Migrants: Experience (Edexcel GCSE History): Revision Notes
Migrants' experiences in early modern England (c1500-c1700)
Introduction
During the period from 1500 to 1700, migrants to England faced vastly different experiences depending on their skills, wealth, religion, and country of origin. While some groups found prosperity and acceptance, others encountered hostility, discrimination, and even deportation. The key factor determining success was often whether migrants possessed skills that were valuable to England's developing economy.
This period coincided with England's growing commercial economy and the early stages of colonial expansion, creating both opportunities and tensions for different migrant communities.
Experiences of different migrant groups
Huguenots: The success story
French Protestant refugees, known as Huguenots, generally experienced the most positive reception in early modern England. Their success stemmed from several advantages they brought with them. Most possessed valuable skills that English society desperately needed, making them welcome additions to the workforce. Many found employment quickly and were able to establish prosperous lives.
Community Networks and Support
The Huguenots benefited from having existing networks of friends and relatives who had already settled in England, providing crucial support during their transition. This community support helped many establish their own successful businesses. Their Protestant faith also meant they faced fewer religious barriers compared to other migrant groups.
However, their success sometimes bred resentment among the existing population. Some English people worried that these skilled foreigners were taking jobs that should belong to native workers.
Tensions and Violence
This occasionally led to riots, such as the May Day riots in London in 1517, where people protested against what they saw as unfair foreign privileges. This demonstrates how even successful integration could create social tensions.
Palatines: Struggle and deportation
German Protestant refugees called Palatines faced a much harsher reality in England. Unlike the Huguenots, most Palatines possessed few marketable skills, making them heavily dependent on charity and government support. Their lack of established networks in England meant they had little community support to help them settle.
The English government initially welcomed some Palatines but quickly grew unwilling to continue funding their support through emigration schemes to America. This led to a dramatic policy shift - the government deported thousands of Palatines to Ireland, where they were expected to work on the land. However, this policy only functioned where local landowners, particularly in areas like Wexford, were supportive of the settlement.
A Tragic Outcome
The experience became even more tragic when approximately two-thirds of those deported later drifted back to England. Few of these returnees survived the difficult conditions they faced, highlighting the harsh realities that awaited unsuccessful migrants.
Jews: Return after centuries of exile
The first Jews began returning to England after their expulsion in 1290, initially settling in London where authorities eventually granted them permission to establish a synagogue. The Jewish community developed into distinct social groups with varying experiences.
Social Stratification within the Community
The Jewish community that developed showed clear social divisions based on wealth and origin, creating very different migration experiences within the same ethnic group.
Wealthy Jews often worked in prestigious professions such as banking, medicine, scholarship, and jewellery trading. Their financial resources and professional skills allowed them to establish comfortable lives and contribute significantly to England's growing commercial economy.
However, poorer Jews who migrated from Eastern Europe faced much greater challenges. These migrants typically settled in port cities upon arrival and worked in lower-status occupations as docks workers, traders, and pawnbrokers. Many eventually moved to England's major towns and cities seeking better opportunities.
Indians: Diverse experiences across social classes
Indian migrants came to England in two distinct groups with very different experiences. Ayahs, who worked as childcare providers and domestic servants, often lived closely integrated with English families. When the children they cared for in India grew up, ayahs were sometimes brought to England to continue serving wealthy English families who had returned home.
Maritime Workers and Port Communities
Lascars represented a different category of Indian migrant - these were sailors who worked on ships and settled in major ports including London, Liverpool, Glasgow, and Cardiff. They typically found employment in docks, warehouses, and public houses, but their lives were often characterised by hard labour and difficult working conditions.
Africans: From slavery to diversity
The African experience in early modern England was perhaps the most varied of all migrant groups. Some Black Africans arrived in England as enslaved people who had been brought back from overseas colonies. However, the African community was far more diverse than this single experience suggests.
Many Africans worked as domestic servants for wealthy families, and having a Black servant became fashionable among England's elite, particularly children who served as pages. Some Africans found employment in various skilled occupations, working as interpreters or in other professional roles where they earned wages comparable to their English counterparts.
Remarkable Social Mobility
Remarkably, some African migrants achieved considerable wealth and social status. They were respected as equal members of society and some became quite prosperous, demonstrating that success was possible despite the racial prejudices of the time.
Antisemitism and discrimination
Despite some success stories, Jewish migrants faced systematic discrimination throughout this period.
Legal Exclusions
Jews were legally forbidden from serving in the army, working as lawyers, or attending universities. This legal exclusion limited their career opportunities and reinforced their outsider status.
Popular culture often portrayed Jews negatively, describing them as thieves and fraudsters in songs and pamphlets that circulated widely. The character of Shylock in Shakespeare's "The Merchant of Venice," written during this period, exemplified these antisemitic stereotypes by portraying a Jewish character as mean and greedy, focused primarily on money-lending and profit.
Timeline of key events
- 1290: Jews expelled from England
- c1500: First Jews begin returning to England after expulsion
- 1517: May Day riots in London against foreign privileges
- c1600s: Huguenot migration increases following religious persecution in France
- c1700s: Palatine refugees arrive but face deportation to Ireland
Key Points to Remember:
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Skills determined success - Migrants with valuable abilities like the Huguenots prospered, while those without skills like many Palatines struggled and faced deportation
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Mixed experiences within groups - Even within the same migrant community, outcomes varied dramatically based on individual circumstances, wealth, and social connections
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Economic factors mattered most - England welcomed migrants who contributed to economic growth but rejected those seen as burdens on public resources
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Discrimination existed alongside acceptance - Some migrants like wealthy Jews and successful Africans achieved prosperity despite facing legal restrictions and social prejudice
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Community networks were crucial - Migrants with existing family and friend connections in England had much better chances of successful settlement than those arriving alone