The sharpeville massacre, as the event has become known, signaled the start of armed resistance in south africa, and. The protesters offered themselves up for arrest for not carrying. A total of 69 people were killed including 8 women and 10 children, and 180 people were injured, including 31 women and 19 children. May 12, 2011 the sharpeville massacre, as the event has become known, signalled the start of armed resistance in south africa, and prompted worldwide condemnation of south africas apartheid policies.
Sixtynine protesters died, and the massacre became an iconic moment in the struggle against apartheid. Lodge offers a gripping account of the massacre itself as well as the wider events that accompanied the tragedy, particularly the simultaneous. Darnton is a pioneer in the field of the history of the book. The sharpville massacre took place on 21 march 1960. Get an answer for what started the sharpeville massacre in 1960. The sharpeville massacre started when the black south african protesters rallied outside the police station without their passbooks. Sharpeville massacre sharpeville, gauteng landmark.
Mar 21, 2010 south africans remember the sharpeville massacre on 21 march 1960 as a turning point in the history of political resistance against racial discrimination. The story of the massacre new impression by john prebble isbn. I dont know how many we shot, said colonel piernaar, the local police commander at sharpeville. The sharpeville massacre, 1960 exhibit divestment for. Apartheid nelson mandela guide libguides at cornell. Passes put in jail if you had a wrong stamp in or not have pass book pac anc peaceful protest police shot at protesters.
The sharpeville massacre in 1960 began by blacks protesting the pass laws. This protest was to be led by the anc protest group on the 31st of march but a rival protest group called the panafricanist congress pac, which as stated by brian smith 2010 were a more hardline protest group, held the protest on the 21st of march 1960. Dismayed by the actions of the south african government, many countries boycotted the importation of south african goods and labour organisations refused to. Mar 14, 2020 sharpeville massacre, incident in the black township of sharpeville, near vereeniging, south africa, on march 21 1960, in which police fired on a crowd of black people, killing or wounding some 250 of them. The sharpeville massacre, which occurred on march 21, 1960, in the township of sharpeville, south africa, was the incident that to that point resulted in the deaths of the largest number of south africans in a protest against apartheid it also came to symbolize that struggle. During the sharpeville massacre in 1960 a number of blacks came together outside a police station to protest the pass law. Baileys african history archive view on africa media online. May, 2014 the number of dead surpassed the casualties of the rosewood massacre in florida and rivaled those of the tulsa riots in oklahoma, but the incidentone of the largest mass murders of blacks in american history is now largely forgotten. Download premium images you cant get anywhere else. The role of massacre in history has been given little focused attention either by historians or academics in related fields. Sharpeville, johannesburg, south africa subject keywords. The sharpeville massacre occurred on 21 march 1960, at the police station in the south african township of sharpeville in transvaal today part of gauteng after a day of demonstrations against pass laws, a crowd of about 7,000 protesters went to the police station. It was one of the first and most violent demonstrations against apartheid in south africa, happy sharpeville massacre wise men.
After sharpeville massacre pac leader led peaceful march protest sharpeville massacre police. After a day of demonstrations, at which a crowd of black protesters far outnumbered the police, the south african police opened fire on the crowd, killing 69 people. The sharpeville massacre, as the event has become known, signalled the start of armed resistance in south africa, and prompted worldwide condemnation of. In 1960 it was the site of one of the earliest and most violent demonstrations against apartheid. The sharpeville massacre the sharpeville massacre cmhr. Dozens killed in sharpeville originally published on 22 march 1960 mon 22 mar 2010. That impact is best broken down into its shortterm, mediumterm, and longterm significance. Drum magazine,south africa,october,south african history,black and white image,horizontal,apartheid,politics, 1960, sharpeville massacre,protests,black african people, 1960s original source. When the news of the sharpeville massacre reached cape town a group of between to 5000 protestors gathered at the langa flats bus terminus around 17h00 on 21 march 1960. Now a public holiday, march 21 marks human rights day in south africa, commemorating the sharpeville massacre of 1960, which became a catalyst in the fight against apartheid. Two grief stricken young women being taken home after the one in the middle had viewed her husbands body twister into a lifeless bulk by police gunfire, opposite the. In sharpeville, tom lodge explains how and why the massacre occurred, looking at the social and political background to the events of march 1960 as well as the longterm consequences of the shootings.
