Hello and welcome to this lesson on African migrants in the early British Empire.

This lesson is part of a broader inquiry looking at how England was impacted by early modern migration.

In the course of this unit, we'll cover lots of different things, including several different migrant groups, and the reasons for migration for them, their experiences, and their impact on England.

However, for this lesson, we're just going to be focusing on African migrants in the early British Empire.

Now for this lesson, you're going to need a piece of paper and a pen.

If you don't have one, not to worry.

Just pause the video now, go and get everything you need, then come back and press play when you're ready to get started.

Great work.

Now, you've got a piece of paper and a pen, we can have a look at our lesson outcome.

And by the end of this lesson, I want you to be able to say that you can explain the reasons why the number of African people in England increased from 1500 to 1700.

And describe the different experiences of African migrants in England.

Now, in order to do that, we're going to need some keywords.

And for today you've got four.

Transatlantic Slave Trade, which is the trade between Europe, West Africa, and the Americas, where goods were exchanged for enslaved people who were sold onto plantations in European colonies.

Enslaved person, and that is someone who's forced to work for no pay, and often considered the property of another person.

Inheritance, which is money or property given from one person to another after their death, usually to their nearest relative.

And ambassador, someone sent to represent their nation in another country.

Now, we've looked at four keywords.

When we see them again in the context of the lesson, they'll make loads of sense.

But to get started, we are going to be looking at the reasons for migration.

Now, a major change took place in England's interaction with the continent of Africa in the early modern period.

As you may already know, by 1550, Portugal and Spain had established a system of enslaving African people and transporting them across the Atlantic Ocean region.

This system soon became known as the Transatlantic Slave Trade.

This system soon became known as the Transatlantic Slave Trade.

In 1562, the English privateer John Hawkins sailed across the coast of West Africa.

As English sailors were not used to such voyages and with little expertise in navigating the waters along the Guinea Coast, he had hired a navigator in Tenerife before travelling further south.

Hawkins had heard that there were great riches to be gained by engaging in a trade which the Portuguese and Spanish had established across the Atlantic Ocean.

It was a trade in enslaved people.

Upon landing in modern day Sierra Leone, Hawkins proceeded to capture 300 West African people and forced them onto his ships.

This moment is understood by historians to be the first direct English involvement in the largest forced migration in history, which was referred to as the Transatlantic Slave Trade.

However, England did not take a major role in this trade until the 1640s.

And while England was not a major participant in the trade, in enslaved people in the 1500s, some African people did settle in England, both voluntarily and involuntarily.

Some of these people were free men and women who arrived as merchants, some as ambassadors, and many other jobs.

Some even arrived as deep sea divers employed by the Monarch.

However, most were considered unfree.

They were not enslaved as that was never technically legal in England, but they were often forced to work as unpaid servants for wealthy English families.

And for some, the conditions were no better than those faced on plantations in the Americas.

But as England did go on to take a major role in the Transatlantic Slave Trade, by the 1640s, they were increasing numbers of African migrants who settled in England as unfree servants and workers.

They were often bought by traders and gifted to wealthy English families.

So, we've looked at how England's increasing role in the Transatlantic Slave Trade led to increasing numbers of African migrants in England.

But it's important we understand that these African migrants in England were not technically enslaved people.

Although the conditions they lived and worked in were not always much better, but they were often considered unfree servants and workers.

But there were also some who were free men and women.

Remember, I mentioned that some were ambassadors, that some were deep sea divers employed by the monarch.

So, we do have a variety of reasons for migration and how that then leads to different experiences in England.

But before we move on to look in more detail at the experiences of these African migrants, let's pause.

And in order to check our understanding, I'd like you to have a look at this statement from Aisha, who says that, "John Hawkins was an English privateer, whose trade marked English involvement in the Transatlantic Slave Trade." And what I'd like you to do for me is give me three more details about John Hawkins and England's roles in the Transatlantic Slave Trade.

So, hopefully you mentioned the following details.

That John Hawkins sailed along the coast of West Africa from 1562.

That Hawkins captured around 300 West African people in modern day Sierra Leone.

But also that despite his involvement, England did not take a major role in the trade until the 1640s.

Really well done.

If you didn't get those three down, don't worry.

You can make a note now.

So now, I'd like you to look at this statement.

All African migrants in England from 1500, 1700 were unfree servants working for wealthy English families.

First thing I'd like to do is to tell me whether this statement is true or false.

So, pause the video now, make a decision, come back and press play when you've got an answer for me.

Brilliant.

We know that this statement is false.

But we need to think about why.

Is it because most were unfree? But some were free men and women who arrived as merchants, ambassadors and in other roles? Or is it because B, most were free men and women who arrived as merchants, ambassadors and in other roles and only some were unfree.

So pause the video now, make a decision, and then come back and press play when you've got an answer for me.

Brilliant.

Hopefully you said A, that most were unfree, but some were free men and women who took on other roles.

So, the statement saying that all African migrants were unfree is simply not true.

So now, I'd like you to do for a practise task here is to explain why England's role in the Transatlantic Slave Trade led to increasing numbers of African migrants in England.

