The Experience of Immigrants in Scotland

What you need to know

• Describe the living conditions and jobs of immigrants

• Explain why there were tensions between Scots and immigrants

• Describe how some groups integrated more easily than others

Starter• Come up with a definition for each of the following words• Assimilate

– To mix in with the local population• Discrimination

– Treating people differently, usually in an unfair way• Sectarian

– Divisions between groups of people which are based on different religions

Why do you think each of these words may be significant to this unit?

How are each of these words significant now?

Look at the following sources – based on this information write a few sentences on what you think living conditions for immigrant workers may have been like

“I did not believe, until I visited the Wynds of Glasgow, that so large an amount of filth, crime, misery and disease existed in one spot. In the lower lodging houses 10, 12, sometimes 20 persons of both sexes sleep on the floor”

“In one room we saw twelve women asleep. They lay on boards riddled with rat holes. They had no covering save the rags in which they wandered about during the day. We woke up one of the sleepers, an elderly Irishwoman. She paid a penny a night for the privilege of sleeping in this den”

Source Questions

Comparisons

Source Comparisons

• How far do Source A and B agree/disagree about….?

• To what extent do sources A and B agree/disagree about…

• Compare the views in Sources A and B on the reasons…

Source Comparisons

• Worth 4 marks• To be successful in this question you must– Make clear the connections between two sources,

but NOT describe them– AVOID only writing ‘Source A says’ and ‘Source B

says’, you will not get marks for this– Explain the point you are making in your own words

THEN use the sources to support your point– Repeat this pattern again to make 2 FULL

comparisons

Example answer• Make a general statement about whether the source agree or

disagree on the overall issue in the question• Find something relevant and more specific to the question

that the sources agree about– The sources agree that population increased because of rising birth

rate.• Now go on to develop this comparison by picking out the

relevant information in your own words THEN quoting evidence from the source– Source A says birth rate improved due to an improvement in health

‘women’s health improved so many more babies were born’. Source B tell us that the population increased due to people moving to cites and getting married sooner ‘Urbanisation increased the number of marriages so the birth rate rose’

– This is a DEVELOPED COMPARISON and worth 2MARKS– The EXACT same process applies if you are doing disagreements

Tips to remember

• You will always get one question that asks you to compare two sources in your exam (N5 and Higher)

• They are easy to spot because they are the only ones you do which refer to TWO sources.

• You DO NOT need any background knowledge, you need to be able to read and understand English!

• Try one….

What do the sources tell you about the types of work done by Irish immigrants and how they were viewed by the Scottish population?Write your answer in your jotter in as much detail as possible and in your own words.

Employment• Many immigrants to Scotland, particularly Irish immigrants,

found employment in low skilled, poorly paid jobs, most frequently in coalmining, dock work and labouring of all kinds.

• It was estimated that in Great Britain in 1851, somewhere between a half to three-quarters of all dock-labourers and two-thirds of miners were Irish.

• Many also found their way into the less skilled jobs of handloom weaving and other textile work. Irish women, for instance, made up 44.3 per cent of female textile workers in Greenock in 1851.

• However, due to the operation of sectarianism, their lack of education and, in many cases, their language (which was Gaelic), the Irish were under-represented in the more highly paid skilled trades.

What were working conditions like for Irish workers?

• Immigrants often had to contend with lower wages than their Scottish counterparts, and were often given the dirtiest and most menial tasks to do.

• Added to this are the more general poor conditions that 19th century industrial workers often had to endure, for example long hours, dangerous machinery, few breaks and the exploitation of children.

Was it all bad?

• Conditions were slowly improving. Legislation such as the 1833 Factory Act, the 1842 Coal Mining Act and the 1864 Chimney Sweep Act showed a gradual commitment by governments to improve working conditions.

• It should also be noted that wages in Scotland could be up to 50% higher than in the immigrant’s native land.

Cultural assimilation

• Why do immigrant groups find it difficult to assimilate into Scotland today?

• What issues do we have in Scotland (and Britain) which could be attributed to tensions caused by cultural differences, can you give specific examples?

