Sharpeville massacre

High school (ages 12+)
History & Culture

Name:

Date:

Step 1 · Read the article

Open the article and read it at the level above. Then answer the questions below in your own words.

https://smallwhale.org/articles/sharpeville-massacre

Write what each word means, using the article.

Do not copy the article. Write two things you learned, the way you would explain them to a friend.

Answers below are taken from the article’s stored facts, so they match what the student read.

1. How heavy is Sharpeville massacre?March 21, 1960
2. What is the location?Sharpeville township, Vereeniging, South Africa
3. What is the estimated number of fatalities?At least 91 (recent research), initially reported as 69
4. What happened at the Sharpeville police station on March 21, 1960?About 5,000 people gathered peacefully at the police station. The police opened fire, shooting 1,344 rounds into the crowd. Many were killed and injured.
5. Why did the protestors leave their pass books at home?The PAC told them to leave their pass books to show defiance of the pass laws. This was meant to encourage arrests and highlight the injustice.

Apartheid: A system of institutionalized racial segregation and discrimination enforced in South Africa from 1948 to 1994.
Pass Laws: Legislation in South Africa that required Black Africans to carry identification documents, restricting their movement and employment.
Pan-Africanist Congress (PAC): A political organization founded in 1959 that advocated for African nationalism and opposed apartheid.
Township: Designated residential areas, often segregated, for Black Africans and other non-white populations during apartheid.