Migrants In Britain: 3.4 Flashcards
Case study: Liverpool in the 19th century
1
Q
Describe the change in Liverpool’s main industries from 1800 - post 1807
A
- prior to 1807, Liverpool was a crucial component of Britain’s slave trade and made huge profits from this
- when the slave trade ended in 1807, trade focus shifted to bringing in raw materials like cotton from American plantations and the British colonies in the West Indies, then selling these to manufacturing cities like Manchester
[] greatly important to England’s growing cotton industry (in the 1860s, 600 000 were directly employed in it), as all cotton was imported and most of it was sold via Liverpool in Britain, meaning a LOT of profit for Liverpool - Liverpool’s main industry always revolved around trade and sailing however
2
Q
Why was Liverpool attractive to migrants ?
A
- established trading links made travel for migrants between their home countries and Liverpool much easier
- many job opportunities arose with Liverpool’s growth as a trading port
[] labour in the growing and busy docks was much needed
[] with the introduction of steam-powered ships, skilled labour like rigging was less important than unskilled labour like stoking fires, moving coal and oiling machinery, which were jobs that lent themselves to a greater number and demographic of people
3
Q
Describe Liverpool’s growth as a trading port by 1900
A
- by 1900 had over 7 miles of docks
- went from handling 2.8 million tonnes of goods annually to 10.5 million tonnes
- during the 19th century, sailing ships were replaced by steamships
[] steamships were faster and had more load-bearing capacity, lending themselves to faster trade, a rise in demand for labour (attracting (unskilled) migrants) and thus growth for Liverpool economically - was the second-most profitable port worldwide by 1905, coming behind only London
4
Q
By 1850, how many Irish migrants had arrived in Liverpool, and what were their economic statuses ?
A
- over 640 000 migrants by 1850
- most described by the city authorities as paupers (extremely poor and often relying on government monetary relief to get by)
[] many starved and had little clothing - in a report from the Liverpool Mercury in 1847, Irish immigrants were described as “half-naked wretches”
5
Q
Why did so many Irish immigrate to Liverpool ?
A
- busy port with strong trading links to America
[] many hoped to migrate to America from Liverpool for the mass amounts of unskilled job opportunities on plantations as well as land available to buy for cheap and thus make a new start for the often near-destitute Irish after the famines in Ireland - forced migration due to the famines and potato blights of 1845 and 1846
- many unskilled job opportunities on the docks and aboard steamships that didn’t exist as prominently or abundantly in other cities
- short distance to Ireland, especially Dublin, made it easier to travel to and stay in Liverpool than other areas of England; also meant they could visit home if they had the money or time to
6
Q
Describe the experiences and impacts of Irish migrants to Liverpool who then moved on to America
A
- 159 840 people in total sailed from Liverpool to America in 1851 alone
- the fees for ship tickets to America in the late 1800s were expensive, in 1880s costing £5 (half the annual earnings of Irish labourers) for only a third-class ticket
[] MASSIVE profits for passenger shipping companies and ocean liners from Liverpool - improved economy further
7
Q
Why did some Irish migrants remain in Liverpool ?
A
- couldn’t afford passage to America
- were happy settling in Liverpool
[] short distance to Dublin etc. - were originally going to migrate to America but were cheated by fake ticket sellers and now couldn’t afford to
8
Q
Describe prejudice experienced by the Irish in Liverpool
A
- signs reading “No need apply” in regards to Irish people looking for work were very common
- trade unions were hostile to Irish labourers
[] meant that they had reduced job security and workers’ rights; were often paid less and worked in worse or more dangerous conditions because of this - Liverpool’s Irish population was often blamed for crime
[] the Liverpool Mercury (infamously hostile to Irish immigrants in its reports) complained about a “constant influx of Irish misery and crime”
[] were more often persecuted (wrongly) for crimes; just over 3000 were brought before magistrates in 1850 - wrecked credibility and hurt the already limited job opportunities to the Irish
9
Q
Describe the Irish working experience in Liverpool in the 19th century
A
- most men worked poorly paid, dangerous manual labour jobs that English didn’t want
[] 1881, 80% of Irish men were labourers like these - Irish women had few working opportunities, and of those who did work by 1881, 84% were maids
- many of the new docks in Liverpool were built by Irish navvies
[] CRUCIAL to Liverpool’s economic growth as a port city - Irish dock workers (nicknamed lumpers) were the most often hired to unload and load goods from ships
[] this was the area in which the majority of Irishmen who weren’t navvies worked when in Liverpool
[] by the 1870s, almost 2000 were employed as lumpers and warehouse workers - a few Irish workers were able to gain senior positions (like foremen) or worked in skilled trades such as ship repair
10
Q
Describe the social experiences of the Irish community in Liverpool
A
- Irish pubs became very popular amongst the immigrants in Liverpool
[] 1840s, a dockside pub offered advice and support to new Irish arrivals - Irish-run businesses, especially bakeries, butchers, tailors and greengrocers became increasingly common
[] created new job opportunities for Irish people discriminated against when finding work, as well as increasing Liverpool’s trade with areas of Britain that produced fresh produce, cloth and so on - the number of Catholic parishes grew
[] Irish clergy were common in these due to most English being Protestant - segregation de facto of poor Irish people became common as they couldn’t afford to live elsewhere in Liverpool most of the time
[] the lack of sanitation and overcrowding in these areas led to outbreaks of diseases like typhus
11
Q
What was the impact of the Liverpool Workhouse Infirmary on the Irish community ?
