British Society 1951-64 Flashcards
Immigration in Britain
Continues flow of arrivals from Ireland after 1948
250,000 immigrants arrived from the ‘New Commonwealth’ e.g India which had gained independence from Britain
Many people were moving to Aus and US
How many immigrants did Britain receive in 1950s?
676,000 immigrants but 1.2 million Britons left for a life abroad
Why were more people moving to the suburbs?
New towns were built and this, combined with increased car ownership meant traditional communities were broken up and inner cities became derelict
Transport
Huge demand for motorways, construction of M1 started in ‘58, soon followed by M6
Nationalised railway system started to struggle, hundred of lines were axed, isolating many rural areas
Empire Windrush
1948, ship arrived in Britain with 492 black immigrants from Jamaica seeking new life in Britain, for many ppl was the first time they’d interacted with ppl with different coloured skin
Why did race become a source of social tension?
By 1958 there were 210,000 immigrants from West Indies and other countries that supported Britain in WWII so people weren’t used to the change
What was the govt’s. initial view on immigration?
Govt. though immigration was good as they filled many low paid and undesirable jobs
What were conditions like in Notting Hill?
Run-down area with large Afro-Caribbean population, squalid and crowded living conditions
White and black people competed for poor housing and both exploited by landlords
Moseley was active in this area
Who was Oswald Moseley?
Leader of the British Union of Fascists printed leaflets to exploit tensions with slogan ‘Keep Britain White’
What was an event that sparked the Notting Hill Riots?
Saturday before, nine white youths embarked on ‘nigger hunting expedition’ around Notting Hill, armed with iron bars, air pistol and knife
% balks men ended up in hospital, 3 in grave condition
When did the Notting Hill Riots officially begin?
29th August 1958
Why did the Notting Hill Riots officially begin?
Started with argument between white woman and black husband who was a pimp outside a Tube station and her friends defended her (she didn’t want to be defended) and a scuffle broke out between both of their friends and by the next day a 200 ppl mob rampaged through Notting Hill armed shouting ‘Go home you black bastards’
What was the response to the riot?
Police were inexperienced with such riots and handled situation badly
After 3 days of rioting a group of Jamaicans through petrol bombs onto white mob and as white crowd dispersed, they were chased by black men
White gangs had effectively been broken up
What was the result of the Notting Hill Riots?
108 people were arrested, many injuries but nobody was killed
This onto of Suez aided Britain losing any moral leadership around the world
What was crime generally like during this time?
No. of criminal offences doubled between 1956 and 1965, mostly coming from young men and crime reports often blamed immigrants
