Migrants In Britain: 5.1

Question 1

Give 7 features of post-war Britain

Answer 1

• rationing of food, clothing and electricity stayed in effect until the late 1950s due to the poor economical state
• lost 30% of overseas wealth in the empire (many countries gained independence from Britain after the war)
• nearly all major British cities had been targeted during the war, destroying factories and housing
  [] 1 in 6 Londoners were homeless during the Blitz
• hundreds of thousands had been killed or disabled
• with the influx of returning soldiers, demand for housing grew
• huge shortage of labour
  [] death/disabled
  [] emigrants
  [] married women left the workplace (many workplaces didn’t allow women to work once married)
  [] older people retired
  [] new organisations in the public sector like TFL and the NHS set up by the new Labour government
• nearly 1.5 million emigrants to colonies like Australia and Canada after the war between 1945 and 1960

Question 2

What was the British Nationality Act, when was it passed and why ?

Answer 2

• gave the right to live and work in the UK to anyone in the Commonwealth
• passed in 1948
• Britain wanted to boost its working population to grow the economy again and start to rebuild after the war

Question 3

How did the Commonwealth aid Britain as opposed to the countries in it ?

Answer 3

• many of the natural resources in these countries, like oil, gold, jewels, sugar, copper and the wealth from these industries were invested in Britain/didn’t remain in their home countries
  [] weakened the economy of these countries whilst supporting Britain’s
• a lack of jobs in the Commonwealth due to this, with the best jobs going to white British migrants
  [] low wages for the black people in their countries

Question 4

Why did many black people in (former) British colonies want to migrate to England after the British Nationality Act was passed, despite the damage that Britain had done to their countries in colonising them ?

Answer 4

• thought of Britain as the ‘Motherland’
• wages in Britain were 3-4 times as much as in the Caribbean and in other parts of the British Empire/Commonwealth
  [] many in the Caribbean especially were used to migrating temporarily to earn money before moving back home - some planned to do this in Britain
• idolised Britain as the culture in these countries included British culture
  [] instead of African and Caribbean history, schoolchildren were taught about British history, the British economy, British culture etc.
  [] in cinemas, before the movie would play, the British national anthem would play and people had to stand up for it
• less natural disaster in Britain than on tropical islands like in the Caribbean
• Caribbean newspapers displayed job adverts for British firms and encouraged migration

Question 5

Which types of workers from the Caribbean and Africa migrated to Britain vs the types of jobs they were given in Britain (include details about discrimination and pay in the workplace) ?

Answer 5

• migrants were often skilled labourers, educa[]ted to degree level
  [] musicians
  [] trained engineers
  [] nurses and doctors
• in Britain, many worked in low-level jobs
  [] the NHS (midwives, cleaners etc.)
  [] TFL (drivers, conductors; often long or graveyard shifts that no English person wanted to do)
  [] cleaners/janitors
• promotion was hard due to colour bars
• no laws against discrimination in the work place
  [] black employees often payed much less than white wages

Question 6

What was the English reaction to black migrants in the 1950s and early 60s ?

Answer 6

• white employers took advantage of the lack of equal pay laws
• Trade Unions promoted colour bars and anti-immigration policies as worried higher-level jobs were being taken from the English DESPITE MANY JOB VACANCIES
• racism in policing and from white gangs

Question 7

What were the ‘Swinging Sixties’ ?

Answer 7

• by this time, the influx of migrants and new jobs had grown England’s economy substantially and rationing had started to come to an end
• younger generation had more time + money for leisure
• growing sense of freedom and exploration
• British music and fashion (like the mini-skirt) became known internationally and London was regarded as one of the most exciting places to live
• new generation was more radical and politically active, protesting for civil rights and anti-war movements

NOTE: many people of colour still faced a lot of racism and restriction contrary to the general feeling of jubilation in the 60s. For example, in the 60s, the Teddy Boy movement (people who enjoyed Edwardian fashion and music, yet were also extremely racist and took part in racist violence) picked up a lot.