The rise of Afrikaner and African Nationalism History Grade 11 – Topic 4 Essay Questions All grade 11 leaner this page is going to discuss The rise of Afrikaner and African Nationalism Essay Grade 11 Guide for the History Grade 11 Exams preparation this article is very worth.
Afrikaner and African Nationalism Grade 11 Essay Key Points
British Colonies in South Africa
- No South Africa before 1910
- Britain defeated Boer Republics in South African War (1899–1903)
- Four separate colonies: Cape, Natal, Orange River, Transvaal colonies(which are ruled by Britain and needed support of white settlers in colonies to retain power).
Union of South Africa
- In 1908, 33 white delegates met behind closed doors to negotiate independence for Union of South Africa
- Views of 85% of country’s future citizens (black people) not even considered.
- British wanted investments protected, labour supplies assured: agreed to give political/economic power to white settlers
- Union Constitution of 1910 placed political power in hands of white citizens
Cape Province
- small number of educated black, coloured citizens allowed to elect few representatives to Union parliament
- only whites had vote
New Nation
- settler nation’ = no room for blacks with rights
- white citizens called selves ‘Europeans’
- all symbols of new nation = European, e.g. language, religion, school history
- African languages, histories, culture seen as inferior
Racism in the new nation:
- Africans seen as members of inferior ‘tribes’
- could practise traditions in ‘native’ reserves
- in settler (white) nation = required only as workers in farms, mines, factories owned by whites
- black people denied political rights, cultural recognition, economic opportunities.
1910 → large numbers of black South African men forced to become migrant workers on mines, factories, expanding commercial farms.
1913 Natives Land Act → worsened situation: land allocated to black people by Act = largely infertile, unsuitable for agriculture.
Land Act, segregation policies (including in work and economy) and World economic depressions (Great Depression that started in USA) resulted in forced migration of people (blacks and white) in South Africa in the 1920s, 30s, 40s. 1 000s of poor white + black tenant farmers forced off land, into cities:
– some = domestic workers/worked in industry
– did not have such strong ties to old rural/ethnic identities
– two forms of nationalism emerged in SA: African Nationalism and Afrikaner Nationalism
A Guide on How to Write the Rise of Afrikaner and African Nationalism Essay
To write an essay on the rise of Afrikaner and African Nationalism, follow these steps:
- Introduction:
- Provide a brief overview of the historical context leading up to the rise of Afrikaner and African Nationalism.
- Introduce the British colonies in South Africa, the South African War, and the Union of South Africa.
- British Colonies in South Africa:
- Explain the situation in South Africa before 1910, when there was no unified South Africa.
- Discuss the outcome of the South African War and the formation of the four separate colonies (Cape, Natal, Orange River, Transvaal).
- Formation of the Union of South Africa:
- Describe the process that led to the creation of the Union of South Africa, including the 1908 meeting of white delegates.
- Explain how the views of the black majority were ignored and how political and economic power was given to white settlers.
- Union Constitution and Cape Province:
- Discuss the Union Constitution of 1910, which placed political power in the hands of white citizens.
- Talk about the situation in the Cape Province, where a small number of educated black and colored citizens could elect a few representatives to the Union parliament.
- The New Nation:
- Describe how the new nation was a ‘settler nation’ with no room for blacks with rights.
- Discuss how the symbols of the new nation were European, including language, religion, and school history.
- Mention the treatment of African languages, histories, and culture as inferior.
- Racism and its Effects:
- Explain how Africans were viewed as members of inferior ‘tribes’ and were limited to practicing traditions in ‘native’ reserves.
- Discuss the denial of political rights, cultural recognition, and economic opportunities for black people.
- Explain the consequences of this racism, such as the forced migration of black South African men to work as migrant workers in mines, factories, and commercial farms.
- 1913 Natives Land Act:
- Discuss the impact of the 1913 Natives Land Act on the allocation of land to black people.
- Describe how the Act worsened the situation by allocating infertile, unsuitable land for agriculture.
- Migration and the Emergence of Nationalism:
- Explain how the Land Act, segregation policies, and the Great Depression led to forced migration in South Africa.
- Discuss the consequences of this migration for both black and white populations.
- Explain how this migration led to the emergence of African Nationalism and Afrikaner Nationalism.
Essay Question:
To what extent were Black South Africans were deprived of their political, economic, and social rights in the early 1900s and how did this reality pave the way for the rise of African Nationalism? Present an argument in support of your answer using relevant historical evidence.
Background and historical overview:
There was no South Africa (as we know it today) before 1910. Britain had defeated Boer Republics in the South African War which date from (1899–1903). There were four separate colonies: Cape, Natal, Orange River, Transvaal colonies and each were ruled by Britain. They needed support of white settlers in colonies to retain power.
In 1908, about 33 white delegates met behind closed doors to negotiate independence for Union of South Africa. The views and opinions of 85% of country’s future citizens (black people) not even considered in these discussions. British wanted investments protected, labour supplies assured, and agreed on the fundamental question to give political/economic power to white settlers.
This essay pushes back in time to analyse how this violent context in South African history served as an ideological backdrop for the rise of African nationalism in the country and elsewhere in the world.
