Irish Immigration

Summary Note

The Effects of Immigration

Aim:

* Immigration from other countries had both a positive and negative impact on Scottish Society.

Your glossary should now contain the following

keywords:• P9 census• P11 exodus, crofts, evicted, kelp• P12 clergyman• P13 flit, constitution, descendants• P14 evictees• P15 absentee landlords• P16 hovels, melancholy

Irish Immigration

Aims:

• Identify the reasons why many Irish people emigrated to Scotland.

• Identify the impact that Irish immigration had

The Potato Famine

• Between 1845-1846 a potato blight destroyed nearly half of the potato crop.

• Potatoes were a staple part of many families diet.

• Around 1 million people died of starvation and disease.

• Between 1831-1931 the population of Ireland fell from 8 – 3 million due to the famine and emigration.

Irish Immigration• Many emigrated to

Scotland – this caused the population to grow particularly cities like Glasgow, Edinburgh and Dundee.

• In the town of Coatbridge over 50% of the population were Irish immigrants.

• Irish immigration had a huge impact on Scotland – both positive and negative.

An estimated 20% of British people can trace their family tree back to Ireland.

Employment

Some worked in the textile trade e.g. Paisley, Lanark

Others worked in unskilled jobs building railways, canals and roads.

Others worked in agriculture during the busy harvest period

Many were prepared to work for lower wages than Scots

Employment

Tension Between the Irish and Scots

• Most early immigrants in the 1840s were Roman Catholics. By the 1870s Irish Protestants from Ulster in the north began to arrive in Scotland.

• There was tension between both groups and native Protestant Scots e.g. Orange order marches.

• These religious divisions have become known as Sectarianism.

Tension Between the Irish and Scots

• Many Irish communities grew up in poor areas. Overcrowding grew in cities.

• Irish football teams sprang up e.g. Glasgow Celtic (1888) and Edinburgh Hibernian (1875). Religious divisions were soon reflected in football between teams like Celtic and Rangers.

• Catholic schools were set up for Irish children.

The Effects of Immigration

The Italians

• Around 4,000 came between 1890-1914 to escape poverty.

• Many established their own cafes, chips shops bringing new foods to Scotland.

• Criticised for breaking the Sabbath and opening cafes on a Sunday.

The Effects of Immigration

Eastern Europe

• Over 20,000 immigrants came from Russia and Baltic states like Lithuania.

• Lithuanians left high taxes and poverty to work in the coal mines in Lanarkshire.

• Others left Russia because of persecution – Russian Jews were persecuted because of their religion. Others were spied on by the secret police because they spoke out against the government.

Using a blank map of Europe shade in the countries of Ireland, Italy and the Russian Empire.