The migration of Scots Flashcards
Explain reasons why Scot’s had an impact on the countries they emigrated to.
The Treaty of Waitangi and the formalisation of British sovereignty increased the number of Scots migrating to New Zealand. Emigrants who established farms required significant areas of land, and often Scots took advantage of a misunderstanding of different cultural concepts, such as who owns land. This allowed emigrant farmers to gain land cheaply, forcing Ma or people off their lands. This lost connection with the land damaged the Ma ori way of life.
This shows that Scots emigrants were active in forcing the native Ma oris from their traditional lands.
Scottish racism and expansionism resulted in large-scale deaths among native communities. During the clashes between native and emigrant communities, it is estimated that around 2500 Europeans and 20,000 Aboriginal people were killed. Scots played a significant role in this. For example, a so-called ‘Highland Brigade’ killed more than 100 men, women and children in a raid of Warrigal Creek in 1843 following the killing of a local man, Ronald Macalister.
Explain the reasons why migration and empire had an impact on Scotland between 1830 and 1939.
For example, Robert Napier, born in Dumbarton, opened his own engineering business in 1815 and began building steam engines. He built several notable ships and ship engines, including the Black Prince, the world’s largest iron-covered ship, in 1861. Many engineers who trained under Napier went on to build shipyards along the Clyde. By 1864, there were more than 20 shipyards on the Clyde, and by 1870 more than half of the British shipbuilding workforce was on the Clyde. On the eve of the First World War, the Glasgow shipyards were producing a fifth of the world’s tonnage of ships.
Jewish immigrants helped to develop the commercial life of Scotland. Jews settled in central Glasgow, typically setting up small businesses.
Protestant Irish contributed to Scottish culture. Irish immigrants also contributed to the culture of Scotland through the Protestant Orange Lodge Order.
Explain the reasons for the migration of Scots between 1830 and 1939
Improvements in transport such as railways and steam ships. Scots migrated as it was quicker and cheaper to travel.
In the 1850s, it took around six weeks to cross the Atlantic; in 1914 it took only a week. The reduction in travelling time allowed for temporary emigration as well as permanent - something unthinkable in the days of sailing ships.
In the 19th century a network of emigration agencies developed across Scotland. Agencies worked in Scotland to attract emigrants - New Zealand and Australian authorities’ work was widespread, offering free passages and other inducements.
The Canadian Pacific Railway Company became active in the promotion of emigration to Canada(opportunity).
Workers were needed to help build the railway and develop the land between Winnipeg and the Rocky Mountains.
Scotland was targeted offering emigrants land (sometimes free) and housing (economic)
The Government also passed the Empire Settlement Act of 1922 to offer assistance to those who wished to migrate to parts of the empire. The following year, 600 Hebrideans took advantage of the subsidies it offered to emigrate to Canada, although it was mostly urban workers who used it to escape unemployment after WW1.
Explain the reasons why the experience of immigrants in Scotland was varied.
Italians opened their cafés on a Sunday. Scots resented this as Sunday was viewed as a day of rest.
For example, after Sunday worship on 2 July 1905, 2000 people, led by ministers of the United Free Church of Scotland, went to the ice cream parlour in Shetland owned by Harry Corrothie, a Catholic Italian man. They held a service outside the shop and criticised it and other such businesses for
‘the injurious effect [that] they had upon the youth of every town where they were planted’.
Describe the factors which led to the migration of many Highland Scots between 1830 and 1939.
The Highland Clearances resulted in the migration of many Highland Scots between 1830 and 1939. The Clearances were forced evictions by Highland landlords who replaced crofters with sheep farming.
Landlords made more money from letting land to sheep farmers and creating hunting estates which employed few people compared with crofting.
Tenants had no security of tenure so could easily be evicted/made homeless. Whole districts were brutally cleared (eg, Strathconon in 1850; South Uist and Barra in 1851; Knoydart in 1853).
The Crofters’ Holdings Act 1886 enforced clearances of tenants.
Some landlords assisted tenants by paying their passage if they agreed to leave.
The collapse of the kelp industry, especially in the Outer Hebrides, and the fall in demand for black cattle reduced employment in these industries so many workers were forced to move.
The failure of potato crop in 1846 led to widespread famine. There was almost no supply of oatmeal for people in the Highlands. 150,000 were at risk of starvation and so moved for their own survival.
The fishing industry was also in decline through the loss of market for herring after Russian Revolution.
Overpopulation in some Highland areas led to subdivision of holdings meaning that there was not enough land to support a family or pay rent, forcing people to move to the Lowlands or emigrate.
