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Year 10
Edexcel

The end of empire, the Commonwealth and changing patterns of migration

I can explain how the end of the British Empire and the emergence of the Commonwealth led to changing patterns of migration.

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Year 10
Edexcel

The end of empire, the Commonwealth and changing patterns of migration

I can explain how the end of the British Empire and the emergence of the Commonwealth led to changing patterns of migration.

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Lesson details

Key learning points

  1. Although the British Empire began to come to an end from the late 1940s, many former colonies joined the Commonwealth.
  2. As members of the Commonwealth, migration from former colonies continued.
  3. Increasing migration from the Commonwealth led to new laws introduced to control and limit migration.

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

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.

Emphasise the increasing role of race in the treatment of migrants in the 20th century - not just from local communities but at a government level.
Teacher tip

Content guidance

  • Depiction or discussion of discriminatory behaviour
  • Depiction or discussion of sensitive content
  • Depiction or discussion of violence or suffering

Supervision

Adult supervision recommended

Licence

This content is © Oak National Academy Limited (2024), 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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Starter quiz

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6 Questions

Q1.
Why was there a need for migrants in Britain after World War Two (WW2)?
British people did not want to work.
Correct answer: 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.
Q2.
What is the word for an international community made up of Britain and many of its former colonies?
Correct Answer: Commonwealth, commonwealth, The Commonwealth, the commonwealth
Q3.
What is the name used to describe Caribbean migrants who settled in post-war Britain?
Correct Answer: Windrush generation, The Windrush generation, Windrush
Q4.
After WW2, many European migrants to Britain came from which of these countries?
Belgium
France
Correct answer: Ireland
Correct answer: Poland
Q5.
Why did many Polish soldiers and their families migrate to Britain after WW2?
Correct answer: 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.
Correct answer: Opportunities in war-damaged Poland were very limited.
Q6.
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

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6 Questions

Q1.
What is the term for the process of freeing a nation from colonial rule?
Correct Answer: decolonisation
Q2.
How many people left Commonwealth countries to settle in Britain between 1950 and 1970?
quarter of a million
Correct answer: half a million
one million
two million
Q3.
What began an era of decolonisation in the 1940s and 1950s?
Ghana and Nigeria becoming independent
Australia and New Zealand becoming independent
Correct answer: India and Pakistan becoming independent.
Q4.
Which of the following countries had become independent from Britain prior to 1947?
Correct answer: Australia
Zimbabwe
Correct answer: New Zealand
India
Correct answer: Canada
Q5.
Which groups of post-war migrants largely faced the most hostility from both the government and local communities?
Irish migrants
Polish migrants
Correct answer: black migrants
Correct answer: Asian migrants
Q6.
Match the following events to the correct dates.
Correct Answer:1931,The Commonwealth formalised

The Commonwealth formalised

Correct Answer:1947,India and Pakistan gained independence.

India and Pakistan gained independence.

Correct Answer:1953,3000 Commonwealth migrants settled in Britain every year.

3000 Commonwealth migrants settled in Britain every year.

Correct Answer:1961,136 400 Commonwealth migrants settled in Britain every year.

136 400 Commonwealth migrants settled in Britain every year.

Correct Answer:1962,The first Commonwealth Immigrants Act was introduced.

The first Commonwealth Immigrants Act was introduced.

Correct Answer:1968,The second Commonwealth Immigrants Act was introduced.

The second Commonwealth Immigrants Act was introduced.

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