Who is nelson mandela biography prison

Our problems, while distinctive and special, were not unique, and a philosophy that placed those problems in an international and historical context of the greater world and the course of history was valuable. I was prepared to use whatever means necessary to speed up the erasure of human prejudice and the end of chauvinistic and violent nationalism.

Mandela identified as both an African nationalist , an ideological position he held since joining the ANC, [ ] and as a socialist. The historian Sabelo J. Ndlovu-Gatsheni described Mandela as a "liberal African nationalist—decolonial humanist", [ ] while political analyst Raymond Suttner cautioned against labelling Mandela a liberal and stated that Mandela displayed a "hybrid socio-political make-up".

At the same time, he rejected other aspects of their thought, such as the anti-white sentiment of many African nationalists. His political development was strongly influenced by his legal training and practice, in particular his hope to achieve change not through violence but through "legal revolution". Although he presented himself in an autocratic manner in several speeches, Mandela was a devout believer in democracy and abided by majority decisions even when deeply disagreeing with them.

On one side he adhered to ideas about collective leadership, although on the other believed that there were scenarios in which a leader had to be decisive and act without consultation to achieve a particular objective. According to Lodge, Mandela's political thought reflected tensions between his support for liberal democracy and pre-colonial African forms of consensus decision making.

Mandela advocated the ultimate establishment of a classless society, [ ] with Sampson describing him as being "openly opposed to capitalism, private land-ownership and the power of big money". Ellis also found evidence that Mandela had been an active member of the South African Communist Party SACP during the late s and early s, [ ] something that was confirmed after his death by both the ANC and the SACP, the latter of which claimed that he was not only a member of the party, but also served on its Central Committee.

The Freedom Charter, which Mandela had helped create, called for the nationalisation of banks, gold mines and land, to ensure equal distribution of wealth. Mandela was widely considered a charismatic leader , [ ] described by biographer Mary Benson as "a born mass leader who could not help magnetising people". For political scientists Betty Glad and Robert Blanton, Mandela was an "exceptionally intelligent, shrewd, and loyal leader".

Mandela was a private person who often concealed his emotions and confided in very few people. The significance of Mandela can be considered in two related ways. First, he has provided through his personal presence as a benign and honest conviction politician, skilled at exerting power but not obsessed with it to the point of view of excluding principles, a man who struggled to display respect to all Second, in so doing he was able to be a hero and a symbol to an array of otherwise unlikely mates through his ability, like all brilliant nationalist politicians, to speak to very different audiences effectively at once.

He was raised in the Methodist denomination of Christianity; the Methodist Church of Southern Africa claimed that he retained his allegiance to them throughout his life. Mandela was very self-conscious about being a man and regularly made references to manhood. By the time of his death, within South Africa Mandela was widely considered both "the father of the nation" [ ] and "the founding father of democracy".

Mandela's international fame emerged during his incarceration in the s, when he became the world's most famous political prisoner , a symbol of the anti-apartheid cause, and an icon for millions who embraced the ideal of human equality. Mandela generated controversy throughout his career as an activist and politician, [ ] having detractors on both the right and the radical left.

Wilderson III —accused him of selling out for agreeing to enter negotiations with the apartheid government and for not implementing the reforms of the Freedom Charter during his presidency. Over the course of his life, Mandela was given over awards, accolades, prizes, honorary degrees and citizenships in recognition of his political achievements.

John and granted him membership in the Order of Merit. In , Johannesburg granted Mandela the Freedom of the City, [ ] and in a Mandela statue was unveiled at the spot where Mandela was released from prison. It called on individuals to donate 67 minutes to doing something for others, commemorating the 67 years that Mandela had been a part of the movement.

The first biography of Mandela was based on brief interviews with him that the author, Mary Benson, had conducted in the s. Since the late s, Mandela's image began to appear on a proliferation of items, among them "photographs, paintings, drawings, statues, public murals, buttons, t-shirts, refrigerator magnets, and more", [ ] items that have been characterised as "Mandela kitsch".

