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          When the boat reached Durban, he needed to take a train to get to his destination. On the train, he received the biggest shock of his life. He was riding in the first class section of the train, thinking about what his life in South Africa would be like, when the conductor told him to move to the baggage car. Gandhi showed his ticket and said, “No.” Then the conductor started dragging Gandhi to the baggage car, but Gandhi resisted without hurting anyone. The man punched Gandhi in the face and dragged him off, unconscious. Gandhi later saw that many other Indians were being beaten and forced to work. All over South Africa Gandhi saw this racial prejudice against people from India. The Indians didn’t even have the same rights as the British citizens. The English saw all people from India as “poor and lifeless.” When Gandhi finished his job in South Africa, England was going to propose a law that deprived Indians of the right to vote. Gandhi knew that they needed to fight for their rights. After they passed the law, Gandhi formed his first mass resistance using non-violence. Over 500 people attended this protest. Gandhi also established the Indian Natal Congress. He wrote pamphlets and letters that were distributed not only to South Africa, but also to India and England. Gandhi’s Indian friends asked him to stay longer and help them, and Gandhi said yes as long as he could find a job to support himself. To do this, he set up a law office. He welcomed anyone who came, in the next couple of months, his office began to flourish. He was making a living and helping his Indian friends at the same time. Gandhi then realized that his work in South Africa would take him many years, so he took six months vacation and went home to bring his wife and sons to South Africa to help with his protests.

With his family by his side, Gandhi thought that nothing could stop him. While writing pamphlets and giving speeches, Gandhi was meeting with several political leaders. These leaders, such as Gopal Krishna Gokhale, influenced Gandhi’s protests. On his way back to South Africa with his wife, two children and 200 other Indians, they sailed into harbor on a large boat. However, the English officers at the harbor in South Africa did not let them get off. After sitting on the same ship for weeks, they finally let the Indians off, but when they did, a group of whites beat Gandhi up. This is when the South African government passed the law making all people in South Africa have equal voting rights. This was Gandhi’s goal the whole time.

On the other hand, he still saw the racial prejudice between the English and Indians. Gandhi marched (with other Indians), gave speeches, and wrote articles for different publications. With all of these problems, Gandhi was over his head in work. He prepared many speeches that he thought were effective until the South African government passed the Union Immigration Restriction Act. This act prohibited future Indian immigration to South Africa. Gandhi had started a Satyagraha movement (which means “force of truth and love”) before this, and he decided that the movement had to expand. Gandhi negotiated with General Smuts, and they decided on the Indian Relief Bill, which was passed by the Union Parliament in July. It stated, “All Hindu and Muslim marriages would be recognized and all unfair taxes on Indians removed, but most of the Union Immigration Restriction Act would remain.” Gandhi thought of this act as a victory for Satyagraha.

After this victory in South Africa, Gandhi came home to India to find that he was famous. Gandhi knew, though, that his work was not complete. He saw racial prejudice in his own country and decided that it was time to end British rule in India.