Growing up White in Apartheid South Africa

Rudolph Pienaar

Africa

South Africa

Pretoria

Pretoria - Jacaranda City

Pretoria - Jacaranda City

Some (quick) History

European expansion in the period from 1400 - 1900

Spanish

Portugese

Dutch

German

Italian

French

British

European Colonial Extent

The "Modern" era... 

characterized by 

• intense competition between European powers for colonial territories
• the spread of "European" values, culture, and religion.

In almost all cases... 

European powers 

• had little real regard for any "native" peoples in any non-European territory 
  
• believed in their "superiority" based on a combination of culture, technology, and religious dogma 
  

Of all colonial areas... 

Africa (like Asia) was:

• least colonized in terms of "European" numbers
  
• mostly this was due to the climate, size, and relative "lateness" of European colonization

Internal African migrations

Ok... enough of that... how about

South Africa?

Dutch arrive... 1652

"Khoikhoi, or San, Peoples"

First wave of European impact

• Dutch establish an outpost at Cape Town for resupply
• Dutch East India Company does not want to create a colony, but one forms slowly
• Influx of Dutch farmers, sailors, artisans, etc

German and French arrival

• Other Europeans arrive: German farmers
  
• Large numbers of French Huguenots
  (somewhat similar to the American Pilgrims)

Birth of the Afrikaner

• This mixture of Dutch, German, and French early colonists formed the Afrikaners, with their own language, identity and concept of "home".
  

British seize the Cape in the early 1800s

British Settlers... 1820

Afrikaner "Trek" and colonies/republics

Gold..!

... and the Boer war

Early 20th century legacy..

• lingering hostility between Afrikaners and English speakers;
  
• Despite forming an ever widening majority, black South Africans were increasing excluded from political, cultural, and economic life