Immigration After WW2 & Enoch Powell Flashcards
During WW2 many islands in the Caribbean Sea were part of the ____ Empire.
British
What are some countries in the Caribbean Sea that were part of the British Empire?
Jamaica, Barbados and Trinidad.
What is the Caribbean sea known as?
The West Indies
What did the countries in the Caribbean Sea that were part of the British Empire supply for Britain during WW2?
Over 10,000 men for Britain’s army, navy and airforce.
Why did Caribbean people that were part of the British Empire migrate to Britain?
-work as the British Nationality Act gave them a great opportunity
-money as a hurricane destroyed most of Jamaica’s sugarcane which was their main export-at the time British was short of workers
What was the 1948 British Nationality Act?
An act stating that all people of the Empire were British passport holders and were allowed to live and work in Britain.
What is the British Empire today?
The Commonwealth which is an organisation that countries can choose to join or leave.
What is the HMT Empire Windrush ?
The ship that brought the first group of Caribbean immigrants to the UK in 1948.
How much did a Windrush ticket cost?
Around £28 which is around £1000 today.
Explain 3 ways the West Indians were treated in Britain when they arrived
-whatever their qualifications, most of them ended up working in low paid jobs such as cleaners, tickets collectors and hospital porters.-they experienced difficulties finding good places to live as most of them could only find places in the most run-down areas -landlords put up racist signs that said ‘No Irish, No Blacks, No dogs’
What happened in 1958 in Nottingham and Notting hill, London?
There were several weeks of violence when white youths attacked black youths on the streets, at nightclubs and in their homes.
Today South Asia is a collection of separate countries including India, Pakistan, Bangladesh and Burma. But back then it was called _______
India
What did British traders go to South Asia for in the early 1600s?
To buy spices, dyes and textiles to sell back in Britain.
Over the next 250 years, British traders built _______________ along the South Asian coast, and gradually Britain took over more and more of the land.
Trading posts
What happened in South India in 1857?
A huge rebellion happened against foreign rule so the British government decided to put ‘India’ under its direct control
What did Queen Victoria proudly call herself?
Empress of India
South Asians have been coming to Britain since the early __________________________.
British rule in ‘India’
What did South Asians work as in Britain?
Cooks, deckhands, sailors, nannies, doctors and businessmen
What are lascars?
South Asian sailors
What are ayahs?
South Asian children’s nannies
Why did people in South Asia come to settle in Britain after WW2?I
-there was some violence in some parts of South Asia after the war so people went to Britain to avoid this
-the people in South Asia under the British Empire were British passport holders and had the right to go there if they wanted
-some places in South Asia suffered from cyclones, floods and famines at this time - and poverty. They saw Immigration as their only hope
What did Enoch Powell make a speech about?
Immigration
What was Enoch Powell’s immigration speech called?
Rivers of Blood
What are the main points of Enoch Powell’s Rivers of Blood speech?
He said that white people were becoming strangers in their own country and could soon expect ‘the black man to have the whip hand over the white man’. He predicted that Britain’s rivers would be ‘foaming with much blood’ He warned his audience of what he believed would be the consequences of continued unchecked immigration from the Commonwealth to Britain.
When did Enoch Powell make his speech, Rivers of Blood?
1968
What complaints were made about foreigners in Britain were becoming more common?
That they were taking jobs from white British people
What act did the government pass in 1962?
The Commonwealth Immigrants Act
What did the 1962 Commonwealth Immigrants Act state?
People could only enter Britain from Commonwealth countries if they were skilled professionals who had been given permission to work there.
What act did the government pass in 1965?
The Race Relations Act
What did the 1965 Race Relations Act state?
That discrimination is illegal on the grounds of color, race or ethnic or national origins
What act did the government pass in 1968?
The Commonwealth Immigration Act
What did the 1968 Commonwealth Immigration Act state?
That you had to show a close connection with the UK if you wanted to immigrate to Britain
What act did the government add to in 1968?
The Race Relations Act
What did the 1968 The Race Relations Act state?
That it was illegal to refuse housing or employment to people because of their colour.
What happened to Powell after his speech
He was sacked
What act did the government pass in 1971?
The Immigration Act of 1971
What did the Immigration Act of 1971 state?
People could only immigrate if they had a parent or grandparent born in Britain.
What did the government set up to promote good racial relations?
The Race Relations Board
Who was Enoch Powell?
A conservative MP
What is an MP?
A member of Parliament
What were some positive reactions to Powell’s speech?
-Graffiti in London showed support to him
-a survey was taken and around 3/4 of people agreed with him
-around the time laws were made which made it hard for people to immigrate to Britain
-there was a big protest from workers in Smithfield Meat Market supporting him
-1000 dockworkers went on strike in protest at his sacking
What were some negative reactions to Powell’s speech?
-the Times said that it was an ‘evil speech’
-laws at the time made it illegal to be racist
What did many in Britain during the British Empire refer to India?
The Jewel in the Crown
