10 Facts, Personal life, and some of his inspiring quotes

2. Who is he?

3.  Education is the most
powerful weapon which
you can use to change
the world.
Nelson Mandela

5. 10 FACTS
ABOUT
NELSON
MANDELA

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8.  One of our first surprising Nelson Mandela facts is that he was
born into a royal family, that of the Thembu people in Africa.
Mandela’s father was a nobleman from the Madiba clan. The
Madiba clan was the clan of kings from the Thembu people.
Up until the 1800s, the Thembu people had their own
independent kingdom. The Thembu were conquered by the British
and put under colonial rule. At the time Mandela was born, his
homeland was under colonial rule.

9. Another of the surprising Nelson Mandela facts is that he was
a lawyer. When we think of someone who is a leader for equal
rights, we don’t often think of a lawyer. Because Mandela was
from a privileged family, he had the advantage of access to
education. While attending school at the University of
Witwatersrand in Johannesburg, South Africa, Mandela became
a political activist. He joined the African National Congress, or
ANC, and began to gain recognition working against colonial
oppression. Nelson Mandela was not afraid to break the law to
gain equal treatment for Black people in South Africa. Like
Martin Luther King, Jr., Mandela was often arrested for working
to bring equal rights to people.

10. Mandela continued with his political activities and rose
through the ranks of the ANC. In 1948, the South African
National Party was formed. The party was openly racist and,
after taking office, the government began putting the system of
apartheid in effect. Another of the surprising Nelson Mandela
facts is that he became a more militant activist in the late 1940s
and early 1950s. When Mandela first started his political
activities, he sought a non-violent approach to change the unjust
laws in South Africa. Mandela’s changing perspective reflected
the changing attitude of Black people in South Africa who were
opposed to unjust laws.

11. frican National Congress, which began as an activist
p, also became more militant. The ANC began advocating
rect defiance to the system of apartheid. Mandela was
ed and imprisoned many times throughout the period
1948 to 1952.
52, Mandela was ordered to not speak to more than one
n at a time in public and was prevented from attending
ngs of groups of people. As a result, he had to step down
his position of leadership in the ANC.

12. Like Abraham Lincoln, one of the more surprising Nelson
Mandela facts is that he was also a small business owner, with
his own law firm. In 1953, Mandela opened the only African-run
law firm in South Africa with Oliver Tambo. Mandela and Tambo
often defended Black people who had been mistreated by
authorities. Because of this, the authorities forced Mandela and
Tambo to move their offices to a more remote location, and
they lost their clientele. This is one of the Nelson Mandela facts
that teaches us about apartheid. In 1953, the South African
National Party was beginning a series of relocations of Black
people. They forced people to move from their homes, give up
their land, and move into segregated districts that were
classified by race.

13. Nelson Mandela increasingly believed that the only way to change the
unjust laws in South Africa was to change the government in South
Africa. With the ANC and other groups working for equality, Mandela
participated in the 1955 Congress of the People. The Congress of the
People called for a non-segregated democratic state in South Africa. In
December of 1956, Mandela was arrested for high treason against the
South African government. Mandela and other leaders working for equal
rights in South Africa narrowly missed being convicted after having the
judges from the trial removed for their affiliation to the governing South
African National Party. As part of the apartheid system, Black people
were required to carry passes that identified them to authorities. In 1960,
Mandela, with the ANC, and other groups including the Pan-African
Congress, or PAC, protested the passes by publicly burning them.

14. During these protests, police shot and killed 69 protesters and
declared martial law. Nelson Mandela also burned his pass to
show that he was part of the protest. It’s one of the Nelson
Mandela facts that shows he was a great leader and willing to
put himself at risk for the cause he believed in.
Under martial law, Mandela and others were imprisoned
without cause. After being released, Mandela disguised himself
as a chauffeur and toured the country, organizing groups of
resistance as part of his plan for the ANC.
Mandela formed a group called Umkhonto we Sizwe, or MK,
that was intended as the military wing of the African National
Congress. The group, whose name means Spear of the Nation
planned acts of sabotage.

15. Many of the members of MK were communists. Mandela
denied being a communist at the time. In 2011, historians
established more Nelson Mandela facts that showed he was a
member of the communist party in South Africa.
The MK and the South Africa Communist Party, or SACP,
planned acts of sabotage against the government. Nelson
Mandela gave strict instructions to try not to harm anyone. The
plan was to disrupt everyday life by bombing power plants,
telephone lines, and other infrastructure.
Despite Mandela’s instructions, it’s one of the surprising Nelson
Mandela facts that he was planning acts of sabotage and
gathering money for weapons when he was arrested again and
imprisoned for a much longer time than before.

16. Perhaps the best known of Nelson Mandela facts is that he
was in prison for a very long time. He was arrested for the final
time in 1963, and this arrest resulted in him being imprisoned
for over 25 years.
Shortly after his arrest, police seized some documents from an
MK location that established some Nelson Mandela facts,
including his role in the plans to sabotage the government.
Mandela delivered a three-hour speech as part of his defense.
In his speech, he said that history would prove him right.
Despite an incredibly eloquent speech in his defense, Mandela
was sentenced to life in prison for attempting to overthrow the
government.

