    Read More

  • Kaffir Boy Analysis

    1343 Words  | 3 Pages

    Although the struggle for equal rights, food, welfare and survival were all central themes in both narratives, through this essay one could see how similar but at the same time distinctive the injustices for race relations were in South Africa’s apartheid regime and in the Jim Crow South’s segregation era were. The value for education, the struggle to survive and racism were all dominant faces that Anne Moody and Mark Mathabane faced on a day to day basis while growing up that shaped they their incredible lives with.

    Read More

  • British Imperialism In South Africa

    425 Words  | 1 Pages

    Imperialism is the act of expanding a country through diplomatic means. The British imperialized South Africa. One reason for doing so is because of South America’s natural resources. Useful resources such as diamonds, gold, tin, copper, and plants could be found in South Africa. The British also had new markets to sell to. Britain has control over South Africa’s natural resources and could use those resources to trade with other countries. In addition, the British believed in European superiority. The Europeans were racist and had racist beliefs in Social Darwinism, the idea that Europeans were more advanced and had the right and duty to bring their progress to other countries.

    Read More

  • Effects Of Imperialism In South Africa

    1179 Words  | 3 Pages

    Imperialism is a policy based on the ideas of conquering less industrialized countries in order to gain more power, wealth and to increase a nation’s cultural influence. Imperialism took a tight hold on the modernized world after the industrial revolution, as more developed countries through military force started to conquer surrounding countries, and quickly became a global policy. Imperialism left a lasting affecting on the whole world and the result of the idea was not always for the best. An example of such a case was seen in South Africa where due to British rule, apartheid and segregation grew rampant.

    Read More

  • Desegregation, Busing, and Schools

    2536 Words  | 6 Pages

    Massey, Douglas A. and Nancy A. Denton. American Apartheid. Cambridge, MA: Harvard University Press, 1993.

    Read More

  • Hendrik Verwoerd And The Apartheid Essay

    411 Words  | 1 Pages

    Apartheid as defined by Hendrik Verwoerd is a policy in which one can do in the direction of what one regards as an idea . Apartheid is the form of a systematic segregation where people are isolated by social-economic status, race, gender and other classifications. Race is a coined modern term in which people are classified upon their distinct physical characteristics. Oxford dictionary explains that racism is prejudice, discrimination, or antagonism directed against someone of a different race based on the belief that one’s own race is superior. In South Africa, the Apartheid legislation began in 1856 beginning with the Masters and Servants Act of 1856 . Over the years, multiple prime ministers up held this act and added even more to the Apartheid legislation. In the constant reinforcement of the apartheid, South Africa elected J.G Strijdom as the Prime Minister in November of 1954. He was a firm believer of segregation and he believed that the country should be full of pure white bred people . After he died,

    Read More

  • The Apartheid of Music in South Africa

    724 Words  | 2 Pages

    Apartheid essentially aimed at keeping non-white communities from thriving in any way, through racial segregation. Amandla! Focuses on the apartheid that took place in South Africa, primarily from 1948 to 1994 (1). This segregation was headed by the National Party government, which was run by a group of Afrikaner nationalists. The National Party government segregated non-whites into contained, separate neighborhoods, which were generally in very poor condition with strict laws. These laws prohibited non-white South Africans to come in contact with white South Africans through separate facilities. One law required non-whites to carry passbooks to restrict their presence in white areas.

    Read More

  • Imperialism in South Africa

    1086 Words  | 3 Pages

    During Imperialistic times South Africa was a region of great resources that was greatly disputed over (Ellis). Europe’s main goal during these times was to compete against each other and played a “game” of which country can imperialize more African countries than the other. Imperialism was a curse to South Africa, because many wars, laws, and deaths were not necessary and would not have happened if South Africa were not imperialized.

    Read More

  • An Essay About Nelson Mandela

    1503 Words  | 4 Pages

    Human history has been marked with long and painful struggles that fought for human rights and freedoms. Discrimination and racial oppression has always been one of the most controversial struggles for mankind. For South Africa, it was a country where black people were oppressed by the white minority. The colonization of South Africa began in the 18th century by the Dutch empire after Dutch trading companies started using its cape as a center for trading between Asia and Europe (sahistory.org.za). Soon after, the British took over the country and declared it part of the British Empire (sahistory.org.za). Decades after, Afrikaners, who descended from the original Dutch settlers that occupied South Africa, started working on creating a state that separates between black people and whites. Their plans were to create a separation between black people and whites that involved excluding blacks from all types of social, economic, and political activities within the country. All South African natives knew the bad conditions that their people were forced to live in but only a few of them took the responsibility of sacrificing their lives and freedom for the rights of their people. One South African citizen, Nelson Mandela, can be considered the main hero for the South African freedom revolution and the hero for millions of people fighting for their freedoms worldwide. Mandela’s long walk for freedom defined South African history and entered world history as one of the most influential fights for freedom and human rights in the world.

    Read More

  • Qualitative and Quantitative Research Methods

    1696 Words  | 4 Pages

    Coster, P., & Woolf, A. (Eds.).(2011). World book: South Africa’s Anti-Apartheid Movement, (pp. 56-57). Arcturus Publishers: Chicago.

    Read More

  • South African Apartheid

    1513 Words  | 4 Pages

    South Africa really began to suffer when apartheid was written into the law. Apartheid was first introduced in the 1948 election that the Afrikaner National Party won. The plan was to take the already existing segregation and expand it (Wright, 60). Apartheid was a system that segregated South Africa’s population racially and considered non-whites inferior (“History of South Africa in the apartheid era”). Apartheid was designed to make it legal for Europeans to dominate economics and politics (“History of South Africa in the apartheid era”).

    Read More

  • The Legacy of Apartheid in South Africa

    1631 Words  | 4 Pages

    It can be easily stated that the apartheid movement bestowed cruel and unusual punishments upon the people of South Africa, in order to execute its purpose. However, apartheid could have not been carried out if they were not individuals who believed in its principles. In order to understand the National parties ideologies regarding the issue of apartheid, it is essential to acknowledge the history of Boer soc...

    Read More

  • The Conflict Between the Ukraine and Russia

    1600 Words  | 4 Pages

    Bottaro, Visser and Nigel Worden. 2009. In Search of History Grade 12. South Africa Oxford University Press.

    Read More

  • Theme Of Apartheid In J. M. Coetzee's Disgrace

    995 Words  | 2 Pages

    Old South Africa is best described by Mark Uhlig, “The seeds of such violent conflict in South Africa were sown more than 300 years ago, with the first meetings of white settlers and indigenous black tribes in an unequal relationship that was destined one day to become unsustainable” (116).

    Read More

  • Nelson Mandela Interview Questions And Interview

    1075 Words  | 3 Pages

    What are some examples of the apartheid law and which law do you dislike the most/ disagree

    Read More

More about Dutch Colonialism and its Effect on Apartheid

Open Document