Making sure to use the following details in your response.

John Hawkins, Sierra Leone, unfree servants, and ambassadors.

So, give yourself 5 to 10 minutes to complete this task, and then come back and press play when you're done.

Brilliant.

So, hopefully your answer looked a little something like this.

"The Transatlantic Slave Trade began with Portuguese and Spanish merchants establishing a system of enslaving African people and transporting them across the Atlantic Ocean region by 1550.

English involvement began with John Hawkins voyage along the coast of West Africa, when he landed in modern-day Sierra Leone where he captured 300 West African people.

While England was not a major participant in the trade, small numbers of African migrants were taken from Africa, both voluntarily and involuntarily.

Although most were brought to England as 'unfree' servants for wealthy families, some of these people were free men and women who arrived as merchants, some as ambassadors, and many other jobs.

Some even arrived as deep sea divers employed by the monarch.

As England took a major role in the Transatlantic Slave Trade in the 1640s, more African migrants settled in England as 'unfree' servants and workers, often bought by traders and gifted to wealthy English families." Really well done.

Hopefully you got all those key details and managed to talk about the different types of migrants who came in this period as a result of England's increasing role in the Transatlantic Slave Trade.

Now in the next part of the lesson, we're going to be looking at the experiences of African migrants.

Now, it's thought that there were at least 350 Africans living in England under the Tudor and Stuart Monarchs.

Historical records showed that some servants were valued and supported by the families they worked for.

Some even receiving an inheritance from them.

There were also those who worked in other jobs, usually in large port cities such as London, Bristol, and Southampton.

Also, there is evidence that African people are living as far field as Truro and Edinburgh.

One such Africa migrant is a man known as Reasonable Blackman.

It's not known what part of Africa Blackman came from, which is not unusual as Tudor documents rarely kept to note of the precise area of origin of most African migrants.

But he was certainly living in South London by 1579.

Although it is not entirely clear what Blackman did for a living, he was able to maintain a family, and it appears he owned his own business.

While not all African migrants in this period had negative experience, for most African migrants in the early modern period, positive experiences were rare.

Many worked for wealthy families in conditions that were only marginally better than enslavement.

They received no wages and were often left homeless when the parents would pass away, and their children had no further need for work.

So, we can see here a painting of a wealthy English woman with an unfree African servant.

And we don't know exactly what the experiences were of this unfree African servant.

They may have turned out to be one of the few who received an inheritance and were well looked after and cared for.

Or they may have been amongst the majority where the conditions were only marginally better than enslavement and they were likely left homeless should this woman or the head of the household have passed away and there was no longer a need for their service.

Now, before we go on to put what we've learned here about the experiences of African migrants into practise, I'm just going to pause, check on this slide quickly.

So, according to historical records, how many African people are living in England under the Tudors and the Stuarts? Was it 35, 350 or 3,500? Pause the video now, make a decision, and then come back and press player when you've got an answer for me.

Brilliant.

I hope you said B, 350.

Now, I'd like you to have a discussion.

So, with the person next to you if you're doing work together, or have a go at articulating out loud a response if not.

What do historical records reveal about African people living in Tudor-Stuart England? So pause the video, give yourself enough time to articulate your response out loud, and then come back and press play when you're done.

So your answer might have included some of the following.

That some are valued servants.

That some are supported by the families they worked for, even receiving an inheritance.

That some worked in other jobs, usually in port cities, for example, London, Bristol, and Southampton.

So, some really key details.

If you didn't get those down or didn't mention them in your discussion, absolutely not to worry.

Just pause the video now and you can add them to your list or have a go at redoing the discussion with those points included.

So, quickly just tell me, is this statement true or false? Most African migrants in England have largely negative experiences.

Pause the video now, make a decision, and come back and press play when you've got an answer.

Brilliant.

We know this statement is true.

Is it true because many worked in conditions that were only marginally better than enslavement receiving no wages? Or is it true because many worked on plantations in England in conditions that were exactly the same as enslavement? So pause the video, make a decision, and come back and press play when you've got an answer for me.

Brilliant.

We know that many worked in conditions that were only marginally better than enslavement, receiving no wages.

Now, to put what we've learned into practise, I'd like you to read Lucas's account of the experiences of African migrants in England from 1500 to 1700s.

And identify the five errors.

So Lucas says, "For most African people in England, their experiences were largely positive.

This is because, for most, they spent their lives working for poor families in conditions that were only marginally better than slavery, receiving significant wages and often ending up homeless when their work was no longer needed.

However, historical records show that, of the 200 African people living in England from 1500 to 1700 some servants were valued and supported, and even received an inheritance! They also show that there were some who worked in other jobs in large rural cities, eg.

London and Bristol, earning a living for themselves such as Reasonable Blackman." So as I was reading, you probably already identified some errors.

Give yourself another five minutes to identify the rest.

Remember, there's five.

Brilliant.

So, hopefully you spotted these five.

That their experiences were largely positive.

That they worked for poor families.

That they received significant wages.

That there were 200 African people living in early modern England, but also they worked in large rural cities.

So naturally, the next part of the task is that you'll correct these five errors.

