Chapter 2: 1500-1700 Migration in Early Modern England

Question 1

What changes had a huge impact on migration to England?

Answer 1

Leaving the Catholic Church

Enormous changes in government involved a civil war. New governments welcomed different migrant groups

England started to engage with the wider world through developing trading links and making new ones.

Question 2

What changes happened in Parliament during the 1500’s?

Answer 2

1642-1651 Civil war for who controls the country - monarchy vs government

Charles I executed 1649 and then England became a republic for 11 years

1660 Parliament invited Charles II to reign as king again but limited his powers

Charles II was followed by his catholic brother, James II (1685) . This was unpopular in protestant England . Parliament invited the Protestant Duke William of Orange (1688) to ‘invade’ England and become joint monarch with his wife Mary, who was James’s daughter

Question 3

How did the Parliament changes that happened in the 1500’s affect migration?

Answer 3

Governments were closely linked to religion. Migrants were often either welcomed or rejected according to the religion of the government. Protestants governments, keen for allies, often welcomed European Protestants

Question 4

What religious changes happened in England at this time?

Answer 4

1500 England was Catholic

1534 Henry VIII made himself head of England instead of the Pope

Edward VI (1547-53) laws were passed that made England a protestant country

Queen Elizabeth (1558-1603) England became a fully Protestant country.

Question 5

How did religious changes impact migration?

Answer 5

Since England was one of the few Protestant European countries in Europe, it was seen as a place of safety from persecution

Question 6

When was the East India Company established? Who was it established by?

Answer 6

1600. Established by Elizabeth I

Question 7

When and who set up the Company of Royal Adventurers Trading to Africa?

Answer 7

1660 Charles II

Question 7

What did economic and trade growth lead to?

Answer 7

Led to merchants and sailors migrating from areas England had little contact with before, such as India.

Question 8

What were the three overall factors that brought about change?

Answer 8

The role of economics, the role of government, the role of religion

Question 9

Starting with Henry VII and going up to Mary and William - how did Englands religion change?

Answer 9

Henry VIII - Catholic until Protestant
Edward VI _ Protestant
Lady Jane Grey - Protestant
Mary I - Catholic
Elizabeth I - Protestant
James I (or VI of Scotland) - Protestant
Charles I - Catholic
Oliver Cromwell - Puritan (radical Catholic)
Charles II - Protestant
James II (or VII of Scotland) - Catholic
William III and Mary II - Protestant

Question 10

At this time, everyone had to follow the religion on the ruler. However, there was one exception - what was this?

Answer 10

Jewish people could follow their own faith

Question 11

Which King welcomed the Huguenots and what charter did he issue?

Answer 11

King Edward VI - 24th July 1550

Question 12

When was the St Bartholomew’s Day Massacre and what was it?

Answer 12

1572 where Huguenots were massacred

Question 13

How many Huguenots arrived between 1670 and 1710?

Answer 13

50,000

Question 14

Who offered the Huguenots denizen status?

Answer 14

King Charles II

Question 15

What happened in France in 1685 and what did it lead to?

Answer 15

King Louis XIV of France made it illegal for French people to be Protestant

Question 16

Why did Huguenots migrate to England?

Answer 16

Migrated to England because they couldn’t work at their trades and businesses in France and because they couldn’t follow their religion there

Question 17

What was passed in 1709? What was it?

Answer 17

Foreign Naturalisation Act. This allowed European Protestants to live in England, with full civil rights provided they swore loyalty to the Crown

Question 18

How many Palatines migrated to England between May and June 1709?

Answer 18

12,000

Question 19

Why did Menasseh ben Israel want Cromwell to let Jews back into the country? And when?

Answer 19

1655 was when Menasseh argued for the return of the Jews. The reasons were that the (1.) economy was weak and needed the skills that Jews can bring, . (2.) Need safety from persecution, (3.) a few Jews have already been quietly living in England (4.) and making synagogues for Jewish people would be a problem because there are already special churches for the Dutch, French and Germans

Question 20

What did Cromwell’s council suggest following Menasseh ben Israel’s visit?

Answer 20

(1.) The expulsion order was in 1290 under a royal prerogative and not passed by Parliament. (2.) The law only applied to Jews living in England at the time so it shouldn’t affect any Jew after this time.
They suggested that the Jews start coming back quietly with a small number of people settling in London suburb of Aldgate. They were permitted to follow their religion privately. By the end of the year, Cromwell’s council allowed them to build a synagogue. More and more Jews arrive and then Aldgate became a thriving Jewish community
Cromwell did this for a variety of reasons:
1. Because of his religious beliefs he thought that Jesus Christ would come to earth again if we convert Jews to Christianity - be easier if they are in England.
2. the economy is bad and their skills will help.
3. as far as he could tell, there weren’t any obvious anti-Semitism in England
4. he asked his council for a quick decision but they are taking too long as they set up a whole council to discuss it.

Question 21

Why did Africans come to England?

Answer 21

Through slavery, work/jobs, refugees

Question 22

Give the timeline of trading with India.

Answer 22

1585 - Elizabeth sent Ralph Fitch to the court of the Emperor Akbar to find out whether India was worth trying to trade with. It was

1600 - Elizabeth issued a charter to a group of merchants allowing them to have a monopoly of trade with ‘the East’. They set up the East India Company

1608 - The first EIC ships set sail for India.

Most important trading posts (factories) were at Surat (1613), Chennai (1641), Mumbai (1668) and Kolkata

Question 23

Why did Indians migrate to England?

Answer 23

Work, trade, ayahs, lascars

Question 24

What were the main differences between Protestant migrants in England?