Treason Trial, 1956–1961

Taxonomy

Code

Scope note(s)

  • The Treason Trial was the apartheid government’s attempt to quell the power of the Congress Alliance. In early morning raids on 5 December 1956, 156 individuals were arrested and charged with high treason. By the end of the trial in March 1961 all the accused either had the charges withdrawn or, in the case of the last twenty-eight accused including Mandela, were acquitted.

Source note(s)

Display note(s)

Hierarchical terms

Treason Trial, 1956–1961

Equivalent terms

Treason Trial, 1956–1961

  • UF Treason Trial (State vs F Adams and Others)

Associated terms

Treason Trial, 1956–1961

17 Archival description results for Treason Trial, 1956–1961

17 results directly related Exclude narrower terms

Newspaper Clippings

Newspaper articles from The Irish Times, The Guardian, New York Herald Tribune reporting on the Rivonia or sabotage trial of 1962-1964. Includes newspaper clippings on the raids, the death and burial of Albert Luthuli in 1967.

Episcopal Church People for Southern Africa

Collection of materials including:
News clippings on the situation in South Africa in 1991 regarding, among others, ANC National working committee nominations, reports of spies within the ANC. Discussion document on structures and principles of a constitution for a Democratic South Africa. Press statements by the ANC. Statements by Nelson Mandela and Oliver Tambo during an ANC national conference held between second and 7th July 1991 in Durban, South Africa. ANC resolutions on various issues including strategy and tactics, building the ANC, violence, negotiations, and foreign policy. Correspondence with Jennifer Davis of the Africa Fund.

Episcopal Church People for Southern Africa

Liberal Party Archives

PC2/3/3/1
National Office correspondence 1952-1959: Correspondence on Elections, funding, overseas press liaison, LPSA policies, meeting plus Nelson Mandela's article in Liberation criticising LPSA.

PC 2/4/6/4
Signed letter from Nelson Mandela as Hon. Secretary of the All in Africa National Council, 22.05.1961

PC 2/4/16/2
Rivonia trial June 1964. State vs. Nelson Mandela and others. Section SV6 of the trial. Evidence and
address in Mitigation of sentence by Alan Paton

Description of Alan Paton 's evidence and address( seems to be a typed chapter from a book)

Paton, Alan

Auden House

National Consultative Committee pamphlets set our leaders free. Memoranda and letters. Minutes. ANC Campaigns - potato boycott. SACTU Stay at home 1961. Multi racial Conference; Anti - Union Festival Committee; Honor Luthuli Committee; Treason Trial. Defence Fund, Human rights and Civil Liberties. All in Africa Conference - Letter from Nelson Mandela the Secretary of All in Africa Confererence 26 March 1961, National Action Council re National Convention to the Secretary SACOD Johannesburg 25 April 1961Personal papers includes treason trial documents- Microfilms

Auden House

Bernstein Hilda and Rusty Papers 1931-2006

Rusty Bernstein's Papers includes personal correspondence to family and comrades, professional documentation relating to his career as an architect and inventor, and a large collection of writing, including drafts and material for his political biography Memory Against Forgetting as well as articles, essays and literature relating to prominent events in the liberation struggle (The 1946 Mine Workers Strike, The Freedom Charter and the Rivonia Trial). The collection also includes written material relating to his political career in the Communist Party and involvement with the ANC and as editor/contributor to journals like Fighting Talk and The African Communist and a lecture series given in Moscow to young militants of the ANC.
Hilda Bernstein's papers include a series of journals dating from 1967 to 2001 and personal diaries written whilst in prison, and on travels throughout South Africa and Europe. A large part of the collection marks her involvement with women's rights and work for the ANC Women's League. There is also a considerable collection of art records documenting her career in London and Europe. The bulk of the collection is comprised of records relating to Hilda's extensive writings - books, articles and political literature. Of particular prominence is material collected for her most recent book The Rift, which captures the experiences of South African exiles. There is also a large collection of correspondence both personal and professional and political brochures relating to her position as City Councillor for the Communist Party in Johannesburg from 1943 to 1946.

The records kept by Hilda (viewed as 'evidence' of Hilda's activities) far outnumber those kept by Rusty. It would be misleading to presume that this is in any way a complete archive of the Bernstein's activities.
On the contrary, there are large gaps. For example, there is very little in the collection relating directly to the Freedom Charter, in which Rusty played a major part in the organizing committee and was responsible for drafting the country-wide submissions that would become the Charter. Consideration should also be made for the possibility that Hilda is a more conscientious record keeper than Rusty was, or that due to persistent banning and arrest Rusty was forced to destroy evidence of his activities or resist the documentation of these activities. In truth, the reasons for the shape of this collection are too numerous and extensive to state. As it stands, the researcher can at best make this deduction - that Hilda's work and influence in the liberation struggle, particularly in the role assigned to woman, is vast and unique, and deserves attention beyond the shadow cast by Rusty's political career. In Hilda's case it is a matter of the biography that has yet to be written.

Hilda and Rusty Bernstein Papers

Helen Joseph

Collection of papers built by Helen Joseph during her lifetime, these relate to her personal fight against
apartheid. The collection has papers on her involvement in politics, the Human rights Welfare Committee, the 1956 Treason trial, banning banishment, house arrests relationship with Nelson Mandela and his family - Nelson and Winnie Mandela - Release Mandela Campaign

Joseph, Helen

Alan Stewart Paton Collection

The state vs. Nelson Mandela and the others. 12 June 1964. Evidence and address by A. Paton in mitigation of sentence,

Paton, Alan

South African Institute of Race Relations

SAIRR correspondence and memorabilia to and from the South African Institute of Race relations.. Correspondence includes New Age article of the letter by Ntsu Mokhehle to Nelson Mandela on the Attack 28 August 1961. Nelson Mandela correspondencewith Si De Villiers Graaf on the inauguration of the Republic

South African Institute of Race Relations

South African Institute of Race Relations

South African Institute of race Relations press clippings 1928 (1940-1970)-1985 the collection has material on the ANC, treason trial, and Rivonia trial. Correspondence with Mandela Family between 1954- 1962; 1964- 1984

South African Institute of Race Relations

PACSA Collection

PC 11/1/7/1
Rivonia Treason Trial 1963 - Biographies of the accused including Nelson R. Mandela

Lionel Forman Papers

Lionel Forman Papers made up of material from the South African treason trial,1959-1961
Indictment Vol 1 and 2, Indictment Vol..3 and incomplete Vol. 4525-4640, Preparatory examination, List of confiscated documents. Background article and notes

Forman, Lionel