Religion in Scotland

• Scotland in 1830 was a Protestant country.• Figures show that before the Irish migration there

were only 30,000 Catholics in Scotland, despite a population of 1.5million.

• These were mostly in the west Highlands and Islands or the North East.

• Despite this, the first Irish immigrants did assimilate fairly well into Scottish society, despite being manly Catholic, tensions tended to arise within Irish communities when more Protestant Irish arrived.

The experience of different groupsThe Catholic Irish experience

• Read your worksheets and answer the questions in your jotter.

The Catholic Irish experience

• The difficulties faced by the Catholic Irish immigrants in the Lowlands were similar to those faced by the Highlanders when they emigrated.

• Difficulties were present mainly due language barriers and religious difficulties

Catholic Communities

• Irish Catholics demonstrated a tremendous ability to forge their own communities. One study of Dundee showed that in the early 1860s there were only two Catholic churches and three schools, one of which the Dundee Advertiser described as a ‘cellar under the Chapel’, serving a community of around 20,000.

• Within 10 years the number of churches and schools had doubled, mostly paid for from the contributions of poorly paid workers

Other areas of Settlement

• Irish Catholics also Settled n the slum areas of Glasgow such as the Saltmarket, Cowcaddens and Maryhill

• In the Lothians they settled in coal mining areas.

Catholic Assimilation• The Catholic Church also provided recreational and social

facilities for immigrant families. Indeed, there was little need for Catholics to go beyond the bounds of the Church since all their needs were catered for (see diagram in handouts).

• The Irish Catholics had become a community within a community and this was strengthened by the degree of inter-marriage. In Greenock it was found that in 1851 80.6 per cent of Irish men and women had found marriage partners amongst their own kind.

• Forty years later the numbers were still high at 72.4 per cent. Such a situation made it difficult for the Irish Catholic to assimilate into the mainstream of Scottish society.

• However the same could also be said of other immigrant groups.

The view of Catholic Irish Immigrants• Read the Information and Sources handed to you and answer the

following questions1. What reasons are given in the sources to explain the level of Irish

Immigration? (try to mention each source you use specifically)2. Take a Fresh PageBased on the sources and your own knowledge draw up a quick sketch of how a typical Catholic Irish immigrant was seen by the Scots, be sure to label your man with as much information as you can – think abut the following

1. Employment (what jobs did they do)2. Religion (how did the Church both help and hinder the Irish in Scottish

society – why was there tension?)3. Housing (where did they live? Why?)4. Lifestyle (how are they viewed by the Scots in a general sense – the

sources will help as will the information on page 33)

The Protestant Irish experience

• As Catholic Irish immigrants declined in number in the late 1870s and 1880s, the Protestant Irish took up the slack.

• Most of these new immigrants came from the most Protestant counties of the north, such as Armagh.

• There had been historic links between the west of Scotland and Ulster.

Read the following sourceExplain why the Irish Protestants may have found it

easier to settle in Scotland than the Catholics?

• Many Lowland Scots, especially in the South-West of the country, looked upon Ulster as an extension of the way of life of their region. Presbyterianism (Scottish form of Protestant church) provided the basic common ground as well as, of course, the large amount of family and ancestral connections. Cultural interaction between Ulster and lowland Scotland went deep.

Protestant Irish

• About 1 in 4 Irish immigrants were Protestant.• The Irish Protestant migration had been fairly

constant across the 18th century• Unlike the Catholic Irish, the Protestant Irish

tended to be more skilled than the Catholic immigrants

• They had skills in weaving and bleaching cloth which meant they were in high demand, consequently their wages were also higher

Protestant Identity

• There are two areas in which the protestant Irish really carved out an individual identity in Scotland– Their prominence in skilled industriesAnd– The Orange Lodge

Skilled labour• Whilst it would be wrong to assume that

the Protestants were more skilled than the Catholic Irish it is clear that in certain industries the Protestants held a monopoly

• Irish protestants tended to gain work in the shipbuilding industries along the Clyde and in mining areas in Ayrshire – this is no surprise as it was in these areas where the Orange Lodges also thrived.

