Migration and Empire: Issue 1

Question 1

Famine/internal (push)

Answer 1

Between 1846 and 1858, a potato blight wiped out crop on the West Coast and Highland areas of Scotland leaving 150,000 people at risk of starvation. This forced Scots to move to another part of Scotland for food and survival.

Question 2

The Highland and Lowland Clearances/internal (push)

Answer 2

Crofters were evicted from their homes as it became more profitable for landlords to keep sheep on land, and this removal could be violent. This forced Scots to migrate to another part of Scotland because they had been displaced without homes or income.

Question 3

Decline of fishing/internal (push)

Answer 3

When the Russian Revolution in 1917 brought an end to the East European export trade in herring, many of the men and women in the coastal fishing industries lost their jobs and incomes. These areas almost solely depended on the fishing trade. This forced Scots to migrate to another part of Scotland because families could not support themselves on the coast any longer.

Question 4

Decline of kelp industry/internal (push)

Answer 4

Many crofters relied on the kelp industry which took a sharp decline as it faced competition from imports of Spanish Barilla and mined chemicals like potash. This forced Scots to migrate in search of work as they could no longer rely on kelp profits to support themselves.

Question 5

Mechanisation/internal (push)

Answer 5

22 workdays were required to farm one acre of land in 1840 but by 1914 it took just 12 as many jobs were being done by newly invented machines. Fewer workers were needed on farms as a result. This forced Scots to migrate to other parts of Scotland in work.

Question 6

Highland Housing/internal (push)

Answer 6

Many highlanders lived in black houses. These houses had no chimney for the smoke from the fire to escape and were often shared between people and livestock. This forced Scots to migrate to another part of Scotland in search of better, healthier living conditions.

Question 7

Education/internal (push)

Answer 7

There was a lack of schools in rural Scotland, and many of those that did exist were far away from children’s homes. It was also difficult to recruit teachers to these areas. This pushed Scots to move to take advantage of the 1872 Education Act and receive better access to education elsewhere.

Question 8

Political Issues/internal (push)

Answer 8

The clearances that took place during this period created a very serious divide between landowners and their tenants. Tenants wanted the government to take action to redistribute land that families had been cleared from, but there was no political will to do this. Continued political tensions and lack of action by government pushed Scots to leave as their differences with landowners proved to be irreconcilable.

Question 9

Wage Instability/internal (push)

Answer 9

In agriculture,there was many more workers than jobs due to a population boom in lowlands. Very few farms were available to buy, meaning workers entirely depended on the needs of local farmers who may only need workers at certain points of the year. This pushed Scots to migrate as they wanted to escape this instability.

Question 10

Lack of land/internal (push)

Answer 10

It was difficult for Scots to own the land they worked on due to high prices and rapid population growth putting strain on the amount of land available. Instead, they had to rent it from nobles. This pushed Scots to migrate as they tried to escape the oppressive landlords and search for alternative way to make a living.

Question 11

Lack of social life/internal (push)

Answer 11

The highlands and rural areas were socially isolated, with little access to social activities or events - especially for young people. This pushed Scots to migrate to end their social isolation and search for a better quality of life.

Question 12

Social life/internal (pull)

Answer 12

Young people began to see rural life as boring. Improved access to the radio gave young people in rural areas information about leisure facilities like pubs, cinemas and dancehalls that were available in cities. This attracted Scots to move to another part of Scotland for an improved quality of social life.

Question 13

Wages/internal (pull)

Answer 13

Wages for farm workers, especially in the Lowlands, were very low. Wages in the industries such as coal mining,iron,steel works,cotton factories,and railways were up to 50% higher. This attracted Scots to move to another part of Scotland to earn more money and live more comfortably.

Question 14

Education/internal (pull)

Answer 14

The Education Act of 1872 made education compulsory for Primary School aged children. Accessing schools was difficult in rural areas as they were often far away from the child’s home and very poorly funded. This attracted Scots to move to another part of Scotland where they would have easy access to good quality schools to give their children a better future.

