Starter quiz
- Why was there a need for migrants in Britain after World War Two (WW2)?
- British people did not want to work.
- There were not enough people to rebuild British cities and infrastructure. ✓
- The British government wanted to make Britain more multicultural.
- Britain wanted to thank people from its colonies who had supported them.
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- What is the word for an international community made up of Britain and many of its former colonies?
- 'Commonwealth' ✓
- What is the name used to describe Caribbean migrants who settled in post-war Britain?
- 'Windrush generation' ✓
- After WW2, many European migrants to Britain came from which of these countries?
- Belgium
- France
- Ireland ✓
- Poland ✓
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- Why did many Polish soldiers and their families migrate to Britain after WW2?
- Many Poles feared persecution from authorities as they favoured independence. ✓
- They were seeking to escape from Nazi Germany.
- They were not able to migrate anywhere else.
- Opportunities in war-damaged Poland were very limited. ✓
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- Put the following events in chronological order.
- 1⇔The Ministry of Labour scheme was initiated.
- 2⇔The Polish Resettlement Act was set up.
- 3⇔HMT Empire Windrush arrived in Britain.
- 4⇔The Royal Commission on Population was established.
Exit quiz
- What is the term for the process of freeing a nation from colonial rule?
- 'decolonisation' ✓
- How many people left Commonwealth countries to settle in Britain between 1950 and 1970?
- quarter of a million
- half a million ✓
- one million
- two million
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- What began an era of decolonisation in the 1940s and 1950s?
- Ghana and Nigeria becoming independent
- Australia and New Zealand becoming independent
- India and Pakistan becoming independent. ✓
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- Which of the following countries had become independent from Britain prior to 1947?
- Australia ✓
- Zimbabwe
- New Zealand ✓
- India
- Canada ✓
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- Which groups of post-war migrants largely faced the most hostility from both the government and local communities?
- Irish migrants
- Polish migrants
- black migrants ✓
- Asian migrants ✓
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- Match the following events to the correct dates.
- 1931⇔The Commonwealth formalised ✓
- 1947⇔India and Pakistan gained independence. ✓
- 1953⇔3000 Commonwealth migrants settled in Britain every year. ✓
- 1961⇔136 400 Commonwealth migrants settled in Britain every year. ✓
- 1962⇔The first Commonwealth Immigrants Act was introduced. ✓
- 1968⇔The second Commonwealth Immigrants Act was introduced. ✓
Worksheet
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Lesson Details
Key learning points
- Although the British Empire began to come to an end from the late 1940s, many former colonies joined the Commonwealth.
- As members of the Commonwealth, migration from former colonies continued.
- Increasing migration from the Commonwealth led to new laws introduced to control and limit migration.
Common misconception
The end of the British Empire and the growth of the Commonwealth led to increasing migration from the Commonwealth throughout the second half of the 20th century.
Although migration to Britain initially increased in the second part of the 20th century, it was limited by immigration laws introduced in the 1960s - which aimed to target black and Asian migrants.
Keywords
Decolonisation - the process of freeing a nation from colonial rule
Commonwealth - an international community made up of Britain and many of its former colonies
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