Chapter 3: Reasons for Mass Migration in the 19th Century Flashcards
What were the three major developments that drove the huge waves of migration that took place across the world in the 19th century?
- The Industrial Revolution
- The end of the slave trade
- The opening of the Suez Canal
When did the Industrial Revolution take place?
In the 18th and 19th centuries.
What was the “Industrial Revolution”?
It was a time of major developments in technology and mass production.
What did the Industrial Revolution lead to?
It led to the creation of new industries and the production of more goods.
What did the increased production of more goods lead to?
It led to a demand for more raw materials such as rubber, tin and coal.
Where were raw materials such as rubber, tin and coal found in?
They were mainly found outside of Europe.
What did the search for raw materials that were mainly found outside of Europe result in?
It resulted in a wave of migration from Europe to other parts of the world in search of these raw materials.
What are ‘raw materials’?
Raw materials are basic materials or substances used in the production of goods, e.g. raw rubber from Southeast Asia, tin ore from Malaya and coal from Asia.
What did the invention of steam technology lead to?
It led to vast / huge improvements in seafaring technology.
Before the invention of steam technology, what were people dependent / reliant on to travel across the seas?
Wind and sails.
What followed / happened after the development of the steam engine?
Europeans were able to travel further and faster than before. More people from all over the world opted / chose to travel by steamships as it was cheaper. This made the mass migration of people possible in the 19th century.
What made the mass migration of people possible in the 19th century?
The invention of steam technology which led to vast improvements in seafaring technology. Following the development of the steam engine, the Europeans were able to travel further and faster than before, at a cheaper fare.
Besides the Industrial Revolution, what was another important reason for the huge wave of migration in the 1800s.
The end of the slave trade and slavery in European countries in the 1800s.
When and how did the slave trade begin?
It began in the 16th century with war captives from Africa being sold to Europeans to work on plantations and settlements in South America.
What was the consequence of an increase in the demand for slaves?
Slave traders resorted to kidnapping people from remote villages in Africa to sell as slaves.
Define ‘colony’.
A territory that is politically controlled by a distant / far away country.
What did the abolition of slavery and the slave trade in Europe in the late 18th and the early 19th centuries result in?
It resulted in a shortage of cheap labour.
What did the European countries such as Britain resort to as a result of the shortage of cheap labour caused by the abolition of slavery and the slave trade?
The European countries such as Britain had to look for other sources of cheap labour to ensure that their economic activities could continue.
What was the consequence / result of the European countries looking for cheap labour to ensure that their economic activities could continue?
They allowed and encouraged the unrestricted / uncontrolled immigration of people from other countries to live and work in their colonies.
When did the movement to abolish slavery start?
As early as the 1760s.
What helped to quicken the process of abolition of slavery?
The American War of Independence (1775 - 1783) helped to quicken the process of abolition.
What did the British promise the slaves?
The British promised to free the slaves if they fought for the British against the American colonists.
What happened to many of the former slaves who fought for the British after they British were defeated?
They made their way to England where they were resettled.
What did the resettlement of the former slaves in England result in?
It gave the British an opportunity to learn about the horrors of slavery and the abuse suffered by the slaves. Eventually, so many people supported the movement to abolish slavery that in 1803, the Slave Trade Act was passed in the British Parliament, making it illegal for British ships to transport slaves.