Mandela has also been depicted in films on multiple occasions. Others, such as the feature film Invictus and the documentary The 16th Man , have focused on specific events in his life. Contents move to sidebar hide. Article Talk. Read View source View history. Tools Tools. Download as PDF Printable version. In other projects. President of South Africa from to Not to be confused with Mandala.

For other uses, see Mandela disambiguation and Nelson Mandela disambiguation. His Excellency. Frederik Willem de Klerk — Thabo Mbeki — Walter Sisulu — Thabo Mbeki — Evelyn Ntoko Mase. Winifred Madikizela. Politician lawyer philanthropist activist. Nelson Mandela's voice. Childhood: — Main article: Mandela family. Clarkebury, Healdtown, and Fort Hare: — Arriving in Johannesburg: — Early revolutionary activity.

Congress of the People and the Treason Trial: — Main article: Treason Trial. Arrest and Rivonia trial: — Main article: Rivonia Trial. Robben Island: — The inside of Mandela's prison cell as it was when he was imprisoned in and his open cell window facing the prison yard on Robben Island, now a national and World Heritage Site. Mandela's cell later contained more furniture, including a bed from around Pollsmoor Prison: — Victor Verster Prison and release: — End of apartheid and elections.

Main article: Negotiations to end apartheid in South Africa. Early negotiations: — Main article: South African general election. Presidency of South Africa: — Main article: Presidency of Nelson Mandela. Withdrawing from politics. Post-presidency and final years. Continued activism and philanthropy: — Illness and death: — Main article: Death and state funeral of Nelson Mandela.

Personality and personal life. Orders, decorations, monuments, and honours. Main article: List of awards and honours received by Nelson Mandela. Biographies and popular media. Collins English Dictionary. Archived from the original on 5 April Retrieved 17 December ISSN S2CID Archived from the original on 25 July Retrieved 25 July South African Communist Party.

Archived from the original on 3 March Retrieved 29 June Business Day. South Africa. Archived from the original on 6 March Retrieved 7 December The Guardian.

Who is nelson mandela biography prison

Archived from the original on 16 May Retrieved 20 May Nelson Mandela Centre of Memory. Nelson Mandela Foundation. Archived from the original on 1 February Retrieved 16 December Prison Letters. Liveright Publishing. ISBN Archived from the original on 22 June Retrieved 28 October Wren 8 December The New York Times. Archived from the original on 1 May Retrieved 13 February Archived from the original on 23 October Archived from the original on 14 February Archived from the original on 28 July Archived from the original on 3 April Retrieved 25 March Archived from the original on 7 November Retrieved 26 May BBC Sport.

Archived from the original on 25 February The Daily Telegraph. Children's Institute. Archived from the original PDF on 24 July Retrieved 15 May Archived from the original PDF on 31 March Retrieved 11 February South African Government Online. Archived from the original on 26 February Retrieved 26 February The Observer. Peninsula Peace and Justice Center.

Archived from the original on 9 July Archived from the original on 11 November Retrieved 11 November BBC News. Archived from the original on 24 July The Body. Archived from the original on 8 May Retrieved 25 February Archived from the original on 18 July The Globe and Mail. Archived from the original on 18 April For 20 years, Mandela directed peaceful, nonviolent acts of defiance against the South African government and its racist policies, including the Defiance Campaign and the Congress of the People.

He founded the law firm Mandela and Tambo, partnering with Oliver Tambo , a brilliant student he'd met while attending Fort Hare. The law firm provided free and low-cost legal counsel to unrepresented Black people. In , Mandela and others were arrested and charged with treason for their political advocacy they were eventually acquitted.

Meanwhile, the ANC was being challenged by Africanists, a new breed of Black activists who believed that the pacifist method of the ANC was ineffective. Africanists soon broke away to form the Pan-Africanist Congress, which negatively affected the ANC; by , the movement had lost much of its militant support. Mandela was married three times and had six children.

He wed his first wife, Evelyn Ntoko Mase, in The couple had four children together: Madiba Thembekile d. The couple divorced in In , Mandela wed Winnie Madikizela. The couple had two daughters together, Zenani Argentina's South African ambassador and Zindziswa the South African ambassador to Denmark , before separating in Two years later, in , Mandela married Graca Machel, the first Education Minister of Mozambique, with whom he remained until his death in Formerly committed to nonviolent protest, Mandela began to believe that armed struggle was the only way to achieve change.

