Impact of the Industrial Revolution on migration: Irish and Scottish…

The idea

Industrialisation from the late eighteenth to the late nineteenth century created demand for labour in English mills, mines, docks and construction, drawing Irish and Scottish migrants who settled in cities such as Liverpool, Manchester, Glasgow-linked routes and London. Irish migrants fleeing famine and poverty and Scottish migrants seeking work formed communities that shaped local politics. Migrants and their descendants took part in the Abolition movement and in Chartism, the campaign for political reform set out in the People's Charter. Eastern European Jewish immigrants arriving mainly from the 1880s settled largely in London's East End and other cities, working in tailoring and other trades, and faced hostility as well as building community institutions. A strong answer links each group to economic change, political participation and lived experience.

What earns the marks

• Identifies industrialisation as a pull factor creating demand for labour in English towns and cities.
• Explains that Irish migrants were driven partly by famine and poverty and settled in industrial cities.
• Explains that Scottish migrants moved to England in search of industrial and urban employment.
• Describes migrant involvement in the Abolition movement and in Chartism as evidence of political impact.
• Describes the experiences of Eastern European Jewish immigrants, including settlement in the East End and hostility they faced.
• Links each migrant group to its economic, political or social impact rather than listing groups without explanation.

Common mistakes and how to put them right

• Treats all migrants as a single undifferentiated group.

  Put it right: Distinguish Irish, Scottish and Eastern European Jewish experiences.

• Assumes the Industrial Revolution pushed people out of Britain.

  Put it right: Recognise it mainly pulled migrants into industrial areas.

• Claims migrants had no political role.

  Put it right: Note participation in Abolition and Chartism.

• Dates Eastern European Jewish migration to the medieval period.

  Put it right: Place it mainly from the 1880s within the stated period.

Exam tips

• Read the question stem carefully to see which group or theme is being tested before choosing an option.
• Eliminate options that confuse push and pull factors or mix up different migrant groups.
• Look for the option that links migration to a specific impact, such as political involvement or economic change.
• Check any date in an option against the c.1500–1900 period covered by this section.