The Twentieth Century

Question 1

When did Queen Victoria die and who took her place?

Answer 1

Queen Victoria died 22 January, 1901 Edward VII took her place.

Question 2

What were the different classes in Britain?

Answer 2

• The Upper Class
• The Middle Class
• The Working Class

Question 3

What was Britain like?

Answer 3

It was a mixed nation of poor and rich. The luxury side of Britain owned land, homes and many didn’t need to work as they made money out of investments and rents. There was no sick pay, pensions or unemployment benefit.

Question 4

Why was Britain under threat?

Answer 4

The USA was now making more goods than Britain and Germany and Japan were catching up and there were miliary rivals on the front, (countries armies like France’s and Germany’s were growing and Japan, Germany, Russia and the USA greatly increased the number of battleships).

Question 5

What were the latest inventions?

Answer 5

• Petrol-driven cars.
• First man-powered flight.
• The telephone.
• Vacuum cleaners, electric irons, wristwatches, gramophones and cameras.

Question 6

How did people amuse themselves?

Answer 6

• Playing sports like football, cricket, rugby, tennis, and golf.
• Going to the pub.
• Watching movie stars like Charlie Chaplin and Mickey Mouse.

Question 7

Who was Charles Booth and Seebohm Rowntree?

Answer 7

They both collected data around Britain and researched about the problem with poverty.

Question 8

Who were hit the hardest and why?

Answer 8

Children, because their parents couldn’t afford to feed them, they didn’t know about healthy eating and it caused some children to die at a young age and also caused some to grow 9cm shorter than a rich child of the same age.

Question 9

What party won the election in 1906 and what did they do?

Answer 9

The Liberal Party won the election and they introduced free school meals. They also introduced free medical checks and treatment, unemployment benefit, old age pensions and build job centres.

Question 10

What was the Welfare State and what was it’s aim?

Answer 10

It was a system that had government aims to help mainly the old, the sick and the unemployed.

Question 11

What was the NHS?

Answer 11

The National Health Service was a service that provided free healthcare to everyone.

Question 12

What did the Labour party do when they were in power?

Answer 12

• They set up the NHS.
• They introduced weekly family allowance payments.
• The poor received financial help or ‘benefits’.
• Pensions for the elderly and disabled were increased.
• The school leaving age was raised to 15 and more free universities were created.
• 12 new towns were created.

Question 13

Who was Sir William Beveridge?

Answer 13

He was a man that wrote a report about the state of Britain, highlighted the problems and suggested solutions.

Question 14

What happened to Winston Churchill?

Answer 14

Churchill was voted out as the Labour party took over after the war.

Question 15

What people / what was considered responsible for the Titanic disaster and why?

Answer 15

Captain Smith - he was the one driving the ship.
Harland and Wolff’s - the company who built the Titanic.
Thomas Andrews - was the naval architect who designed the Titanic.
Stanley Lord - was the captain of another ship called the ‘Californian’ who saw the fireworks and didn’t do much to help.
Bruce Ismay - the man in charge of the White Star Line.

Question 16

When did the Titanic sink and what happened to it?

Answer 16

The Titanic sank on the 14 April, 1912 and it sank because it hit an iceberg at great speed.

Question 17

How many were rescued and how many were killed?

Answer 17

Around 704 were rescued and around 1502 died. There were 2206 people on board. People from the first class were rescued the most.

Question 18

Details about the Titanic?

Answer 18

It was a massive ship full of many rooms and was very heavy. It’s hull was made up of 16 water-tight compartments. People believed it was unsinkable, (but they were very wrong!).

Question 19

What was the Windrush?

Answer 19

The Windrush was a ship which came from the Caribbean islands.

Question 20

Why did the Windrush come to Britain?

Answer 20

The Windrush came to Britain because they offered people from the Caribbean jobs (as some served in the war).

Question 21

What was the Windrush generation?

Answer 21

The Windrush generation were the first black immigrants to arrive in Britain.

Question 22

Why did people of the Caribbean decide to come to Britain?

Answer 22

• There was no tourist industry.
• The price of sugar (the Caribbean’s most important export), was at an all-time low.
• Jamaica was devastated by a hurricane in 1944.
• The Caribbean countries were struggling with money.
• It was tough for people to find jobs.

Question 23

Why did people from the Caribbean feel like they had the right to live in Britain in the 1940’s and 50’s?

Answer 23

• Many were brought up speaking English, been named after British heroes and educated to love Britain.
• Britain were short of workers so there were more jobs to offer.
• There was a lot more to offer in Britain than the Caribbean in general.
• People of the Commonwealth were given British passports and were allowed to work and live in Britain.

Question 24

What was the Windrush scandal?

Answer 24

The Windrush scandal was when the people of the Caribbean were told they couldn’t live in Britain anymore.