Personalities and the past by margaret macmillan, a history of britain in 21 women by jenni murray, chu. On march 21, 1960, police in sharpeville, south africa, shot hundreds of people protesting laws that restricted the movement of blacks. The 1960 sharpeville massacre was the result of a peaceful protest regarding racist south african policies of apartheid. Mar 19, 2020 in the aftermath of the sharpeville massacre, protests broke out in cape town, and more than 10,000 people were arrested before government troops restored order. The journey to the recognition of basic human rights, now entrenched in the bill of rights in south africas post1994 constitution, has begun in earnest. They hac come to hand in their passes to the police and asked to be arrested. The protest was part of the countrywide antipass campaign launched by. In the aftermath of the sharpeville massacre, protests broke out in cape town, and more than 10,000 people were arrested before government troops restored order. Sharpeville massacre simple english wikipedia, the free. Early in 1960 both the anc and pac embarked on a feverish drive to. Dec 17, 20 on march 21, 1960, 3,000 black south africans gathered to protest one of the most hated restrictions against the nations black majority. A journalist remembers sharpeville is one of the oldest townships in southern gautengs vaal triangle. The year 2010 marked the fiftieth anniversary of one of apartheid south africas most infamous atrocities.
The police perceived this as the crowd starting to get hostile, and as they were already apprehensive from an earlier protest getting out of hand and due to the unsuccessful attempts at. In the aftermath of the sharpeville massacre, protests. Sharpeville massacre history bibliographies cite this for me. The sharpeville massacre, as the event has become known, marked the start of armed resistance in south africa, and prompted worldwide condemnation of south africas apartheid policies. On the day, a group of between 5,000 and 10,000 people converged at the local police station in the township of sharpeville, offering themselves up for arrest for not carrying their passbooks 3. How the 1960 sharpeville massacre sparked the birth of. Remembering sharpeville the sharpeville massacre on 21 march 1960 was a turning point in south african history. It had wide ramifications and a significant impact. The demonstrators were protesting against the south african governments restriction of nonwhite travel. Sharpeville and its massacre is much more detailed in the present book, lodges account of the development of the pac and the african national congress anc, the mother organization from which the africanists broke away. On march 21, 1960, police officers in a black township in south africa opened fire on a group of people peacefully protesting oppressive pass laws, killing 69.
Click download or read online button to get sharpeville book now. In 1960 police opened fire on a crowd in the township of sharpeville, killing 76 and injuring hundreds of others, a woman lies dead a. Sharpeville 21 march 1960 in 1960 the ana, ac pac started new campaigns against the hate. Sharpeville was much more than a single tragic event. Robert choate darnton born may 10, 1939 is an american cultural historian and academic. Sharpeville massacre, 21 march 1960 south african history online. In similar demonstrations at the police station in vanderbijlpark, another person was shot. In the first of a new video series on bbc culture, through the lens, he. The enforcement of pass laws and the reissue of laws that restricted the. On 21 march 1960, the police opened fire on a group of demonstrators who had gathered peacefully outside sharpeville police station in response to a nationwide call by the panafricanist congress pac to protest against the hated pass system. The sharpeville massacre aroused outrage against the south african government and worldwide support, awareness and sympathy for the antiapartheid activism in south africa increased. Sep 18, 2015 the massacre at lattimer was the largest in u. This weekend it is exactly 55 years since the name of this small place reverberated around the world. Sixtynine people were killed in the township of sharpeville when south african police opened fire on a crowd of black protesters.
