Research Paper On Nelson Mandela
Nelson Mandela was an inspiring leader who spent his entire adult life working for equality and justice in South Africa. Mandela has inspired people around the world to work non-violently for a better life. Mandela is known by his supporters as "Madiba," his clan name, or by "Tata", which means "father."
Mandela was born on January 18, 1918, in Mvezo, Transkei, in the southeast of South Africa. He was named Rolihlahla, which means "troublemaker" in the Xhosa language. Mandela's grandfather was the ruler of the Thembu people and his father was a local chief.
Mandela was the first person in his family to attend school (both of his parents were illiterate). On the first day of school, a teacher at the Methodist mission school, Miss Mdingane, re-named him Nelson because all of the children had to be given Christian names. Nelson did well in school and went on to graduate from college and attend law school at University of the Witwatersrand where Mandela was the only black African student in his class. Mandela once said, "Education is the most powerful weapon which you can use to change the world." …show more content…
By 1942, Mandela was involved in many political causes.
He began to attend meetings of the African National Congress, or ANC, a revolutionary group whose aim was to fight apartheid, laws establishing racial separation and oppression in South
Africa.
Mandela helped found the African National Congress Youth League (ANCYL) in 1944. He organized boycotts and strikes to fight for voting rights and equality for black South Africans. In 1944, he married a nurse, Evelyn Ntoko Mase, whom he met through Evelyn’s cousin, Walter Sisulu. They had four children together before getting divorced in 1958. He married Nomzamo Winne Madikizela later that year and they had two children together.
In 1956, Mandela and over 100 associates of his, were arrested for treason. Though not ideal, this gave the Congress Alliance, which consisted of leaders from the ANC, Congress of Democrats, South African Indian Congress, Coloured People’s Congress, and the South African Congress of Trade Unions, a chance to meet undisturbed, an occurrence that the government of South Africa had been trying to prevent. They were accused of creating a “conspiracy to use violence to overthrow the present government and replace it with a Communist state.” Over the next four years, several different indictments were issued against smaller numbers of people until it was down to 30 people. They were all later acquitted due to judges believing that no violence was used or planned. Overall, the trials took four years, cost millions of dollars, and many people lost their jobs.
In 1960, the ANC was banned in South Africa.The ANC continued to operate underground and was beginning to be recognized around the world as the voice of the vote-less people in South Africa. In 1964 ,Nelson Mandela was sentenced to life in prison for actively opposing apartheid. In 1990, after 27 years in prison, Mandela was released when South African President F.W. de Klerk demanded it. Upon his release, Mandela worked with de Klerk to repeal apartheid and stop the ever increasing violence in South Africa. Mandela also established multi-racial elections which began in 1994. For his efforts and accomplishments, Mandela shared the Nobel Peace Prize with F.W. de Klerk in 1993.
In 1994, South Africa held its first truly democratic, non-racial election and Nelson Mandela was chosen as president. Mandela championed reconciliation, the peaceful resolution of grievances after decades of repressive laws against black South Africans. Without Mandela's guidance, South Africa very well could’ve had a very bloody civil war.
In 1994, Mandela published an autobiography, "Long Walk to Freedom.” He also formed the Truth and Reconciliation Commission in 1995, chaired by the Archbishop Desmond Tutu. The Commission was a court-like group that was created to document the horrors that the Afrikan apartheid police state had perpetrated against black people, thus beginning to heal the rift that had formed between races in South Africa.
Freedom Day, which is celebrated on April 27 each year, celebrates the anniversary of South Africa's first real democratic elections, in which Mandela was elected president.
Mandela was President of South Africa until 1999 when he refused a second term, as many South African presidents do. Mandela established the Nelson Mandela Foundation and the Mandela Rhodes Foundation. On his 80th birthday, he married Graça Machel after divorcing Winne in 1996. He published a second book, "Conversations with Myself," in 2010.
