Migrants to, from and within Britain Flashcards
Why did the Irish migrate to Britain?
- to escape extreme poverty in areas of Ireland and to find better work
- potato blight ruined Irish harvest, causing a famine
What was the British reaction to Irish immigration?
- religious differences caused rivalry and violence
- Irish blamed for :
–> high crime rates
–> stealing jobs
–> bringing and spreading disease
What did the Irish find work as?
In construction as navvies, in mines or in cotton mills
What is the impact of Irish migration?
- canals, roads and railways built by the Irish navvies
- in the early 1800s, 40% of soldiers in the army were Irish
- despite difficulties, Irish migration continued esp in 1930s, 1950s-60s
- intermarriage was popular
How many people living in Britain have Irish parents or grandparents?
6 million
What was the Aliens Act and when was it passed?
Limited the number of Jewish migrants, 1905
What type of work did the Jewish uptake?
- making clothes
- shoemaking
- furniture making
Why did the Jewish migrate?
- persecution against Jews rampant in Russia + blamed for assasination of the Tsar
- 1882: series of laws placed against Jews
- pogroms common
Where did the Jewish migrate from?
Russia
What were pogroms?
Religious attacks against the Jews
Why was there migration in Africa and Asia?
Slavery and Indentured servant system
Give examples of migration within Africa and Asia
- African: slavery took them to America and the West Indes
- Asians: indentured system took millions of Tamils frm South India to pick tea in Sri Lanka or tap rubber in Malaysia
From 1841-1910 how many people moved around the Empire per decade?
150,000
Why did people go to Australia?
- convicts transported from Britain’s overcrowded jails
- most stayed at the end of their sentence to become sheep or wheat farmers
Why did people leave Britain?
Hoping to make a better life for themselves
