In 1930 Gandhi decided to show the world how powerful a single act of peaceful resistance could be. With this decision, Mahatma Gandhi slowly, firmly, patiently, changed India and changed the world. He was one of the most powerful people on earth.

Learn here how Gandhi helped the Indian people to dream of freedom by making salt:

Gandhi’s plan for peaceful resistance was to break the British law against Indians making their own salt from seawater. The British government had made a lot of money by charging a tax on salt and all Indians were required to pay it. Gandhi and many of his friends marched 240 miles from the Satyagraha Ashram to the sea.

There on the beach Gandhi committed a crime - he picked up a lump of raw sea salt in his hand. Soon people all over India were making their own salt as a peaceful protest. Many thousands were arrested, including Bapuji (the name the Indian children called Gandhi, which means “father”), but the protest encouraged the Indians to dream of freedom.

The year after the Salt March, Gandhi was invited to have tea at Buckingham Palace in London with King George V and Queen Mary. He arrived at the palace wearing only a loincloth, sandals, and a shawl, which he had woven himself from thread he had made on his own spinning wheel. King George met him dressed in fine clothing, with gold medals and ribbons on his chest.

Someone later asked Gandhi if he thought he had worn too little clothing to the fancy tea party. “The King had enough on for both of us,” he said.