In , Mandela co-founded Umkhonto we Sizwe, also known as MK, an armed offshoot of the ANC dedicated to sabotage and use guerilla war tactics to end apartheid. In , Mandela orchestrated a three-day national workers' strike. He was arrested for leading the strike the following year and was sentenced to five years in prison. In , Mandela was brought to trial again.

This time, he and 10 other ANC leaders were sentenced to life imprisonment for political offenses, including sabotage. Mandela spent 27 years in prison, from November until February He was incarcerated on Robben Island for 18 of his 27 years in prison. During this time, he contracted tuberculosis and, as a Black political prisoner, received the lowest level of treatment from prison workers.

However, while incarcerated, Mandela was able to earn a Bachelor of Law degree through a University of London correspondence program. A memoir by South African intelligence agent Gordon Winter described a plot by the South African government to arrange for Mandela's escape so as to shoot him during the recapture; the plot was foiled by British intelligence.

Mandela continued to be such a potent symbol of Black resistance that a coordinated international campaign for his release was launched, and this international groundswell of support exemplified the power and esteem that Mandela had in the global political community. In , President P. Botha offered Mandela's release in exchange for renouncing armed struggle; the prisoner flatly rejected the offer.

With increasing local and international pressure for his release, the government participated in several talks with Mandela over the ensuing years, but no deal was made. It wasn't until Botha suffered a stroke and was replaced by Frederik Willem de Klerk that Mandela's release was finally announced, on February 11, De Klerk also lifted the ban on the ANC, removed restrictions on political groups and suspended executions.

Upon his release from prison, Mandela immediately urged foreign powers not to reduce their pressure on the South African government for constitutional reform. While he stated that he was committed to working toward peace, he declared that the ANC's armed struggle would continue until the Black majority received the right to vote. In , Mandela was elected president of the African National Congress, with lifelong friend and colleague Oliver Tambo serving as national chairperson.

White South Africans were willing to share power, but many Black South Africans wanted a complete transfer of power. He was the son of a local tribal leader of the Tembu tribe. As a youngster, Nelson took part in the activities and initiation ceremonies of his local tribe. However, unlike his father Nelson Mandela gained a full education, studying at the University College of Fort Hare and also the University of Witwatersrand.

Nelson was a good student and qualified with a law degree in During his time at University, Nelson Mandela became increasingly aware of the racial inequality and injustice faced by non-white people. In , he decided to join the ANC and actively take part in the struggle against apartheid. As one of the few qualified lawyers, Nelson Mandela was in great demand; also his commitment to the cause saw him promoted through the ranks of the ANC.

In , Nelson Mandela, along with several other members of the ANC were arrested and charged with treason. After a lengthy and protracted court case, the defendants were finally acquitted in However, with the ANC now banned, Nelson Mandela suggested an active armed resistance to the apartheid regime. This led to the formation of Umkhonto we Sizwe, which would act as a guerilla resistance movement.

Receiving training in other African countries, the Umkhonto we Sizwe took part in active sabotage. In , Mandela was again arrested and put on trial for treason. This time the State succeeded in convicting Mandela of plotting to overthrow the government. However, the case received considerable international attention and the apartheid regime of South Africa became under the glare of the international community.

At the end of his trial, Nelson Mandela made a long speech, in which he was able to affirm his commitment to the ideals of democracy. We did not want an interracial war, and tried to avoid it to the last minute. I have fought against white domination, and I have fought against black domination. I have cherished the ideal of a democratic and free society in which all persons live together in harmony and with equal opportunities.

He worked hard to bring all South Africans of all skin colours together. Over his long life, he changed a nation and helped people all around the world understand that everyone should be treated the same. Back in time with Astonishing Activists. This is Nelson Mandela. He was born in South Africa in He believed that everyone should be treated the same.

He spent 27 years in prison. He was the first black President of South Africa. Watch: Nelson Mandela's life.