On march 21, 1960, a line of 150 white policemen fired 44 rounds into a crow. Sobukwe leads a march to orlando police station in march 1960, where he and the partys leadership are arrested, just after they learned of the massacre in sharpeville. It was one of the first and most violent demonstrations against apartheid in. Mar 21, 2012 the sharpeville massacre represents a turning point in the history of apartheid. Although the reconstruction of events on and around 21 march 1960 also narrated by philip frankel in an ordinary atrocity. The event also played a role in south africas departure from the commonwealth of nations in 1961. Sharpeville massacre, incident in the black township of sharpeville, near vereeniging, south africa, on march 21 1960, in which police fired on a crowd of black people, killing or wounding some 250 of them. Good deep analysis of the notorious 1960 massacre at sharpeville, transvaal, in the old union of south africa. Sharpeville massacre kids britannica kids homework help.
Mar 21, 2010 as south africa prepares to remember the 50th anniversary of the sharpeville massacre, unease permeates the township, writes the bbcs karen allen. At some stage all hell will break loose half a century after massacre that shifted course of south african history, township is still bristling with anger audio. Sharpeville massacre, 1960 in 1960 blacks formed outside a police station in sharpeville to protest the pass laws they burnt their reference books the police opened fire on the crowd 67 demonstrators were killed the anc was outlawed this ended the nonviolence movements. On 21 march 1960 at least 180 black africans were injured there are claims of as many as 300 and 69 killed when south african police opened fire on approximately 300 demonstrators, who were protesting against the pass laws, at the township of sharpeville, near vereeniging in the transvaal.
On 24 march 1960, in protest of the massacre, regional secretary general of the pac, philip kgosana, led a march of 101 people from langa to the police headquarters in caledon square, cape town. They did not hesitate to burn their reference books, and police eventually open fired on the crowd. Its been 60 years since the sharpeville massacre, when 69 unarmed civilians were killed by armed south african police on march 21 1960. The south african police opened fire on the crowd, killing 69 people and injuring 180 others. The sharpeville massacre, as the event has become known, signalled the start of armed resistance in south africa, and prompted worldwide condemnation of south africas. A apartheid massacre and its consequences as want to read. May 12, 2011 the sharpeville massacre, as the event has become known, marked the start of armed resistance in south africa, and prompted worldwide condemnation of south africas apartheid policies. Relying on fascinating archival testimonies of demonstrators but little from the police lodge explains that the protests had been organized by the pan. Sharpeville massacre was turning point in antiapartheid. By anthony yeung on monday 21st march 1960, two days after the pan africanist congress pac a spinoff group of the african national congress anc announced that it would commence its own nationwide anti pass campaign in their johannesburg conference, members of the pac intentionally left their reference books passes at home, so that the south african police would be able to imprison. The banning of the two protest groups forced antiapartheid leaders underground and convinced them to end their campaigns of passive, nonviolent resistance in favor of armed struggle. The most recent of the controversial textbooks, the new history textbook. The remains of thirtyfour victims, male and female and ranging in age.
It was one of the first and most violent demonstrations against apartheid in south africa. In 1959 a group of african national congress members formed the pan africanist congress which organized a demonstration on march 21, 1960 in sharpeville where 69 people were killed by police in what is now called the sharpeville massacre. The anc was outlawed, and nonviolence movements ended. Sharpeville massacre, march 21, 1960, incident in the black township of sharpeville, near vereeniging, south africa, in which police fired on a crowd of black people, killing or wounding some 250 of them. Sharpeville is a township near vereeniging, in the gauteng province of south africa. Inevitably, when a government begins shooting people in the streets it has lost its mandate to rule and its collapse is but a matter of time.
On march 21, 1960, a line of white policemen outside the sharpeville s police station fired 44 rounds into the crowd gathered in the public square. I will argue that the massacre created a major shortterm crisis for the apartheid state, a crisis which appeared to. In the black township of sharpeville, near johannesburg, south africa, afrikaner police open fire on a group of unarmed black south african demonstrators, killing 69 people and wounding 180 in. Find highquality sharpeville stock photos and editorial news pictures from getty images. To read more witness accounts of the sharpeville massacre, click on the.
Time magazine, 1960, the sharpeville massacre, time magazine online, 4 aprilapartheid legislation in south africa online, available at. Japanese history textbook controversies involve controversial content in one of the. Sharpeville, home to 26,000 blacks within the larger town of vereeniging, located south of johannesburg, seemed an unlikely setting for a watershed moment in the history of apartheid resistance. South africa remembers sharpeville massacre, 21 march 1960.
