Union of South Africa

1910-1948

The betrayal of Black rights in 1910 laid the legal foundations for apartheid, sparking the rise of modern African Nationalism and the destruction of the independent Black peasantry.

Key Themes

The Great Dispossession
Rise of the ANC
Industrialization
Segregation

Population

Approximately 6 million (1910)

Sources & References

Tap to view 5 sources

Interactive Timeline

2 major events to explore. Tap to reveal more.

Explore the Timeline

Tap on any event to learn more. Each branch reveals deeper layers of history.

Formation of the Union
May 31, 1910

The British and Boers reconcile at the expense of Black rights, excluding the majority from the vote.

The Natives Land Act
1913

The 'Paper Wall' that outlawed black land ownership and destroyed the sharecropper class.

Zania Explore - Your South African Home for Learning and Life