Nelson Mandela (1918- ) was initially tried and sentenced toprison for encouraging black South Africans to go on strike and forillegally leaving South Africa. For most of his life Mandela foughtfor an end to apartheid (a system of segregation based on race thatgave advantages to whites while restricting blacks to laborreserves) in South Africa. He joined the African National Congress(ANC), an organization that promotes the interests of black SouthAfricans, and participated in nonviolent protests, such as workstoppages and using "whites only" facilities to combat apartheid.In 1952 the South African government arrested and tried Mandela andother ANC leaders under the Suppression of Communism Act. As aresult he was prohibited from attending meetings or leaving hishome in Johannesburg. By 1961 ANC members had come to believe thatthe South African government would...