Half a century has passed but memories of the sharpeville massacre still run deep. The sharpeville massacre was when a crowd of between 5,0007,000 black people protested at the police station in sharpeville, south africa on march 21, 1960. Lodges study of the sharpeville massacre is a meticulous but overstuffed history of the 1960 clash between black protestors and white policemen in the south african township of sharpeville, which left 67 protestors dead and nearly 200 wounded, most shot in the back while running away. These are the sources and citations used to research sharpeville massacre.
Causes of the sharpeville massacre 1710 words bartleby. On 21 march 1960 several hundred black africans were injured and 69 killed when south african police opened fire on demonstrators in the township of sharpeville, protesting against the apartheid regimes racist pass laws. In 1960 blacks formed outside a police station in sharpeville to protest the pass laws they burnt their reference books the police opened fire on the crowd 67 demonstrators were killed the anc was outlawed this ended the nonviolence movements. Eyewitnesses said men, women and children fled like rabbits as up to 300 officers began randomly shooting into a 5,000strong crowd outside the municipal offices in. Sharpeville massacre from sharpeville to soweto to marikana. Timeline of south african photographic books and exhibitions 1958 2003.
In sharpeville, tom lodge explains how and why the massacre occurred, looking at the social and political background to the events of march 1960 as well as the. Sharpeville marked a turning point in south africas history. Dec 18, 20 the sharpeville massacre also touched off three decades of protest in south africa, ultimately leading to freedom for nelson mandela, who had spent 27 years in prison. Sharpeville marked unquestionably a turning point in the struggle for liberation in azania. Sunday marks the 50th anniversary of the day that changed the course of south african history. Then there is sharpeville, a massacre that was waiting to happen, one of those events that define the history of a people. An apartheid massacre and its consequences first edition by lodge, tom isbn. Sharpeville, a black suburb outside of vereeniging about fifty miles south of johannesburg, was through the 1950s. This was in direct defiance of the governments countrywide ban on public meetings and gatherings of more than ten persons. Before the massacre, white officials considered sharpeville a small, insignificant, and even a. On the morning of 21 march 5 000 peon e gathered at the sharpeville police station near onannesburg to start the pac campaign.
The significance of the date is reflected in the fact. Sharpeville massacre history 12 history 12 paris treaty. Sharpeville massacre, march 21, 1960, incident in the black township of sharpeville, near vereeniging, south. In the aftermath of the events of 21 march, mass funerals were held for the victims. Prime members enjoy free twoday delivery and exclusive access to music, movies, tv shows, original audio series, and kindle books. They burnt their reference books and refused to put out the fire, which resulted in 67 deaths. Sharpeville massacre marked turning point in south africas. The events at sharpeville deeply affected the attitudes of both black and white in south africa and provided a major stimulus to the development of an. Everyday low prices and free delivery on eligible orders. This bibliography was generated on cite this for me on tuesday, october 27, 2015. The sharpeville massacre occurred on 21 march 1960, at the police station in the south african township of sharpeville in the transvaal today part of gauteng.
Magnum photographer ian berry was at the sharpeville massacre in march 1960. Sep 22, 2009 leading up to the sharpeville massacre, the apartheidsupporting national party government under the leadership of hendrik verwoerd used these laws to enforce greater segregation,1 and, in 1959 1960, had extended them to include women. This is surprising as its prevalence and persistence surely demands that it should be a subject of serious and systematic exploration. The anniversary of the sharpeville massacre is remembered the world over every march 21 on the international day for. The sharpeville massacre 0 march 21 is the day on which we remember and sing praises to those who perished in. History of apartheid in south africa 730 words 3 pages. Bbc news south africas sharpeville recalls 1960 massacre. The savage massacre of african patriots at sharpeville and other places in south africa on 21 march 1960 is of paramount significance in the struggle against apartheid and needs to be understood in its historical scope. This site is like a library, use search box in the widget to get ebook that you want. Archaeologists have found, for example, evidence of a neolithic massacre in talheim, germany, which is believed to have taken place over seven thousand years ago.
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