Apartheid: Fight for Freedom

What to expect in this workshop at The National Archives

Exploring a range of original Foreign Office files produced by the British Government, students will investigate different forms of resistance against the system of apartheid. By using original documents, such as telegrams, diplomatic correspondence and newspaper cuttings, students will undertake their own historical enquiry into the anti-apartheid struggle.

How did the response to apartheid change over time? How did resistance take on different forms? How did the South African government respond to growing protest movements? How useful are British Foreign Office documents for this enquiry?

The two-hour workshop is led by an experienced history educator in an inspiring learning space at The National Archives in Kew. It will develop skills in evidential understanding and historical interpretations.

Connections to the curriculum

This session is not designed to be an introduction to the topic and students should have knowledge of the topic in advance of attending the workshop.

• AQA GCE History: ‘The winds of change’, 1947–1967 the growth of nationalist movements and reactions to them.
• OCR GCE History: Apartheid and Reconciliation: South African Politics 1948–1999
• Edexcel GCE History: South Africa, 1948–94: from apartheid state to ‘rainbow nation’