Migration and Empire (Six Things)

Question 1

What were the impacts of the British Empire on Scotland?

Answer 1

1. Gave Scottish traders access to new import and export markets
2. Created more job opportunities, both at home and abroad
3. Increased the wealth of some cities, families and individuals
4. Created a ‘brain drain’ as the well-educated often moved abroad
5. Contributed to the depopulation of the Highlands
6. Led to complacency and a lack of innovation in some industries

Question 2

What were the patterns of settlement of immigrants to Scotland?

Answer 2

1. Most Irish immigrants settled in the south-west, particularly Ayrshire
2. Catholic Irish immigrants often settled in the poorer parts of cities
3. Many Irish navvies moved around Scotland in search of work
4. Italian immigrants often settled in small communities all over Scotland
5. Lithuanians mostly settled in Lanarkshire, especially Coatbridge
6. Jewish communities often settled in either the Gorbals or Garnethill

Question 3

Why did so many Irish immigrants come to Scotland?

Answer 3

1. Poverty in Ireland meant people had a low standard of living
2. The Irish population had doubled, putting pressure on resources
3. The potato famine made people move elsewhere for food
4. There was no great culture shock in coming to Scotland
5. Transport had become easier with cheap and fast steamboat crossings
6. There were lots of jobs available in Scotland due to industrialisation

Question 4

Why did other immigrant groups come to Scotland?

Answer 4

1. Italians were suffering from periods of drought and famine
2. Lithuanians were trying to avoid conscription into the Russian army
3. Jews were escaping programs in Eastern Europe and Nazi Germany
4. Many were using Scotland as a gateway to North America
5. Scotland often offered comparatively higher wages
6. Many immigrant groups were already established in Scotland

Question 5

What were the living and working conditions of immigrants to Scotland?

Answer 5

1. Many lived in poor, overcrowded, slum-like accommodation
2. Diseases like cholera and tuberculosis were common
3. Immigrant groups often lived in close proximity to each other
4. Most immigrants worked in low-skilled and low-paid jobs
5. Immigrant workers could be paid less than Scots for the same job
6. During race riots in Glasgow in 1919, immigrant workers were attacked

Question 6

How did the Catholic Church support Irish immigrants?

Answer 6

1. Helped them to find jobs and places to live
2. Wrote letters to family back in Ireland for those that were illiterate
3. Offered a sanctuary from poor living and working conditions
4. Offered financial help through charities like St Vincent de Paul
5. Provided a space for socialising at dances and sports clubs
6. Organised separate Catholic schooling for children

Question 7

What were relations like between immigrants and Scots?

Answer 7

1. The Protestant Irish did fairly well as most Scots were Protestant
2. Many immigrants married someone from Scotland
3. Scots and immigrants worked together on social issues
4. Catholics faced abuse, especially from the Orange Order
5. Immigrants could be stereotyped as drunks, scabs or sweatshop owners
6. The Church of Scotland openly described the Irish as a “menace”

Question 8

What economic impacts did immigrants have on Scotland?

Answer 8

1. All who worked in industry made the Industrial Revolution possible
2. Irish immigrants filled key manual labour roles
3. Irish navvies helped build vital transport links to develop trade
4. Italians opened restaurants and cafes all over Scotland
5. Lithuanians helped support the mining industry
6. Jewish immigrants started new textile and cigarette businesses

Question 9

What social impacts did immigrants have on Scotland?

Answer 9

1. Irish immigrants started the separate Catholic schooling system
2. Celtic, Hibs and Dundee United were all founded by Irish Catholics
3. Sectarian tensions increased between Protestants and Catholics
4. Italian surnames became relatively common throughout Scotland
5. Lithuanians helped to organise local community events and newspapers
6. Jews built synagogues, some of which still exist to this day

Question 10

What political impacts did immigrants have on Scotland?

Answer 10

1. Irish immigrants like John Wheatley helped to start the Labour Party
2. Others were also active in the campaign for Irish home rule
3. A switch in Irish Catholic allegiances led to the decline of the Liberals
4. Multiple Immigrant groups helped in the formation of trade unions
5. Many immigrants took part in strike action for better pay and conditions
6. The ‘Red Clydeside’ era would have involved immigrant workers

Question 11

What push factors were involved in the emigration of Scots abroad?

