Industrial Era Migration - Reasons For Migration

Question 1

What was the primary reason for the presence of people of African origin in Britain in the late 18th century?

Answer 1

Many were brought as a result of the Transatlantic Trade in enslaved Africans.

Question 2

Provide an example of a person forcibly brought to Britain in the 18th century and later escaped.

Answer 2

Mary Prince, who was brought here in 1828 but escaped with the help of white servants.

Question 3

Who was Francis Barber, and what was his occupation?

Answer 3

Francis Barber was the man-servant of Samuel Johnson, an English writer.

Question 4

Describe the status of some Africans who arrived in Britain in the 18th and 19th centuries.

Answer 4

Some achieved high status, such as Ignatius Sancho, who composed music, owned property, and had the right to vote.

Question 5

How did some Africans end up in Britain despite slavery being unlawful there?

Answer 5

Some were brought to be sold on quaysides and in coffee houses of slave ports like Bristol and Liverpool.

Question 6

What happened after emancipation in the British Empire regarding the migration of black people to Britain?

Answer 6

Black people continued to come in smaller numbers, including refugees escaping enslavement in the United States of America

Question 7

Who were some of the forced migrants from other regions who ended up in Britain in the 19th century?

Answer 7

Merchant seamen from India, Africa, and the West Indies who were abandoned in ports upon arrival.

Question 8

What were some factors contributing to the migration of families from the Scottish Highlands to Britain?

Answer 8

Enclosures and the Highland Clearances, where landowners evicted them in favor of sheep farming.

Question 9

What were some reasons for Irish families leaving their country and migrating to Britain?

Answer 9

Rising rents, bad landlords, poor harvests, rising prices, and a lack of jobs, exacerbated by the Great Famine in the 1840s.

Question 10

How did extreme poverty and civil war impact migration from Southern Italy to Britain?

Answer 10

They caused thousands to migrate north to Britain in search of better living conditions and job opportunities.

Question 11

What did Britain’s booming industrial economy offer to migrants from various regions?

Answer 11

It offered the hope of jobs and survival, attracting migrants seeking better economic prospects.

Question 12

Who were some political refugees who found safety in Britain during the 19th century?

Answer 12

Examples include German revolutionaries Karl Marx and Friedrich Engels, Italian radical Giuseppe Mazzini, and African American writer and activist Frederick Douglass.

Question 13

What was the significance of Karl Marx and Friedrich Engels’ presence in Britain?

Answer 13

Their analysis of social conditions, class, and capitalism had a massive influence on political systems in various regions including 20th century Russia, Eastern Europe, China, Southeast Asia, Africa, the Caribbean, and South America.

Question 14

What role did Giuseppe Mazzini play in Italian history?

Answer 14

He helped bring about the unification and independence of Italy.

Question 15

Who were the most significant group of refugees in 19th-century Britain?

Answer 15

The Jews from Eastern Europe, fleeing violent attacks known as pogroms in Russia, Poland, and Ukraine.

Question 16

How did Britain’s relatively open-door policy impact Jewish refugees from Eastern Europe?

Answer 16

About 140,000 Jews arrived from the 1880s onwards, settling mainly in urban areas such as East London, Leeds, and Manchester.

Question 17

Why did many Jewish refugees end up staying in Britain instead of continuing their journey to the USA?

Answer 17

Many could not afford to travel further than Britain, and others joined relatives already in the UK.

Question 18

What was the main factor attracting people to come to Britain during the Industrial Revolution?

Answer 18

Factory work, as the Industrial Revolution created a high demand for labor, particularly in the mills and factories of the industrial North and Midlands.

Question 19

What were the main areas of employment for migrants coming to Britain during the Industrial Revolution?

Answer 19

The mills and factories of the industrial North and Midlands, as well as the transport network including canals, roads, and railways.

Question 20

Why were merchant shipping lines hiring men from various parts of the world?

Answer 20

Captains often preferred ‘coloured seamen’ because they were more comfortable in hotter climates, often didn’t drink alcohol (many were Muslim), and could be paid less than white sailors.

Question 21

Where did many of the merchant seamen who settled in Britain come from, and which ports did they settle in?

Answer 21

They came from various regions such as China, Malaysia, India, Somalia, Yemen, West Africa, and the West Indies. They settled in ports like Liverpool, Cardiff, Hull, London, and South Shields.

Question 22

What factors contributed to some merchant seamen settling in Britain?

Answer 22

Some chose to live there after jumping ship due to poor treatment and conditions onboard, while others were abandoned by their employers upon landing at port.

Question 23

Describe a different group of immigrants who came to Britain during the 19th century for entrepreneurial purposes.

Answer 23

Young entrepreneurs, many of whom were German, came to study and work in Britain’s peaceful environment with a favorable economy for new ideas and enterprise.