What is the Orange Order?

• The ‘Orange’ movement was started in Ulster in 1795 as a reaction to many Catholic secret societies who wanted to expel the Protestants from Ireland

• The first Scottish lodge opened in Ayrshire in 1800• The growth of the lodge system in Scotland can be used to

show the increase in Irish Protestantism• By 1835 there were 12 Lodges in Glasgow, 2 in Paisley as well

as several in Edinburgh and the South• As a result of the orange orders prominence in Scottish society

the tensions which had existed in Ireland between the ‘Green’ Catholic Irish and the ‘Orange’ protestants spilt out into Scotland.

Irish Divisions• Read the worksheet ‘Irish Divisions’ and complete the

following tasks.1. Explain why the Celtic and Rangers football clubs were set

up.2. What political differences existed between the Catholic and

Protestant Irish populations? Try to give as much detail as possible, in your own words

3. Where did the Orange Order get it’s name from?4. Explain what happened in Partick on August 10th, 1875 (you

will need to read sources 7.4 and 7.5 to help)5. In your own words explain how tension between the

Protestant and Catholic Irish sects grew in the 20th century.

Task

• Look at your sketch of typical Catholic worker• Now draw his Protestant counterpart and

label in a similar way

• If finished you may want to colour code/note down any similarities between the two.

The experience of the Irish in Scotland

• Many Scots blamed Irish immigrants for a variety of problems they faced in the 19th century. The main complaints were:

• a) The Irish caused lower living standards• b) The Irish were accused of being violent• c) It was thought the Irish took jobs

1. How fair do you think these accusations were? Why? 2. How do you think the immigrants were treated as a result?

• Discuss the above questions in your groups

How were the Irish viewed by the Scots?

• The fact that the Irish immigrants were willing to take lowly jobs, and were willing to accept very low wages, meant that the Scottish working classes worried they were being ‘undercut’.

• However the Scottish historian Tom Devine argues that the Irish migrants were essential to creating wealth in 19th century Scotland. He writes:

• “The Irish made a substantial contribution to the development of the Scottish economy… an abundant supply of unskilled and semi-skilled labour was crucial to Scottish industrial success”

Task

• In groups of three you are going to carousel round the room and gather information

• You must gather as much information as you can at each station about how the Irish were received in to Scottish society – think about how to work effectively as a group to ensure you get the maximum from the sources

• You will have a maximum of 3 minutes at each source.

Using the information

• In your groups discuss each source and ensure your notes are full

• ON YOUR OWN, use the note you have taken to create a dynamic diagram on A3 paper which displays your findings.

• Think about using COLOUR, LISTS, COMPARISONS and PICTURES

KU TEST

• You will have a KU test cover all of this first Unit on MONDAY 14th OCTOBER

• You should be prepared to answer questions on– The reasons Scots emigrated– The experience/influence of Scots abroad– The reasons for immigration into Scotland– The experience of immigrants in ScotlandThe test will take ONE period.THERE WILL BE NO SOURCES QUESTIONS – this is a test of how much content you have taken in

Assimilation of other immigrant groups

• A quarter of the newcomers to Scotland between 1891 and 1901 came from Italy. However, the majority of the new arrivals came from Eastern Europe, particularly Russia and Poland. Most were male, with a ratio of 173.6 males to every 100 females in 1911. They settled overwhelmingly in the west of Scotland, where their industrial skills were useful in finding work.

• Nearly half of the immigrant males were in coalmining in 1911, with the next largest group (12 per cent) in tailoring.

• Italians crowded into the restaurant and the wholesale and retail trades.

• As one might expect, the experiences of these different groups varied greatly. Some found acceptance, while others had to struggle to establish themselves.

ACTIVITY

• Read the worksheets about how other groups assimilated into Scottish society and complete the attached activities.

• If not finished in class please ensure these are finished at home.

• If these are finished in class start revision for your KU test on Monday