Ryan Nguyen

Ms. Lightner
January 27, 2015
7th Grade ELA 5th Period

The Life of Nelson Mandela

Nelson Mandela was a leader fighting against apartheid in the 1940s-2000s.

He became active in the anti-apartheid movement in his 20s and joined the African
National Congress. He then became the first black president for South Africa in 1994
and served until 1999. He had dedicated his life so South Africans can have the
same amount of power that whites had. He had served a lot of time in prison
because he stood up against apartheid.
Nelson Mandela had gone against apartheid in his early life after he felt how
discrimination really affected South Africans in the 1900s. He was born into a royal
family in the tribe Mvezo. His father who was destined to be chief had lost the title
of Counselor and later lost his fortune. Mandela was only an infant when his father
lost these important things and his mother had to take Mandela to Qunu, an even
smaller tribe in Mvezo. One of his fathers friend had recommended that Mandela be
baptized at the age of 9. Biography.com states His father died of lung disease when
Nelson Mandela was only 9 which caused his life to change drastically. He was
adopted by a chief of the Thembu as a gesture done as a favor to Nelson Mandelas
father. Mandela left his carefree life in Qunu and traveled over to Mqhekezweni.
Biography.com states When Mandela became 16 it was time for him to partake in
his traditional African circumcision ritual to mark his entrance into manhood. Nelson
Mandela participated this ritual with 25 other boys and decided to take this as an
opportunity to learn their customs and he felt ready to make the transition from
boyhood to manhood. In 1993, Mandela attended college at Fort Hare which was
the only residential center for higher learning in South Africa at the time.
Biography.com states In his second year at Fort Hare he was elected as Student
Representative, but the students were dissatisfied with the food and lack of power
the SRC held. The students at Fort Hare decided to boycott until their demands were
met causing Mandela to resign his position as SRC. Mandela was then expelled by
Dr. Kerr because he thought this was an act of insubordination so Mandela decided
to go home after getting expelled from school. Regent Jongintaba was furious at
Mandela after learning that he was expelled from Fort Hare.
Nelson Mandela had begun to do more in life as an adult now that he could
speak out more and become a leader. When Mandela came home, Regent

Jongintaba (The father who adopted Mandela) told Mandela that he had arranged a
marriage for Mandela. Mandela was so shocked by the news and felt trapped so he
ran away from home and settled down in Johannesburg. He worked a variety of jobs
while he was still completing his bachelors degree via corresponding courses. He
then enrolled at the University of Witwatersrand to study law. He became active in
the anti-apartheid movement and joined the African National Congress and was
banded with a group of young Africans within the ANC calling themselves the
African National Congress Youth League. In 1949, the ANC decided to adopt their
methods of boycotts, strikes, civil obedience, and non-cooperation. For 20 years,
Mandela directed peaceful and non-violent attacks against the South African
government and its racial policies. Biography.com states In 1956, Nelson Mandela
and 150 others were arrested and charged with treason for their political advocacy.
In 1961, Mandela, who was formally committed to nonviolent protest, began to
believe that armed struggle was the only way to achieve change. He orchestrated
a three day national workers strike which led to him being arrested for 5 years in
prison. In 1963, he was on trial again with 10 other ANC leaders and they were
sentenced for life imprisonment for political offenses. Biography.com states Nelson
Mandela was then incarcerated (imprisoned) on Robben Island for 18 years of his 27
years in prison. While he was incarcerated he was able to earn a Bachelor of Law
degree through the University of London correspondence program. He and the
other ANC leaders were released in 1990, and Mandela was elected president of the
ANC in 1991. In 1993, he won a Nobel Prize as a symbol of peace making around
the globe. In 1994, he was elected as the first black president of South Africa and
served until 1999. Biography.com states In December 5, 2013 Mandela died of lung
disease at the age of 95. He was given his own day after his death for being a
global peace maker on the day July 18.
Nelson Mandela was a leader to everyone worldwide for leading nonviolent
protests against apartheid. Mandela had decided to do this after going to India and
experiencing discrimination. He decided that he should take a stand against it. He
joined the ANC as an adult so he can help them fight apartheid. He joined this group
because he wanted to change the ways of discrimination in a nonviolent way and
wanted to convey a message to the ANC to start using their techniques. In 1949,
the ANC decided to use their methods of boycotts, strikes, civil obedience, and noncooperation. Biography.com states For 20 years, Mandela directed peaceful,
nonviolent acts of defiance against the South African government and its racial
policies, including the 1952 Defiance Campaign and the 1955 Congress of the
People. Mandela became the president of the ANC and in 1994 he became the first
black South African president and served until 1999. Mandela had worked very hard
to negotiate with President F.W De Klerk to the first multiracial elections.
Nelson Mandela was a strong leader changing the apartheid rule. He became
involved in the anti-apartheid movement in his 20s and joined the ANC. He then
became the first black president for South Africa in 1994 and served until 1999. He

spent a lot of time in prison because he spoke out against apartheid. He was known
for going against apartheid using nonviolent ways and earned his own day on July
18. Nelson Mandela impacted the world because he was a major influence to
citizens, even President Obama, in making the world equal.

Bibliography
Nelson Mandela. Biography.com. A&E Television Networks. Web. 30 January 2015.
http://www.biography.com/people/nelson-mandela-9397017#synopsis

Nelson Mandela Had Died, A Look Back at His Legacy. Biography.com. A&E
Television Networks. Web. 30 January 2015
http://www.biography.com/news/nelson-mandela-has-died-a-look-back-at-hislegacy

Nelson Mandela Comes to America. History.com. A&E Television Networks. Web.

30 January 2015
http://www.history.com/news/nelson-mandela-comes-to-america