Industrial Era Migration - Experiences of Migrants

Question 1

What was the status of black people in Britain before the abolition of slavery in 1833?

Answer 1

Before 1833, the status of black people in Britain was complex. While slavery was not legally sanctioned within the British Isles, some black individuals were held in conditions of enslavement, while others lived in freedom.

Question 2

Who was Ignatius Sancho and what was his significance?

Answer 2

Ignatius Sancho, born on a slave ship, became a wealthy composer, actor, and writer. He was the first black Briton to be allowed to vote in elections.

Question 3

What was the significance of the James Somerset case in 1772?

Answer 3

The James Somerset case established that a slave who entered Britain could not be forcibly taken from the country. Somerset, having escaped his master, was ruled to be free while in Britain.

Question 4

What happened to the Black Loyalists after the American War of Independence?

Answer 4

The Black Loyalists, who had been promised freedom if they fought for Britain, were brought to Britain after the war’s end. Many of them ended up destitute, with over 400 being resettled in Sierra Leone.

Question 5

How did autobiographies contribute to the abolition movement?

Answer 5

Autobiographies by formerly enslaved individuals such as Mary Prince, Ottobah Cugonao, and Olaudah Equiano helped turn public opinion against slavery. Their accounts shed light on the horrors of slavery and fueled the abolitionist cause.

Question 6

Who were William Davidson and Robert Wedderburn, and what did they advocate for?

Answer 6

William Davidson and Robert Wedderburn, the children of black enslaved mothers and white fathers, were political activists against slavery and advocates for the rights of working people.

Question 7

Who was William Cuffay and what was his involvement in the Chartist movement?

Answer 7

William Cuffay, a leader of the Chartist movement for political reform, was convicted of planning an uprising and was transported to Tasmania in 1848. Many of the Chartists’ demands, such as secret ballots and votes for all, are now part of the parliamentary system.

Question 8

What event in the 1840s had a devastating impact on Ireland?

Answer 8

The potato crop failure in the 1840s led to widespread famine in Ireland due to the potato being a staple food for poor tenant farmers.

Question 9

Where did many Irish migrants go to escape the famine, and what conditions did they face upon arrival?

Answer 9

Many Irish migrants went to the North West of England, especially Liverpool, to work in factories. Upon arrival, they faced poverty, hunger, sickness, and overcrowded and unhealthy living conditions in ‘court dwellings’.

Question 10

What were some common occupations for Irish men in England?

Answer 10

Irish men often worked in textile factories in the North West of England or as ‘navvies’, involved in construction projects such as canals, roads, railways, and docks.

Question 11

What challenges did Irish migrants face in England, besides economic hardship?

Answer 11

Irish migrants faced extreme racism, depicted as savage, violent, and drunken in cartoons, newspapers, speeches, and jokes. Divisions between English and Irish workers also stemmed from political differences, wage undercutting, and religious tensions.

Question 12

What were some reasons for tensions between Irish Catholics and Protestants in England?

Answer 12

Tensions between Irish Catholics and Protestants in England arose from differences in politics, wages, and religion. Anti-Irish and anti-Catholic riots and violence occurred in various towns during the 1840s and 1850s.

Question 13

Despite tensions, how did Irish migrants integrate into English society?

Answer 13

Irish migrants often intermarried with the English population, and there was a significant number of middle-class Irish immigrants, including artists, writers, business people, and soldiers/officers in the British Army.

Question 14

What was the overall trajectory for Irish families in England by 1900?

Answer 14

By 1900, most Irish families in England were experiencing improvements in their lives, despite initial challenges and discrimination.

Question 15

What challenges did merchant seamen, particularly Africans, Arabs, and Asian seamen known as Lascars, face upon settling in British ports?

Answer 15

Merchant seamen faced extreme poverty, unemployment, and discrimination, including lower pay, worse conditions, and harsher treatment compared to white seamen. They often lived in lodging houses, initially run by the East India Company and later by members of their own communities.

Question 16

How were merchant seamen discriminated against according to the Merchant Shipping Acts?

Answer 16

The Merchant Shipping Acts ensured that merchant seamen, especially non-white ones, faced discrimination with lower pay, worse conditions, and harsher treatment compared to white seamen, essentially creating a ‘colour bar’.

Question 17

How were Indian, Chinese, Arab, and Somali immigrants portrayed in British media?