Question 15

Days off/internal (pull)

Answer 15

In the central belt of Scotland, shop workers were entitled to half a day off each week by law, and some employers began to offer paid leave. This attracted Scots to migrate as they would have easy access to good quality schools to give their children a better future.

Question 15

Jobs/internal (pull)

Answer 15

In the late 1800’s, the central belt of Scotland was becoming a centre of industry. Employment could be found in huge cotton mills, iron works, coal mines, shipyards, engineering shops, railways, and a host of other businesses. This pulled Scots to migrate as there was plenty of employment to be found.

Question 16

Working conditions/internal (pull)

Answer 16

Factory workers and domestic servants in the central belt worked indoors, had set shift times, and their work was usually not too physically demanding. This encouraged Scots to migrate as this was preferable to the difficult and unpredictable nature of farming.

Question 17

Better housing/internal (pull)

Answer 17

Whilst tenement housing was typically of poor quality, it offered a new style of living close to neighbours and local amenities. This encouraged rural Scots to migrate as it was preferable to the living conditions in the black houses.

Question 18

Ease of travel/internal (pull)

Answer 18

By the 1930’s there were steamboats regularly sailing from the West Coast of Scotland such as Glasgow. This encouraged Scots to migrate as the revolution in transport made it much easier and quicker to move around in Scotland

Question 19

Family & friends/internal (pull)

Answer 19

Family members and friends who had already migrated sent letters back home. These letters shared the benefits of emigrating such as better employment, wages and lifestyle. This attracted Scots to migrate as they felt comfort in knowing that they would know people in their new home.

Question 20

Highland & Lowland Clearances/external (push)

Answer 20

Crofters were evicted from their homes as it became more profitable for landlords to keep sheep on the land. This pushed Scots to emigrate as some preferred to leave Scotland entirely to continue their rural life rather than move an urban area of Scotland, as this felt more familiar to them.

Question 21

Criminal conviction/external (push)

Answer 21

7,600 Scots were sent to Australia a prisoners by 1847 and many stayed once they were released. This forced Scots to emigrate from Scotland as many prisoners could not afford to come home while others wanted to start a new life away from the issues they had experienced in Scotland which led them to crime.

Question 22

Orphan Charities/external (push)

Answer 22

Quarriers charity sent 7000 Scottish children to Canada to help them escape with poverty in Scotland and start afresh with the clean air of rural Canada. This to their parents, in a system of traumatic forced emigration.

Question 23

Missionary work/external (push)

Answer 23

Some Scots became missionaries to spread Christianity to those living in the British Empire. This forced Scots to emigrate as some were pressurised by their churches and families and becoming missionaries, through fear of being ostracised or disowned.

Question 24

Financial assistance from landlords/external (push)

Answer 24

Some landowners (such as Duke of Sutherland and Duke of Argyll) provided payments, travel allowances or new homes abroad to encourage crofters to leave, with landlords sometimes receiving government help to do this. This forced Scots to emigrate as the offers were not always voluntary and, in some cases , they were threatened and left with little choice but to take it.

Question 25

Religious Persecution/external (push)

Answer 25

There was a small Catholic minority in Scotland in the 19th century and some were persecuted for their religion. This led some Catholics to emigrate to countries where they could practise their religion freely.

Question 26

Mechanisation/external (push)

Answer 26

22 workdays were required to farm one acre of land in 1840 but by 1914 it took just 12 as many jobs were being done by newly invented machines. Fewer workers were needed on farms as a result. Some people preferred to leave Scotland entirely to continue their farming way of life and utilise their skills, rather than move to an urban area of Scotland.

Question 27

Lowland Housing/external (push)

Answer 27

The fast growth of population in Scotland’s cities led to overcrowding and dreadful living conditions. Families could live in houses with one room, no indoor toilet or windows. This forced Scots to emigrate to find a home where they could have more space and less at risk of catching deadly diseases.