A
- supported those living in poor areas of Liverpool who suffered from frequent outbreaks of disease due to the overcrowding and weak constitution of new Irish immigrants
- Irish nurse, Agnes Jones, became its first Nursing Superintendent in 1865
[] one of the few people training nurses in the entire country; grew the number of practicing nurses in Liverpool, meaning the healthcare system could better support Irish people suffering from outbreaks of disease
[] also meant that Irish people were more likely to be hired in the Liverpool Workhouse Infirmary as nurses - provided jobs
12
Q
Describe the long-term impacts of Irish migrants on Liverpool
A
- Irish accent mixed with the English accent made the scouse accent common in Liverpool
- almost 75% of Liverpool’s inhabitants now are of Irish descent
[] Irish descendants have been crucial to Liverpool’s culture, politics and business
[] two of the Beatles, John Lennon and Paul McCartney, were of Irish descent - Liverpool has many roads named after areas in Ireland like Ulster and Belfast, as well as areas named after Irish families’ homes like the Anfield area being named after Liverpool’s lord mayor Graves’ home Annefield in 1861
13
Q
Describe one example of discrimination of non-white sailors on board ships from the Merchant Shipping Laws on 1876
A
white sailors allowed 10 ft of personal space on board the ship in terms of living quarters, whilst non-white sailors were only allotted 6 ft
14
Q
Why was there high demand for Indian sailors in steamships in Liverpool ?
A
white people assumed that the Indian sailors were better-suited to the hot conditions of the ships’ boiler rooms
[] exposes intent to exploit Indian sailors to work long hours on board these ships, often for much less pay than white sailors
15
Q
Describe the social and economic experiences of Indian migrants in Liverpool
A
- occupations:
[] sailors (most common)
[] street sweepers
[] musicians
[] kept lodges for other sailors
[] misc. jobs on the docks or in the city
[] some ran trading businesses like Cama and Company est. in Liverpool in the 1850s - married British women, helping them to assimilate into society
- the Indian community grew and religious buildings like mosques and Hindu temples became more common
[] 1890, a mosque for Muslim Indian migrants opened in Liverpool
16
Q
Describe the impacts and experiences of Chinese migrants in Liverpool
A
- constructed the oldest Chinatown in Europe
- late 1850s, influx of Chinese seamen trading silk, tea and cotton from Shanghai and Hong Kong
[] the British had control of Shanghai due to the Opium Wars of the mid-19th century (around 1850s), encouraging migration and travel from there
[] British had owned Hong Kong since 1841 as a result of colonialism in response to the Chinese destruction of British property during the Opium Wars - many Chinese sailors were housed in boarding houses
- from the 1890s, Chinese food establishments became common
- Chinese people were relatively well-liked in Liverpool due to their propensity for working hard and drinking little, unlike the (perception/stereotyping of) the Irish
- many married British women to settle into Britain better
17
Q
Describe the impacts and experiences of African migrants in Liverpool
A
- growing trade between Africa and Liverpool encouraged African migration
[] many came from Gambia, Ghana and Sierra Leone
[] the majority migrated to Liverpool in order to be hired as sailors - Liverpool shipping companies like Elder Dempster recruited African sailors to work in boiler rooms
[] willing to work for lower wages and longer hours, as well as in poorer conditions than many others; exploited by employers - some stayed for short periods of time only, living in hostels