The Union Constitution of 1910 placed political power in hands of white citizens. However, a small number of educated black, coloured citizens allowed to elect few representatives to Union parliament.
More generally, it was only whites who were granted the right to vote. They imagined a ‘settler nation’ where was no room for blacks with rights. In this regard, white citizens called selves ‘Europeans’. Furthermore, all symbols of new nation, European language (mainly English and Dutch), religion, school history. In this view, African languages, histories, culture were portrayed as inferior.
Therefore, racism was an integral feature in colonial societies, and this essentially meant that Africans were seen as members of inferior ‘tribes’ and thus should practise traditions in ‘native’ reserves. Whilst, on the other hand, in the settler (white) nation, black people were recognized only as workers in farms, mines, factories owned by whites. Thus, black people were denied of their political rights, cultural recognition, economic opportunities, because of these entrenched processes and politics of exclusion.
In 1910 large numbers of black South African men were forced to become migrant workers on mines, factories, expanding commercial farms. In 1913, the infamous Natives Land Act, worsened the situation for black people as land allocated to black people by the Act was largely infertile and unsuitable for agriculture.
Rise of African Nationalism:
In the 19th century, the Western-educated African, coloured, Indian middle class who grew up mainly in the Cape and Natal, mostly professional men (doctors, lawyers, teachers, newspaper editors) and were proud of their African, Muslim, Indian heritage embraced idea of progressive ‘colour-blind’ western civilisation that could benefit all people. This was a more worldly outlook or form of nationalism which recognized all non-white groupings across the colonial world as victims of colonial racism and violence.
However, another form of nationalism recognized the differences within the colonized groups and argued for a stricter and more specific definition of what it means to be African in a colonial world. These were some differences within the umbrella body of African nationalism and were firmly anchored during the course of the 20th century.
African Peoples’ Organization:
One of the African organisations that led to the rise of African nationalism was the African People’s Organisation (APO). At first the APO did not concern itself with rights of black South Africans. They committed themselves to the vision that all oppressed racial groups must work together to achieve anything. Therefore, a delegation was sent to London in 1909 to fight for rights for coloured (‘coloured’. In this context, ‘everyone who was a British subject in South Africa and who was not a European’).
Natal Indian Congress:
Natal Indian Congress Natal Indian Congress (NIC) was an important influence in the development of non-racial African nationalism in South Africa. Arguably, it was one of the first organisations in South Africa to use word ‘congress’. It was formed in 1894 to mobilise the Indian opposition to racial discrimination in Colony.
The founder of this movement was MK Gandhi who later spearheaded a massive peaceful resistance (Satyagraha) to colonial rule. This protest forced Britain to grant independence to India, 1947. The NIC organised many protests and more generally campaigned for Indian rights. In 1908, hundreds of Indians gathered outside Johannesburg Mosque in protest against law that forced Indians to carry passes, passive resistance campaigns of Gandhi and NIC succeeded in Indians not having to carry passes. But, however, they failed to win full citizenship rights as the NIC did not join united national movement for rights of all citizens until 1930s, 1940s
South African Native National Congress (now known as African National Congress):
In response to Union in 1910, young African leaders (Pixley ka Isaka Seme, Richard Msimang, George Montsioa, Alfred Mangena) worked with established leaders of South African Native Convention to promote formation of a national organization. The larger aim was to form a national organisation that would unify various African groups.
On 8 January 1912, first African nationalist movement formed at a meeting in Bloemfontein. South African National Natives Congress (SANNC) were mainly attended by traditional chiefs, teachers, writers, intellectuals, businessmen. Most delegates had received missionary education. They strongly believed in 19th century values of ‘improvement’ and ‘progress’ of Africans into a global European ‘civilisation’ and culture. In 1924, the SANNC changed name to African National Congress (ANC), in order to assert an African identity within the movement.
Industrial and Commercial Workers Union (ICU):
The Industrial and Commercial Workers Union African protest movements that helped foster growing African nationalism in early 1920s. Industrial and Commercial Workers Union (ICU) was formed in 1919 was led by Clements Kadalie, Malawian worker. This figure had led successful strike of dockworkers in Cape Town. Mostly active among farmers and migrant workers. But, only temporarily away from their farms and was very difficult to organise. The central question to pose is to examine the ways in which the World War II influence the rise of African nationalism? Essentially, there were various ways that WW II influenced the rise of African nationalism. Firstly, through the Atlantic Charter, AB Xuma’s, African claims in relation to this Charter. In addition, the influence of politicized soldiers returning from War had a significant impact.
The Atlantic Charter and AB Xuma’s African claims Churchill and Roosevelt issued the Atlantic Charter in 1941, describing the world they would like to see after WWII. To the ANC and African nationalists generally, the Atlantic Charter amounted to promise for freedom in Africa once war was over. Britain recruited thousands of African soldiers to fight in its armies (nearly two million Africans recruited as soldiers, porters, scouts for Allies during war). This persuaded Africans to sign up and Britain called it ‘a war for freedom’. [13]The soldiers returning home expected Britain to honour their sacrifice, however, the recognition they expected did not arrive and thus became bitter, discontented, and only had fought to protect interests of colonial powers only to return to exploitation and indignities of colonial rule.