Question 28

Working Conditions/external (push)

Answer 28

The industrial revolution led to rapid urbanisation and industrialisation in Scotland. This led to problems including low wages, long hours, dangerous working conditions and child labour. These poor working conditions led many Scots to seek a better life elsewhere.

Question 29

Lack of Land/external (push)

Answer 29

It was difficult for Scots to own the land they worked on due to high prices and rapid population growth putting strain on the amount of land available. Instead, they had to rent it from nobles. This pushed Scots to emigrate as they tried to find a home with available land, where they could continue their rural way of life and utilise their farming skills.

Question 30

Overpopulation & Living Standards/external (push)

Answer 30

Scotland’s industrial cities, especially Glasgow, were very overcrowded with Scots living in poor quality tenement housing which contributed to the rapid spread of disease. This pushed Scots to emigrate to escape these poor conditions and find better quality housing with more adequate room to raise a family.

Question 31

Assisted Passages/external (push)

Answer 31

Charities, governments, and church of Scotland, all provided funds for transport costs to certain groups of Scots who wanted to emigrate. This pushed Scots to emigrate as they wanted to seize the opportunity available to them while they could.

Question 32

Emigration agents/external (pull)

Answer 32

In 1892 the Canadian government appointed two fulltime agents in Scotland who undertook tours of markets, town halls and agricultural shows to explain the benefits of emigrating to Canada.

Question 33

Kinship/external (pull)

Answer 33

Family members and friends who had already emigrated often sent letters back home. These letters shared-and sometimes exaggerated- the benefits of emigrating such as better employment, prices, wages, and lifestyle. This attracted Scots to emigrate as it gave them much greater confidence that they would be happier if they left Scotland than if they stayed.

Question 34

Jobs/external (pull)

Answer 34

Many new towns and cities were being established in Canada throughout the 1800’s which created high demand for skilled workers, especially masons. This attracted Scots to emigrate as the economic depression in Scotland left many Scots looking for work.

Question 35

Land Ownership/external (pull)

Answer 35

Canada and Australia offered Scots the chance to buy cheap land to own farms. On some occasions they gave large areas of forest to Scots for free with the agreement that they would develop it into productive land. This attracted Scots to emigrate as having opportunity to own your own land was highly unlikely for common farmers in Scotland and they wanted to escape from oppressive landowners.

Question 36

Revolution in Transport/external (pull)

Answer 36

In the 1850’s it took over 6 weeks to cross the Atlantic Ocean but by 1914 the crossing could be done in less than one week. This attracted Scots to emigrate as the process was much easier and became much cheaper during that time.

Question 37

Wages/external (pull)

Answer 37

A granite worker could earn the equivalent of a Scottish week’s wage in a day and a half by emigrating to North America,. This attracted Scots to emigrate to earn more money and live a comfortable life.

Question 38

Discovery of gold/external (pull)

Answer 38

Gold was discovered in California in 1849 and in Australia in 1851. This attracted Scots to emigrate to migrate to use their mining skills that they had to find their fortunes and become rich.

Question 39

The British Government/external (pull)

Answer 39

The government wanted to address over population and make sure that the empire was populated and profitable. The Empire Settlement Act of 1922 gave £3 million per year to support the relocation of Scots (and other from Britain) across the Empire. Government officials often pressurised by Scots- especially agricultural workers- into participation in schemes financed by the Act.

Question 40

Missionary Work/external (pull)

Answer 40

The Church of Scotland established funds and encouraged many Scots to emigrate across the empire to spread their presbyterian faith and the Good News of Jesus. Many Scots with a deep religious faith felt pressurised by Church leaders to fulfil their Christian duties and spread the Word of God.

Question 41

The Highlands and Islands Emigration Society/external (pull)

Answer 41

HIES sent 5000 Scots to Australia from 1852-1857. The group was mostly funded by Scottish landowners to make the Highland Clearances easier and took advantage of the 1846 famine to pressure Scots into accepting their support.