Nelson Mandela Research Paper

Nelson Mandela was born in Mvezo, South Africa. His father’s name is Henry Mphakanyiswa Mandela, and his mother is called Fanny. Nelson Mandela’s father was part of the Thembu Tribe. For Nelson’s father being a part of that tribe consisted of living, farming and they had to raise animals in their region for generations. 44Nelson and his mother and sisters had to move a few miles away from home to Qunu. Nelson has three sisters, three half-brothers and six half-sisters. Nelson herded cattle and plays with other boys. His father cannot read nor write. Neither of his attended school. As a boy Nelson was called Buti. His original name was Rolihlahla. The name Rolihlahla means “pulling a branch of a tree” or “troublemaker.” Nelson Mandela attended school for the first time at the age of seven years old. On his first day of school, his teacher gave him the English name Nelson. At the age …show more content…
He went to jail for years. He was accused of treason. Nelson said, “I consider myself legally nor morally bound to obey laws made by a parliament in which I have no representation…” (Mandela, 44) The judge sentenced him to five years in prison. He was sent to Robben Island in May 1963. His trial lasted five months. Nelson said, “I always regarded myself…as an African patriot.” (Mandela, 44) While in prison he realized that everyone was not being treated fairly. He requested that all prisoners would be treated better and fairly. People supported Mandela while in jail. A man wrote on the walls of King’s College Chapel in Cambridge, England, in 1965, saying “Free Mandela.” While he was in jail he had a lot of struggles concerning his health. He had tuberculosis while he was in jail. His cell was so small that he could walk from one wall to the other in three small steps. Nelson Mandela was freed out of prison on February 11, 1990, by President F.W. de Kirk. As soon as Nelson got out of prison he resumed all of his work. (Mandela,