reasons for emigration

Question 1

economic depression

Answer 1

employment in scottish shipbuilding saw a 90% decline from 1920 - 1929

Question 2

foreign competition

Answer 2

The fishing industry saw a decline of 30% of tonnage - such industrial decline led to widespread unemployment and lack of opportunity at home consequently encouraging Scots to move abroad

Question 3

unemployment encouraged emigration

Answer 3

around the steel town of motherwell unemployment rose from under 2,000 - over 12,000

Question 4

land shortages in the highlands

Answer 4

after the war there was a great demand for land in the highlands but there was a great shortage, land raids and ineffective government action - consequently there was mass emigration from Lewis

Question 5

churches and charities

Answer 5

from 1870- the 1930’s around 100,000 children, mainly orphans were sent to british dominions

Question 6

family and friends

Answer 6

family and friends who had already emigrated wrote letters of encouragement to those back in scotland to also emigrate

Question 7

government assistance

Answer 7

in 1921 the overseas settlement committee was set up in britain to provide assistance to those who wanted to emigrate. the committee granted free passage to ex-servicemen and women until the end of march 1923.
the scheme assisted 80,000 emigrants - many of whome were scots

Question 8

the empire settlement act 1922

Answer 8

the empire setlement act 1922 gave the government assistance of up to £3 million per year to assist emigration schemes

Question 9

emigration agents

Answer 9

these agents were paid by the government to recruit Scottish emigrants through lectures and posters. In 1923 a Canadian emigration agent held a lecture tour of the Hebrides and in april that year 600 hebridians set off for canada