Describe the factors which led to the migration of Lowland Scots between 1830 and 1939.
Agricultural Revolution: changes in farming methods and new technology (eg mechanical reapers/binders and later tractors) meant there were fewer jobs available.
Many small farms/smallholdings disappeared in Lowland areas as landowners created large farms, leaving tenants without a livelihood.
New larger farms were too expensive for most tenant farmers to rent or buy. People had to move to gain employment.
Skilled craftsmen such as weavers lost their livelihoods when clothing factories were built and many left to find work abroad.
Foreign competition and trade depressions created significant unemployment in Lowland industries such as mining, ironmaking and fishing.
Skilled Scottish workers eg engineers, fishermen and stonemasons were in great demand in the colonies abroad.
Wages in Scotland were low compared to those offered in USA and Canada for the same jobs.
Describe social and cultural reasons for the migration of Scots during the 19th century (within Scotland and abroad).
Basic living conditions in Scotland were poor - black houses, no windows or chimneys, diseases (typhus, cholera) spread quickly in poor living conditions. People migrated to the cities or abroad to escape.
Countries overseas offered a pleasant climate which contrasted with the wet weather, hardships and poor living of the Highlands.
Family and relations abroad wrote letters home telling of better wages, climate, living standards, etc.
The lack of social life in rural areas and isolation in the Highlands led people to migrate to the cities which offered football, theatre, music halls and other social facilities.
Education Act 1872: All children aged 5-13 received free education. Easier to access in Lowlands, so many encouraged to move south for education.
Suggest reasons why improved transport leading to migration of Scots in the late 19th and early 20th centuries.
Railways: The advancement of rail travel enabled people to migrate internally, but also to travel to ports to emigrate. Over time this became cheaper and faster.
Steamships: Permanent migration was also increasing due to the invention of the steamship. It became faster and more affordable to travel to places like Canada. In the 1850s it took 6 weeks to cross the Atlantic and by 1914 it took only 1 week.
Describe the opportunities abroad which led to migration of Scots in the late 19th and early 20the centuries.
Migration offered better opportunities to begin a new life. In 1930 22% of Essex farms were Scottish owned.
Cheap or free land was offered in Canada, Australia and New Zealand.
Scottish education system was very good and Scottish skills were highly sought after in Empire.
Scotland had a low wage economy so the opportunity to earn more overseas was a big pull factor.
Abroad doctors, engineers and merchants could receive higher pay.
A granite worker in America earned as much in 1.5 days as an equivalent Scottish worker would in a week.
Many Scots emigrated due to the financial support of relatives and friends abroad who often paid for fares and provided help on arrival.
Scots were encouraged to emigrate due to the help offered by charities and societies. The Highland and Islands Emigration Society raised money and helped poor crofters to leave Scotland for Australia and Canada.
Letters home from relatives and friends who had emigrated described the attractions of colonial life and recounted the successes of Scots emigrants. Such communication was important in encouraging Scots to move overseas.
Government schemes encouraged emigration with cheap fares to boost numbers of British settlers in Empire countries.
Guidebooks to help emigrants, such as ‘Hints on Emigration to Upper Canada’ were produced along with posters with information and encouragement for potential Scottish emigrants.
In the 19th century a network of emigration agencies developed across Scotland which advertised for passengers and organised their travel arrangements.
Newspapers in Scotland published articles in support of emigration to Australia and New Zealand, showing how good life was.
Countries such as Australia and Canada advertised heavily for Scottish immigrants and sent agents to give talks promoting the benefits of emigration. The Canadian Government appointed agents in Scotland who toured markets, hiring fairs and agricultural shows in an effort to encourage able Scots to emigrate.
Explain why coercion was a significant factor in the migration of many Scots to countries overseas.
Many tenants had no security of tenure so could easily be evicted/made homeless. Whole Highland districts were brutally cleared (eg Strathconon in 1850; South Uist and Barra in 1851; Knoydart in 1853).
The Crofters’ Holdings Act 1886 enforced clearances of tenants.
Some landlords, eg Dukes of Sutherland and Argyll, paid crofters and tenants to leave and effectively left them no choice but to take it.
Government – the Emigration Act 1851 helped 16,533 of poorest to emigrate from 1846-57. Landlords were paid £1 fares for migrating tenants through Emigration Act. The largest emigration from landlords paying was from Skye, Mull and the Hebrides.
Government funding helped cover the cost and encouraged people to move. The 1922 Empire Settlement Act paid up to £3m per year in loans and grants to move to the Empire.