Answer 17

Despite coming from societies with strong cultures and civilizations, immigrants from these backgrounds were portrayed in British media as inferior, ‘exotic’, and sometimes even sinister. Their settlements were given nicknames such as ‘Chinatown’, ‘Tiger Bay’, and ‘Little Arabia’, often associated with crime.

Question 18

Despite challenges, how did some immigrant communities survive and integrate into British society?

Answer 18

Despite difficulties, many immigrants survived by putting down roots, marrying locals, and establishing the first modern working-class multicultural communities. Some transitioned from working on ships to setting up businesses such as cafes, shops, and laundries, contributing to the development of port areas like Cardiff, Liverpool, and London.

Question 19

How did wealthy Indians contribute to British society in the 19th century?

Answer 19

Wealthy Indians made various contributions, such as Sake Dean Mahomed setting up London’s first Indian restaurant and ‘Shampoo’ beauty business in Brighton. Maharajah Duleep Singh joined high society, while Dadabhai Naoroji and Sir Mancherjee Bhownaggree were elected as Members of Parliament at Westminster.

Question 20

What was the socioeconomic background of most Italian immigrants in the 19th century?

Answer 20

While some Italian immigrants were wealthy, the majority came from poor families in villages in southern Italy. Upon arrival, they settled in large cities like Manchester and Glasgow, where they worked in textile mills or road construction, similar to Irish migrants.

Question 21

What were some entrepreneurial ventures undertaken by Italian immigrants in the UK?

Answer 21

Italian immigrants in cities like London’s ‘Little Italy’ started businesses in street food, particularly ice cream. Some of these family businesses thrived and became highly successful.

Question 22

What contributions did German immigrants make to British society in the 19th century?

Answer 22

German immigrants played a significant role in various sectors, with many German-run bakeries and the ‘full English’ breakfast being a German import. Some Germans came as students and later contributed as engineers, designers, and businessmen, with notable successes such as Hugo Hirst founding the General Electric Company.

Question 23

Who were some notable German immigrants who contributed to British business and society?

Answer 23

German immigrants such as Paul Reuter, who founded the international news agency Reuters, and Hugo Hirst, who started the General Electric Company, were instrumental in shaping British business and industry. Many of these successful immigrants were Jewish.

Question 24

How did the experiences of Italian, German, and other European immigrants differ from those of Irish and Lascar immigrants in terms of hostility?

Answer 24

Although Italian, German, and other European immigrants faced some hostility, particularly during times of economic competition, it was far less severe than the discrimination experienced by Irish and Lascar immigrants.

Question 25

How did the legal status of Jews in Britain change during the 19th century?

Answer 25

In the 19th century, the legal status of Jews in Britain improved steadily. In 1830, Jews were allowed to trade freely, and in 1858, Lionel de Rothschild became the first Jewish Member of Parliament (MP). By 1880, there were about 65,000 Jews in the UK, most of Sephardi origin.

Question 26

What were the circumstances for Ashkenazi Jews who arrived in the UK from the 1880s onwards?

Answer 26

Ashkenazi Jews arrived in large numbers from Eastern Europe, fleeing pogroms and escaping poverty. Most arrived with little or no belongings and settled near their point of arrival, leading to a highly concentrated Jewish population in the East End of London.

Question 27

What were the main sources of income for Jewish migrants in the UK?

Answer 27

The main source of income for Jewish migrants in the UK was the textile trade. Many Jewish tailors and seamstresses worked from home or in sweatshops, although conditions were often terrible, with extreme poverty and overcrowded, cold, and damp lodgings.

Question 28

How did the new arrivals of Ashkenazi Jews differ from earlier upper-class Jews in their assimilation and cultural practices?

Answer 28

Unlike earlier upper-class Jews who had assimilated into wider society, the new arrivals of Ashkenazi Jews stuck closer to their traditions of language, food, and culture. They were often politically active and participated in events such as the 1889 tailors’ strike.

Question 29

How did anti-Semitism manifest in British society by the end of the 19th century?

Answer 29

By the end of the 19th century, anti-Semitism was on the rise in the context of pseudo-scientific racism. Jews were portrayed as sinister and dehumanized in novels, short stories, and the popular press. There was pressure for laws restricting the immigration of ‘foreign aliens’, contributing to tensions and discrimination against Jewish refugees.