Witness History

by JeanHayward (Author)

• Used

  Hardcover
  1989

  $128.84

  This series examines the major historical topics through a mixture of narrative and analysis of the key issues involved. Each book is designed to introduce the reader to a wide range of exciting contemporary issues and aims to encourage readers in the handling and assessment of original historical material. In this book the author looks at political and economic events in South Africa since 1948, tracing the growth of apartheid and putting it in an historical context. Since the Nationalist Party won the 1948 elections in South Africa the system of apartheid has dominated the social and political situation. This text traces the origins of apartheid from the early white settlers and looks at the gold and diamond mining industries, Britain's role in the development of the country and the growing power struggle between blacks and whites. It examines the pass laws, Bantustans and the reasons behind them, the emergence of black consciousness and resistance leading to events such as the Sharpeville massacre and the government's responses to them. South Africa's relations with neighbouring countries such as Namibia, Angola and Zimbabwe and the rest of the world are considered and the question of sanctions and boycotts considered. The text uses a variety of source material - quotations, statistics and poems - and is illustrated with photographs, posters and South African art.