Starter quiz
- What was a main cause of migration to Britain in the 18th century?
- civil war in Britain
- the Industrial Revolution ✓
- the cotton trade
- government policy
-
- Why was Liverpool a popular destination for Irish migrants?
- There was plenty of work ✓
- It was a fun place to live
- Had an established Irish community ✓
- Close to London
-
- What name was often used for sailors from Britain’s colonies across Africa and Asia?
- 'lascars' ✓
- Migrants from which countries prospered in 18th century Britain?
- Africa
- Germany ✓
- Italy ✓
- The Caribbean
-
- Someone forced to leave their country is known as a ...
- 'refugee' ✓
- In which of the following ways did migrants positively impact Britain in the 18th and 19th centuries?
- pollution
- the built environment ✓
- religion
- politics ✓
- the economy ✓
-
Exit quiz
- How many soldiers did the British army have at the start of World War One (WW1)?
- '700 000' ✓
- What is the term for an army that a country keeps ready to be mobilised for war?
- 'standing army' ✓
- How many men from the colonies fought for Britain in WW1?
- 30 000
- 300 000
- three million ✓
- three billion
-
- Put the following events in order.
- 1⇔WW1 broke out
- 2⇔Veterans from the colonies began to settle in Britain
- 3⇔Race Riots occurred in Liverpool and Cardiff
- 4⇔British authorities limited the number of passports issued to Indian workers
- In 1925, the British government introduced the Special Restrictions ______, which showed their hostility towards black and Asian migrants.
- 'Order' ✓
- Which of these is not a reason why most people from the colonies fought in World War Two (WW2) alongside Britain?
- they felt a sense of pride and nationalism
- they were forced to by conscription ✓
- they hoped to win their independence
- they believed in the cause
-
Worksheet
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Lesson Details
Key learning points
- As the British Empire had reached its peak by 1914, millions of colonial soldiers fought for Britain in both World Wars.
- In the interwar period, race became an increasingly defining feature of the experience of migrants.
- By 1939, many colonial soldiers fought in the Second World War with the hopes of earning their independence.
Common misconception
Colonial soldiers joined the British war effort in both world wars, out of a sense of nationalism and pride for their 'motherland'.
Colonial soldiers had often already been part of standing armies that were ordered to join the war effort, and by 1939 many colonial soldiers were only fighting in the hope that it might win them independence from the British Empire.
Keywords
Colony - somewhere under the full control of another country, and is usually occupied by settlers from that country
Standing army - an army ready to be mobilised for war at any time
Demobilised - troops that are out of service, typically at the end of a war
Race riots - riots that break out between groups that identify as different races (e.g. black and white people)
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