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      Lesson details

      Learning outcome

      I can recall that there was significant migration within the Empire, including to and from Britain and within different colonies.

      Key learning points

      1. Many British men migrated to India in the hopes that they would make their fortune there.
      2. Many Indian people migrated to Britain, particularly soldiers who were known as lascars.
      3. Britain encouraged many Indian people to move to Africa to work on infrastructure.
      4. Indentured labourers from India also moved to Kenya to build railways.
      5. New African infrastructure encouraged many wealthy white Britons to migrate.

      Keywords

      • Entrepreneurship - the process of starting and managing a business venture, typically with the goal of achieving profit

      • Lascars - Indian sailors and soldiers who migrated to Britain and were often active in the activities of the East India Company

      • Indentured labourer - a type of worker who is bound by a contract to work for a specific period in exchange for benefits like passage, housing, or education

      Common misconception

      Migrants all experience the same hardships and migrated for similar reasons.

      Migrants' experiences differed greatly from group to group and from person to person. Motivations amongst migrants also differed, even within particular migrant groups.

      Teacher tip

      Encourage critical thinking on the part of students by prompting them questions like: what similarities and differences exist between the motivations and experiences of migrants to Britain, India, and Africa?

      Content guidance

      Depiction or discussion of discriminatory behaviour

      Depiction or discussion of sensitive content

      Supervision

      Adult supervision recommended

      Licence

      This content is © Oak National Academy Limited (2025), licensed on Open Government Licence version 3.0
      except where otherwise stated. See Oak's terms & conditions
      (Collection 2).

      Lesson video

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      Prior knowledge starter quiz

      6 Questions

      Q1.
      Which word describes the transportation of Jewish children from Nazi Germany to Britain from 1938-1940?

      Correct Answer: Kindertransport, The Kindertransport

      Q2.
      Complete the sentence: In the 1930s and 1940s many Jewish refugees fled from Nazi Germany and moved to Britain.

      Correct Answer: persecution

      Q3.
      Who was the first Jewish Mayor of London?

      Grace Aguilar
      Lionel de Rothschild
      Correct answer: David Salomons
      Sir Moses Montefiore

      Q4.
      Which of the following were reasons for Jewish migration to Britain in the 19th century?

      Correct answer: economic problems and lack of opportunities
      Nazi persecution
      Correct answer: increasing antisemitism in eastern Europe
      outbreak of World War Two

      Q5.
      Which of the following industries saw significant contributions from Jewish migrants in the 19th century?

      Correct answer: garment trade
      Correct answer: furniture making
      agriculture
      steel production

      Q6.
      How many Jewish refugees found sanctuary in Britain up until the beginning of World War Two (WW2) in 1939?

      400
      40 000
      10 000
      Correct answer: 70 000

      6 Questions

      Q1.
      Which word describes the process of starting and managing a business venture, typically with the goal of achieving profit?

      Correct Answer: entrepreneurship, entrepreneur

      Q2.
      Which word describes a type of worker who is bound by a contract to work for a specific period in exchange for benefits like passage, housing, or education?

      Correct Answer: indentured labourer, indentured labour

      Q3.
      What is the name of the British trading company that made huge profits in the trade of silk, spices and opium?

      the British East Indies Company
      Correct answer: the British East India Company
      the British East Asian Company

      Q4.
      Which of the following sources reveal an insight into the lives of British women who accompanied male family members to India?

      political cartoons
      newspaper articles
      Correct answer: housekeeping manuals
      Correct answer: travel accounts

      Q5.
      Complete the sentence: During the late 19th and early 20th centuries, a significant migration wave brought Indian , to Britain in pursuit of economic advancement.

      Correct Answer: lascars, lascar

      Q6.
      How did Indian workers contribute to British colonial expansion and economic development in East Africa?

      aided the EIC in the silk, spices and opium trades
      addressed labour shortages in the fast-growing mining industry
      Correct answer: constructed railways connecting Kenya to Uganda

      To help you plan your 10 history lesson on: Movement within the British Empire, download all teaching resources for free and adapt to suit your pupils' needs...