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What particular event took place that made Nelson Mandela want things to be different?

One of the primary events that occurred that made Nelson Mandela want things to be different was the white only election in 1948, in which the National Party won on the platform of apartheid. Another important moment came in 1950, with the violent government reaction to the joint strike called by the ANC, the Communist Party, and the South African Indian Congress to protest the ban of the Communist Party.


By the time of the election, Mandela was already involved with the African National Congress (ANC).  After the election, Mandela (along with other leaders such as Oliver Tambo and Walter Sisulu) began to lobby the ANC to protest militarily against the multitude of new laws enacted by the Nationalists.


In the bloody aftermath of the government crackdown against the so-called May Day strike, Mandela made the decision that freedom could only occur with a broad based alliance against apartheid.  The Africanist wing of the ANC disagreed, but Mandela held his ground and helped form the Congressional Alliance.


In 1952, the Congressional Alliance launched its Defiance Campaign.  While the campaign did not stop apartheid, it did solidify the ANC as a formidable force against white minority rule.


Source: South African History Online

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