17. Some of the most inspiring Nelson Mandela facts come about
as a result of his time in prison. Nelson Mandela endured some
very harsh conditions while in prison, yet continued to educate
himself and stay active. This is also one of the inspiring Nelson
Mandela facts for kids. Despite difficult circumstances, Nelson
Mandela refused to give up fighting for equal rights.
Nelson Mandela spent 18 years on Robben Island in a prison
doing hard labor, including breaking rocks and working in a
lime quarry. His cell had very little comfort, and Mandela slept
on a straw mat on a concrete floor.

18. Over the next 10 years on Robben Island, from 1965 to 1975,
Mandela’s conditions gradually improved, and he was given
more outside contact. However, he was still living in harsh
circumstances. Mandela was banned from studying after pages
from his autobiography were discovered in his cell. After this
happened, he spent his time gardening. As soon as he was
allowed to, he resumed his studies.
Mandela continued to be politically active. He participated in
groups and discussions in the prison and communicated in
secret with groups outside of the prison. Through his contact
with the outside world, including his letters, some world leaders
began to call for Mandela’s release.

19. From 1980 onwards, Nelson Mandela’s case became a subject
of global interest. Like other Nelson Mandela facts, the interest
in Nelson Mandela’s case was connected to increasing global
awareness of apartheid.
As people around the world became aware of apartheid,
governments began to put economic sanctions on South Africa.
The sanctions hurt South Africa’s economy and caused issues
for the ruling South African National Party. The sanctions hurt
South Africa from the outside, while the ANC was also
conducting attacks on the government from inside of South
Africa.

20. The South African National Party was under too much pressure.
The unjust system of apartheid was collapsing, and the
government would not be able to keep power for much longer.
By 1990, Mandela was over 70 years old and it had been more
than 25 years since he had been out of prison. The ANC
continued to grow in strength and numbers while Mandela was
in prison, despite the organization being outlawed by the
government.

21. On February 2, 1990, in a surprise move, F.W. de Klerk, who
was the President of South Africa, released Mandela and lifted
the ban that had been placed on the ANC.
Mandela was steadfast in his views about achieving equality
when he was released from prison. It’s another of the amazing
Nelson Mandela facts that, after his release, Mandela said that
the ANC would use violence, as necessary, to achieve their
goals. Nelson Mandela gave a speech after being released from
prison saying that he was committed to peace and
reconciliation, but that the ANC and Black people reserved the
right to defend themselves against apartheid. It was clear
apartheid would have to end for South Africa to have peace.

22. The government in South Africa did not give up easily. Violence
between the government and activists continued in South
Africa after Nelson Mandela’s release. Nelson Mandela held
negotiations with de Klerk to end apartheid and bring true
democracy to South Africa. The negotiations resulted in all
people being given the right to vote. As a result of Mandela’s
work, the first truly democratic elections were held in South
Africa in 1994. After the public elections, the National Assembly
elected Nelson Mandela as the first Black President of South
Africa. This historical fact is one of the most inspiring of Nelson
Mandela facts. After spending over 25 years in prison, Nelson
Mandela became President of South Africa within just four
years of his release!

23. Summary
Nelson Mandela facts teach us a lot about the fight for equality in South
Africa. Nelson Mandela facts fascinate people of all ages, and there is plenty for
adults and kids alike to learn.
Nelson Mandela facts also teach us about the system of apartheid that existed in
South Africa. Apartheid was a set of laws and a system of segregation that kept Black
people separate from White people in public places. Apartheid legally enforced the
culture of racism that existed in South Africa.
Nelson Mandela facts are inspiring. They tell us about Mandela, the struggle of South
Africans, and the people’s eventual success in ending apartheid. Nelson Mandela
facts inspire people of all ages and are a great way to teach kids about the
importance of equality for all people, regardless of race or background.

24. Nelson Mandela
Former President of South Africa
Nelson Rolihlahla Mandela was a
South African anti-apartheid
revolutionary, politician, and
philanthropist, who served as
President of South Africa from 1994 to
1999
Born: July 18, 1918, Mvezo, South Africa
Died: December 5, 2013, Houghton
Estate, Johannesburg, South Africa
Influenced by: Mahatma Gandhi,
Walter Sisulu, Albert Lutuli
Spouse: Graça Machel (m. 1998–2013),
Winnie Mandela (m. 1958–1996),
Evelyn Mase (m. 1944–1958)
Children: Makaziwe Mandela-Amuah,
Zenani Mandela

25. ersonal Life
Mandela was married three times, beginning
with Evelyn Ntoko Mase (m. 1944-1957). The
ouple had four children together: Madiba
hembekile, Makgatho (d. 2005), Makaziwe and
Maki. Mandela wed Winnie Madikizela in 1958;
he couple had two daughters together, Zenani
nd Zindziswa, before splitting in 1996. Two
ears later, Mandela married Graca Machel, with
whom he remained until his death in 2013.

26. Quotes from
Nelson Mandela

30. If you talk to a
man in a
language he
understands,
that goes to his
head. If you talk
to him in his
language, that
goes to his heart.
-Nelson