Commonwealth/Empire

Question 1

How did the Commonwealth help to bolster Britain’s international position

Answer 1

provided a strong and wide-ranging diplomatic network and ensuring British membership of key international bodies

Question 2

What can Britain’s place on the UNs security council been as a reflection of

Answer 2

Britain’s status acquired through empire and maintained through Britain’s world-wide influence

Question 3

How did the Queen reinforce the connection between Britain and the commonwealth

Answer 3

regular commonwealth visits, sometimes with other members of the royal family, to all countries

Question 4

How many Britons migrated to the dominions between 1946-1957

Answer 4

approx 1 million

Question 5

How many Britons were in contact with relatives in the dominions in 1948

Answer 5

25%

Question 6

What was the National Service

Answer 6

between 1939 and 1960 young British men aged 17-21 were required to undertake military service for up to 18 months

Question 7

What was the British Nationality Act and when was it passed

Answer 7

gave full British citizenship including right of free entry into Britain to every inhabitant of the Empire and the Commonwealth in 1948

Question 8

Why did the British gov encourage immigration

Answer 8

help country recover economically after WW2

plentiful and well paid work for unskilled workers in the booming British factories

Question 9

What did the recruitment drives try to do

Answer 9

encourage unskilled workers to take up a work in public transport and the national health service

Question 10

How many new employees did London Transport take on in 1956

Answer 10

4000- mostly from Barbados

Question 11

Give examples of the amount of immigrants in 1958

Answer 11

115,000 West Indians
55,000 Indians and Pakistanis
25,000 West Africans
10,000 Cypriots

Question 12

Where in the UK did most immigrants reside

Answer 12

nearly half in London (mostly West Indians)

Birmingham (mostly Indians and Pakistanis)

Question 13

Why did a lot of Asians also settle in Oldham and Bradford

Answer 13

as the declining textile industries were desperate for cheap unskilled labour

Question 14

Why were many Britons against the growth of immigration to Britian

Answer 14

worries about the dilution of British cultural and national identity
concerns about protecting their houses and jobs

Question 15

Who created the anti-immigrant Union Movement

Answer 15

Oswald Mosley

Question 16

What were the gangs who attacked black people in 1958 called

Answer 16

Teddy Boys

Question 17

What percentage of the British population supported legislation to curb immigration in 1962

Answer 17

90%

Question 18

How big was Britain’s black population c1967

Answer 18

nearly 1 million

Question 19

What was the nature of Notting Hill Carnival

Answer 19

example of the assimilation and interchange of culture
spectacular floats, steel drum bands, outlandish costumes and dancing on the streets
stalls serving typical Caribbean food (jerk chicken, rice and peas, and rum punch)

Question 20

What did the survey in North London 1965 show about white attitudes towards immigrants

Answer 20

showed that 1 in 5 workers objected to working with black people or Asians
half said they would refuse to live next door to a coloured person
9 out of 10 disapproved of mixed marriages

Question 21

Til Death Do us Part (1965)

Answer 21

constant swearing about ‘bloody coons’ won the main character a cult following even though the writers intention had been to satirise ignorant bigotry

Question 22

When was the Commonwealth Immigrants Act

Answer 22

1962

Question 23

What were the terms of the Commonwealth Immigrants Act

Answer 23

attempt to control the escalating immigration
-free immigration for former colonial subjects was ended
-work permit scheme was put in place instead
although this didn’t explicitly discriminate against blacks and asians it had the same effect

Question 24

How did the Commonwealth Immigrants Act discriminate against blacks and Asians

Answer 24

The Irish were exempt and most white immigrants had skills which enabled them to obtain vouchers
unskilled black applicants found it difficult to obtain permits- 12 months following the Act only 34,500 arrived in Britain

Question 25

How many Britons supported the Commonwealth Immigrants Act

Answer 25

70%

Question 26

What was the nature of the Race Relations Board (1965)

Answer 26

it compiled statistics, produced reports and held ‘hearings’
forbade discrimination in public places ‘on the grounds of colour, race or ethnic or national origin’

Question 27

When was Empire Day abolished

Answer 27

1962

Question 28

Which countries flags did the union jack remain

Answer 28

Figi
New Zealand
Australia

Question 29

How great was christianisation in Africa

Answer 29

the Anglican church had more members in Africa than Britain itself

Question 30

When did the first commonwealth games take place

Answer 30

1954

Question 31

How did Sir Malcolm Sargant remind the British public of their imperial past at the 1954 proms

Answer 31

performed:

• Edward Elgar’s Pomp and Circumstance March No.1
• Henry Wood’s Fantasia on British Sea Songs
• national anthem