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Nelson, born Rolihlahla Mandela, was born to the royal African family Thembu on 18 July 1918 in the village of Mvezo, Transkei. The first name he's known by today came from primary school, where he was given his Christian name. Most children living in Africa at that time followed the custom of receiving one. Nelson Mandela studied at the University of Fort Hare and later the University of Witwatersrand. After earning his law degree, he settled in Johannesburg and set up a law firm with a friend. In 1943, Mandela joined the ANC, the African National Congress.
Later, in 1948, Apartheid was implemented and the ANC had had enough. Mandela and his colleagues encouraged peaceful protesting and strikes, beginning his lifetime of protest and quest for reform. He was elected National Volunteer-in-Chief of the Defiance Campaign of the ANC in 1952, and was soon arrested and sentenced to nine months of hard labor. Then, he got back up. He was banned, arrested some more, and tried for treason in 1956, but he got back up, soon to become one of the most important South Africans to ever live.

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In 1944, Mandela participated in creating the African National Congress Youth League. He served as the Youth League's national secretary, until becoming the national president in 1950. In 1952 he then became one of the Youth League's four deputy presidents.

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Mandela believed in strong education and life-long learning. The first school he attended was Wesleyan mission school where he was given his name Nelson. He was also the son of a tribal councilor, who taught him the art of listening. When he was 16 he started attending Clarkebury Boarding school where he took two years to get his Junior Certification rather then the usual three. After that in 1937 he went to Healdtown in Fort Beaufort. While here, he became a part of the Student Representative Council. Following a boycott there he was told to leave and his education took a change in direction. Afterwards, instead of following his guardians wishes he traveled to Johannesburg where he completed his Bachelor of Arts studies through the University of South Africa. He then went to study law at the University of Witwatersrand. He later opened with his friend the first black legal practice in South Africa. Mandela saw education as part of the key to winning the struggle against apartheid, while at the same time he had spoken out that education had nothing to do with a person being ‘able’ to vote or think.

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Nelson Mandela's mother and father were advisers to the current African  royalty, putting Mandela in pretty high standing with his local government and peers. However, as he began to drift from home and towards a life of politics and reform, the king grew angry and threatened to arrange marriage for the boy, which prompted his running away to Johannesburg.  In 1944, he married Evelyn Mase, a cousin of his friend with which he set up his law firm. Though they were eventually divorced in 1958, they had two sons, Madiba Thembekile and Makgatho, and two daughters, both of which were named Makaziwe. His first daughter died as a baby, his eldest son dying in 1969. He married again shortly after divorcing his wife,  and had two more children, Zenani Dlamini and Zindzi Mandela. He was divorced and married a final third time, and had no more children.

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A system of segregation has existed ever since South Africa was colonized by the Dutch, but the official adoption of apartheid by the Afrikaner national party made it legal. The word apartheid comes from the Afrikaans language of the first dutch settlers, which  means apartness. The Population Registration Act of 1950 divided the South African population into three racial groups, white, black (African), and coloured (mixed descent). The classification of citizens was made by the government. Certain criteria were taken into account such as demeanor, speech, education, and habits. There were also acts that were passed, known as the Land Acts which aimed to physically separate the races. most of the land was set aside  for white people and certain areas were restricted for black people.

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Mandela's schooling at Witwatersrand

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The white minority in South Africa feared  assimilation into African culture and had a feeling of superiority. The segregation of certain areas, public facilities, certain jobs, and social contact. Non whites had to carry authorization to be in restricted areas. The photo below show children standing at the edge of their boundary. Non white participation in government even through a white representative was not allowed. In 1951 an act was passed creating homelands for black South Africans forcing them out of their homes and their own country. There were harsh consequences for protest even non violent protest and, many were detained and died in custody after torture .

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The primary opposition was the African National Congress (ANC). In 1943 Nelson Mandela joined as a law student. When he became the president of this congress he influenced a more peaceful protest, this was known as the defiance campaign. Although the response was violent and Mandela was sentenced to life in prison. As time continued, due to outside pressure the president at the time offered to release Mandela. Mandela was released in 1990. At this time the current president repealed most of the legislation that made up apartheid. All racial groups were given the right to vote by 1994. Mandela became the first ever black president of South Africa after the first all race national elections. This established the end of apartheid but not its effects.

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President of South Africa as the first non-white leader of state in South African history from 1994-1999. Mandela began his term on 10 May 1994 and as one of his first acts of presidency he presided over the transition from minority rule and apartheid which won him international respect for his advocacy of both national and international reconciliation. In 1996, Mandela signed into law a new Constitution for Soth Africa, which resided into a strong central government based on majority rule, and guaranteeing both the rights of minorities and the freedom of expression.

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Mandela served as president of the ANC from 1991-1997,  promoting peaceful protest and nonviolent means of solving various problems and conflicts. He kept the peace between left and right-wing radicals  while religiously attending meetings aimed at erasing white supremacy in South Africa.

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https://www.nelsonmandela.org/content/page/biography
http://www.mandela-children.org.uk/nelson-mandela/
http://www-cs-students.stanford.edu/~cale/cs201/apartheid.hist.html
http://www.sahistory.org.za/article/history-apartheid-south-africa
https://www.britannica.com/topic/apartheid
https://www.nelsonmandela.org/omalley/index.php/site/q/03lv01538/04lv01828/05lv01829/06lv01838.htm
https://www.nelsonmandela.org/content/page/genealogy
http://www.morningsidecenter.org/teachable-moment/lessons/nelson-mandela-fight-against-apartheid
http://www.sahistory.org.za/article/convention-democratic-south-africa-codesa

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Nelson Mandela was a very influential man. Not only was he a Nobel Prize winner, but he was deemed one of Time's most influential people in 2004 and Time's Person of the Year. He got to this point of renowned leadership over many years of standing up for what he believed in. Mandela has been recognized all over the world as a leader and has earned over 100 awards for his work.