On December 5, 2013, at the age of 95, Rolihlahla Mandela died in his home in Johannesburg. He died of natural causes after a long illness. The legacy that he created will be forever remembered.
Mandela was born on January 18, 1918, in Mvezo, Transkei, in the southeast of South Africa. He was named Rolihlahla, which means "troublemaker" in the Xhosa language. Mandela's grandfather was the ruler of the Thembu people and his father was a local chief.
Mandela was the first person in his family to attend school (both of his parents were illiterate). On the first day of school, a teacher at the Methodist mission school, Miss Mdingane, re-named him Nelson because all of the children had to be given Christian names. Nelson did well in school and went on to graduate from college and attend law school at University of the Witwatersrand where Mandela was the only black African student in his class. Mandela once said, "Education is the most powerful weapon which you can use to change the world." …show more content…
By 1942, Mandela was involved in many political causes.
He began to attend meetings of the African National Congress, or ANC, a revolutionary group whose aim was to fight apartheid, laws establishing racial separation and oppression in South
Africa.
Mandela helped found the African National Congress Youth League (ANCYL) in 1944. He organized boycotts and strikes to fight for voting rights and equality for black South Africans. In 1944, he married a nurse, Evelyn Ntoko Mase, whom he met through Evelyn’s cousin, Walter Sisulu. They had four children together before getting divorced in 1958. He married Nomzamo Winne Madikizela later that year and they had two children together.
In 1956, Mandela and over 100 associates of his, were arrested for treason. Though not ideal, this gave the Congress Alliance, which consisted of leaders from the ANC, Congress of Democrats, South African Indian Congress, Coloured People’s Congress, and the South African Congress of Trade Unions, a chance to meet undisturbed, an occurrence that the government of South Africa had been trying to prevent. They were accused of creating a “conspiracy to use violence to overthrow the present government and replace it with a Communist state.” Over the next four years, several different indictments were issued against smaller numbers of people until it was down to 30 people. They were all later acquitted due to judges believing that no violence was used or planned. Overall, the trials took four years, cost millions of dollars, and many people lost their jobs.
In 1960, the ANC was banned in South Africa.The ANC continued to operate underground and was beginning to be recognized around the world as the voice of the vote-less people in South Africa. In 1964 ,Nelson Mandela was sentenced to life in prison for actively opposing apartheid. In 1990, after 27 years in prison, Mandela was released when South African President F.W. de Klerk demanded it. Upon his release, Mandela worked with de Klerk to repeal apartheid and stop the ever increasing violence in South Africa. Mandela also established multi-racial elections which began in 1994. For his efforts and accomplishments, Mandela shared the Nobel Peace Prize with F.W. de Klerk in 1993.
In 1994, South Africa held its first truly democratic, non-racial election and Nelson Mandela was chosen as president. Mandela championed reconciliation, the peaceful resolution of grievances after decades of repressive laws against black South Africans. Without Mandela's guidance, South Africa very well could’ve had a very bloody civil war.
In 1994, Mandela published an autobiography, "Long Walk to Freedom.” He also formed the Truth and Reconciliation Commission in 1995, chaired by the Archbishop Desmond Tutu. The Commission was a court-like group that was created to document the horrors that the Afrikan apartheid police state had perpetrated against black people, thus beginning to heal the rift that had formed between races in South Africa.
Freedom Day, which is celebrated on April 27 each year, celebrates the anniversary of South Africa's first real democratic elections, in which Mandela was elected president.
Mandela was President of South Africa until 1999 when he refused a second term, as many South African presidents do. Mandela established the Nelson Mandela Foundation and the Mandela Rhodes Foundation. On his 80th birthday, he married Graça Machel after divorcing Winne in 1996. He published a second book, "Conversations with Myself," in 2010.
On December 5, 2013, at the age of 95, Rolihlahla Mandela died in his home in Johannesburg. He died of natural causes after a long illness. The legacy that he created will be forever remembered.