Nelson Rolihlahla Mandela was born on July 18th, 1918 into the royal family of the Thembu Xhosa-speaking people. Growing up as the son of the tribal chief he was immersed in a rich sense of justice and fairness regardless of the "whitely" run government. Following his father's death Mandela was the sent to a Methodist boarding where he was the first of his family to receive a formal education and finish his primaries, as well as become a devout Christian. After finishing secondary school at Clarkebury boarding institute and Healdtown, he returned to his village in 1934 to undergo a series of circumcision ceremonies to acquire adulthood. Instead of becoming the chief like he was expected to, he renounced his position and in 1938 attended the University of Fort Hare to practice both law and politics. While at Fort University he focused greatly on his studies and became involved in many activities and sports such as boxing and track until he and Oliver Tambo, a good friend and later an influential politic, were expelled for taking part in a student boycott. He lastly attended Witwatersrand University from which he earned a law degree in 1942 and used his skills and partner, Tambo, to establish the first black law practice in South Africa in 1952.
In 1944 Nelson Mandela joined the ANC otherwise known as the African National Congress and established the ANC Youth League along with others such as Oliver Tambo, Ashley Peter Mda, and Walter Sisulu. While in this political party he created what was known as the Freedom Charter in 1955 that supported non-racial social democracy and used it during peaceful protests and marches. The next year on March of 1956 he and 155 others were arrested and charged with treason for promoting the resistance of pass laws. (Pass laws required blacks to carry around legalization papers in predominantly white populated areas). The charges were later acquitted in 1961. |
See full Testimony to Treason Trial 1956-60 below:
african_national_congress.docx | |
File Size: | 39 kb |
File Type: | docx |