Pull emigration Flashcards
Paid passages
Certain immigration schemes were funded by local lords, and the Dukes of Argyll and Sutherland financed emigration. This made emigration much more attractive to many Scots who previously would have been held back by financial barriers.
Job availability
Emigration opened up many new job opportunities abroad, such as Reverend Thomas Burns who was offered the position of Minister to the migrants in Dunedin, New Zealand, in 1843. This pulled Scots to emigrate due to the appeal of being able to access a job.
Travel packages
Agreements were in place between shipping companies and train lines to travel to their ports of departure, which developed into complete travel packages. This made the process of emigration much simpler, encouraging Scots who were previously confused by it to emigrate.
Travel time
In 1830 a trip from Scotland to North America took 6 weeks, by the 1900’s it took 6 days. This encouraged Scots to emigrate as it opened up the opportunity for temporary emigration.
Land availability
Land was significantly cheaper in countries like Canada, and in some cases, the Canadian government would give emigrants land for free, with houses already built on them. This encouraged Scots to emigrate as the appeal of land ownership was very tempting.
Access to information
Posters and pamphlets gave a lot of information, typically positive, about what life was like in other countries within the empire. This encouraged Scots to emigrate as it made them aware of all the different ways their lives could be improved should they chose to emigrate.
Letters
Scots would often be written letters from their friends and relatives who had already emigrated, containing information about what life was like and encouraging them to join them. Sometimes the letters even included money to help fund the trip. This encouraged Scots to emigrate as it improved some Scot’s perception of what life abroad could be like and helped fund their voyages.
Improved wages
In countries like Canada with a lot of space but not a lot of people, there tended to be labour shortages, so employers were willing to pay much higher wages. This encouraged Scots to emigrate as the prospect of higher pay was undeniably attractive to many Scots.
Sheep farming
In Australia and New Zealand the cattle and sheep farming industries were extremely prosperous, and many in Scotland already had experience farming. This encouraged Scots to emigrate, as the possibility to make a fortune attracted many.
Gold
Gold was being discovered in Australia, creating a gold rush starting in the 1850s that brought huge fortunes to many and attracted huge numbers of immigrants. This encouraged Scots to emigrate as the possibility of finding gold and becoming rich was undeniably attractive.
