Exclusion in the Union of South Africa

In 1910, a new country was born—but not for everyone. The Union of South

Africa was established, uniting four former colonies under one government. To the outside world,

it looked like progress: political stability, economic growth, and a step toward self-rule within

the British Empire. But beneath this promise lay a deeply unequal foundation. Power was placed

almost entirely in the hands of the white minority. Black South Africans, along with Coloured

and Indian communities, were excluded from meaningful political participation. Laws inherited from

colonial rule were not dismantled—instead, they were strengthened. Land ownership was restricted,

movement was controlled, and racial separation became embedded in the legal system. This new Union did