Andrew Montag

May 18, 2011

Mod World Hist

Non-violence DBQ

For the thousands of years that mankind has walked the earth there have been

countless disputes. Many of them have been settled in violence, however this is not the

only way to resolve conflict. There are many instances where the use of non-violence has

helped to end a war or to end racism in many different countries. But what is it that made

non-violence work? There were three people that truly utilized the full potential of non-

violence: Mohandas Gandhi, Nelson Mandela, and Martin Luther King. All three of these

individuals employ various ways to harness the power of non-violence; such methods

include the use of civil disobedience, the maintenance of discipline and the acceptance of

incarceration.

Gandhi, Mandela, and King may have all been fighting for a different cause, but the

tactics that they used were very similar. One of the most effective ways to fight back non-

violently was through civil disobedience. Civil disobedience is basically breaking the

established laws of a set government to further empower people to rise up against

oppression. Gandhi used this tactic during his Great Salt March in the 1930s, he mentions

how he will be “embarking on Civil Disobedience”, and how he will “convert the British

people through nonviolence” (Doc 1). During the Great Salt March Gandhi led thousands

of people to the sea where salt was being produced and sold under British control. It was

against the law for any Indian to sell their own salt so Gandhi and his followers used civil
disobedience and began to harvest their own salt from the ocean. This helped India show

to Brittan that they are not afraid of their laws and would have no problem breaking

them. Another leader who used this tactic is Martin Luther King; he used civil

disobedience to make a stand against racism in the south. In Atlanta Georgia on October

1960 several African American students went to a diner, in this city there was a law that

affirmed that no African Americans were allowed to sit at a diner counter (Doc 2). These

college students sat down at the counter and refused to get up until they were served like

everyone else. They were beaten and battered but they did not throw back a single punch.

These sit-ins are perfect examples of non-violence because they just sat there and would

not fight back no matter what. In South Africa during 1994 there was similar racial

turmoil. In document three, Nelson Mandela explains how he wanted to form a campaign

“(for Defiance of Unjust Laws)”, and how he wanted to follow “Gandhi’s principles of

non-violence” (Doc 3). This is showing how Mandela wanted to encourage his followers

to defy the unjust laws but to do it peacefully and non-violently. Civil disobedience really

helped non-violence to work because it showed how an average person can fight back

without having to harm a soul.

Civil disobedience was not the only method of non-violence; the maintenance of

discipline played a very large role throughout history in most non-violent protest. In May

1930s Mme Naidu led a large crowd of Indian men into the front gates of The Dharasana

Salt Works. British soldiers continuously struck down these men until there was no one

else who could walk up. Before the whole ordeal started Naidu gave a speech he said,

“You must not use any violence under any circumstances” (Doc 4). The news
correspondent stated, “Not one of the marchers even raised an arm to fend off the blows”

(Doc 4). Basically Naidu has told them that they may not strike back for any reason and

they all respect that. No one raises an arm and most of the men are very badly injured.

The people who were part of this march were able to maintain their discipline and

maintain a non-violent ambiance. MLK would hold meetings and afterwards he would

“appeal for volunteers to serve in our non-violent army” (Doc 5), but there was a catch

you were not allowed to join unless you could “accept and endure violence without

retaliating” (Doc 5). MLK had an army of non-violent soldiers but the only way to get in

was if you could handle physical abuse and not retaliate. In Johannesburg on April 1952

Nelson Mandela explained to a group of people that the authorities are going to hit them

and imprison them but that they must stay strong and not retaliate because it would

undermine the whole operation (Doc 6). Mandela states, “They must respond to violence

with non-violence; discipline must be maintained at all cost” (Doc 6). This quote

perfectly explains how the maintenance of discipline is needed to carry out the various

steps to achieve non-violent protest. The ability that allows these non-violent protesters to

take so much harsh treatment and to not strike back takes a lot of self control and

discipline, it was because of this discipline that non-violence worked so well.

Gandhi, King, and Mandela may all have been born and died in different times, but

they all still have one thing in common they all served jail time because of there non-

violent protesting. Gandhi was put in jail in South Africa along with many of his

brethren. He says “passing his term in jail in perfect happiness and peace” (Doc 7). This

is showing how Gandhi and his followers have made peace with the fact there in prison,
and knows that it is a sacrifice based on the idea of non-violence. In Montgomery,

Alabama MLK describes a jail “At the jail, an almost holiday atmosphere prevailed…no

one had tried to resist arrest…we were proud to be arrested for the cause of freedom”

(Doc 8). This document is describing how people were trying to get arrested just to get

into jail, not only is this confusing for the law enforcement but it is showing how people

are no longer scared of them and can stand up to the law. Nelson Mandela spent 26 years

in jail and during that time he developed strong feelings towards non-violent protest. He

stated, “no sacrifice was too great in the struggle for freedom” (Doc 9). He is saying that

the fight for freedom is more important than his own life. In order to save thousands from

the unfair rules of society these three leaders had to submit themselves into jails for such

long periods of time, but they knew what they had to do and they did it with a positive

attitude. This ability was necessary to make non-violence work because it showed, no

matter what authorities did to protesters they could take it.

Gandhi, Mandela, and MLK. Three very different people with such similar intentions,

all three of them believed in non-violence and freedom. These three men achieved their

goals by complete non-violence with the help of the three tactics of non-violence, civil

disobedience, maintenance of discipline, and acceptance of incarceration. These three

things are what made non-violence work and it will continue to work today.