Answer 11

1. Shipbuilding, the heavy industries and fishing all collapsed after WW1
2. Poor harvests and low prices from 1880-1914 hit farmers badly
3. Lowland farm labourers lacked opportunities due to mechanisation
4. Those living in poverty wanted to escape low living standards
5. Cities had become overcrowded due to rapid population shifts
6. Some Scots were exiled to Botany Bay in Australia as a punishment

Question 12

What pull factors were involved in the emigration of Scots abroad?

Answer 12

1. There was lots of cheap, good-quality land available abroad
2. Different types of jobs had opened up that paid better wages
3. Transport had been made cheaper and easier due to steamships
4. The Empire Settlement Act of 1922 made it easy for people to move
5. Emigration agencies and charities helped people find homes and jobs
6. Family members often wrote letters encouraging others to follow them

Question 13

Why did so many people leave the Highlands?

Answer 13

1. Highland blackhouses tended to be small and vulnerable to the weather
2. Numerous potato blights made it difficult for crofters to pay their rent
3. Landlords could profit more from sheep farming and deer stalking
4. Some landlords paid for their tenants to move abroad
5. Lots of jobs had become available in the industrialised Central Belt
6. Highlanders had the skills to tend new lands abroad

Question 14

What areas did most Scots emigrate to?

Answer 14

1. The USA, especially the industrial cities on the eastern coast
2. Canada, particularly settlements like Nova Scotia
3. Australia, with places like Melbourne being known as ‘Scottish’ areas
4. New Zealand, where the city of Dunedin is named after Edinburgh
5. India, with many Scots working for the East India Company
6. England, as well as other parts of the Empire, like South Africa

Question 15

What impacts did Scots have on agriculture in the ‘New World’?

Answer 15

1. Founded Yosemite National Park in the USA
2. Established vast ranches, like the Matador Land & Cattle Co. in Texas
3. Helped to develop the fur and timber trade in places like Canada
4. Developed sheep farming in Australia and New Zealand
5. Set up tea, jute, cotton and sugar plantations in India
6. Also involved in the development of irrigation projects in India

Question 16

What impacts did Scots have on industry in the ‘New World’?

Answer 16

1. Provided manual labour for various construction projects
2. Engineered and funded the Canadian-Pacific Railway
3. Involved in oil, coal and gold mining in places like Australia
4. Started various successful shipyards in New Zealand
5. Founded and managed banks, like the Bank of Bombay in India
6. Started breweries in Australia and paper businesses in New Zealand

Question 17

What impacts did Scots have on wider society in the ‘New World’?

Answer 17

1. Helped to establish democracies and provided political leadership
2. Built schools and universities in Canada and New Zealand
3. Named new towns and cities after places in Scotland
4. Brought sports like golf and made them globally popular
5. Created clubs to celebrate Scottish heritage in places like New York
6. Established the standardised time zones across the world

Question 18

Why were some Scottish emigrants successful in their new countries?

Answer 18

1. Many Scots had lots of experience and useful skills
2. Scots were known as hard workers, which helped them get jobs
3. Some were well-educated and therefore well-equipped to cope
4. Many were entrepreneurs who had a good mind for business
5. Established communities of Scots made it easier for others to follow
6. The Church of Scotland supported emigrant Scots in New Zealand

Question 19

Why were other Scottish emigrants unsuccessful in their new countries?

Answer 19

1. Those that were leaving due to poverty lacked money
2. Many did not have homes on arrival and had to build their own
3. Some struggled to adapt to the more extreme climates
4. There was an initial lack of transport so people could feel isolated
5. The best land was taken early, which meant later emigrants struggled
6. The native people were hostile as their lands were being taken

Question 20

What contribution did key individual Scots make to their new countries?

Answer 20

1. Andrew Carnegie was a steel magnate who helped build the USA
2. John MacDonald was Canada’s first prime minister
3. Andrew Fisher was prime minister of Australia three times
4. Catherine Helen Spence helped women get the vote in Australia
5. James Dalhousie helped to build the railways in India
6. Thomas Lipton developed a globally-successful tea plantation in India