So, have a go at rewriting this paragraph, correcting those five errors for me.

So, you'll have a fantastic account of the experiences of African migrants there for me.

Brilliant.

So, hopefully your corrected paragraph looks like this.

That their experiences were largely negative.

That they spent most of their lives working for wealthy families, for most.

That they received little pay.

That there were 350 African people living in England, but also that they worked in large urban cities.

So, hopefully you got these five details down.

Really, really well done.

Now, in the third and final part of today's lesson, we're going to be looking at two case studies.

So, two examples of African migrants in England in this period.

A man called John Blanke and a woman called Mary Fillis.

So, some historians believed that John Blanke was probably the most famous African man in Tudor England, mainly because his records appear in royal documents.

He probably migrated to England from Spain in 1501 as one of the attendings of Princess Catherine of Aragon, who became the first wife of Henry VIII.

In 1509, Blanke was a royal trumpeter playing at Henry VII's funeral and the coronation of Henry VIII.

The record of his successful quest for wages to be doubled has the new king's signature on the page.

So, we can assume that he was a very successful musician.

So, he not only played for the monarchs, but he successfully requested for his wages to be doubled.

Then in 1511, the most striking record that we have of John Blanke was an image of him playing as a trumpeter marking the celebrations of a son born to Henry and Catherine in this year.

And this is an image that most people use to remember John Blanke.

And then in 1512, we have records that suggest that show.

That in 1512 there are records that show he got married, presumably to an English woman, as there was very few African women in England at the time.

And we know that the king paid for a fine violet wedding suit as a present.

So, we know that he was hugely valued by the monarch and clearly very successful.

Now, before we go on to look at the life of Mary Fillis, let's pause and I'd like you to tell me which two of the following statements about John Blanke are correct.

A, he probably migrated to England as a royal attendant.

B, he was likely a musician that was valued by King Henry VIII.

C, he definitely married an English woman in 1512.

And D, he was likely a violinist at royal celebrations in 1511.

Pause the video now, make a decision, and then come back and press play when you've got an answer for me.

Brilliant.

Hopefully you said A and B.

We do know that he probably migrated as a royal attendant, and also that he was likely a musician valued by Henry VIII.

Secondly, I'd like you to have another discussion.

What does the life of John Blanke reveal about African people living in England from 1500 to 1700? Pause the video now and give yourself enough time to both contribute to the discussion or articulate out loud if there's only one of you.

Brilliant.

So, hopefully in your discussions you mentioned that some migrated as royal attendants.

Not just because of the Transatlantic Slave Trade.

Also that some were highly valued by the monarch, showing that not all worked as unfree servants in low paying jobs.

And that some married English people, suggesting that they integrated into English society.

Really, really well done.

Now, let's have a look at the life of Mary Fillis.

So we know that Mary Fillis was an African woman living in London during Alan Nouri.

That was the Moroccan ambassador's visit.

She's referred to in the public records as 'blackamoor' which is one of the terms used at the time to identify Black African people.

Mary was born in Morocco in 1577.

The daughter of Fillis, a basket weaver and shovel maker.

In 1584, she arrived in London and was a servant in the household of a merchant called John Barker.

But she was not the only African servant in his household.

Lau Mu a blackamoor of 20 years, and Georgia Blackamoor was also working there by the early 1590s.

By 1597, Mary was working for Millicent Porter, a seamstress in Smithfield.

Mary was baptised in St Botolph's Church in London on the 3rd of June, 1597, and Mrs. Porter was made her godmother.

Fillis's conversion to Christianity was not unusual.

She's one of 60 known Africans to have been baptised in this period.

So therefore, when she was baptised in 1597, this would not have been an unusual occurrence, as like I said, she was one of 60 known Africans to have been baptised in this period.

But unfortunately two years later, Mrs. Porter died and we have no further record from Mary Fillis.

While we have written sources to help us learn about the life of Mary Fillis, there are no visual portraits of her or of any other Black Tudor women.

So, we do have some records that give us lots of insight for certain periods of the life of some African migrants, But generally speaking, we do not have that many written sources.

And therefore, there is often gaps in what we can learn about their experiences and what they reveal to us about what life was like for African migrants in the Tudor period.

But clearly from what we've learned about these two case studies, that doesn't mean there is nothing to learn.

There is still so much to learn.

It's just important that we understand that there will be some gaps.

For example, the later life of Mary Fillis is unknown to us.

Now, before we go on to put this into practise, I'd like you to tell me which two of the following statements about Mary Fillis are correct.

That she migrated as a servant to the Moroccan ambassador.

That she was born in Morocco and migrated to London in 1584.

That she was baptised in St.

Botolph's church in 1597.

Or that she went on to work for several other seamstresses after the death of Mrs. Porter.

So pause the video now, make a decision, and then come back and press play for me.

Brilliant.

So, hopefully you said B and C.

That she was born in Morocco and migrated to London in 1584 and that she was baptised in St.

Botolph's Church.

We don't know that she migrated as a servant to a Moroccan ambassador.

There's no records to support this.

But also we have no records of what she did after she.

After the death of Mrs. Porter.

So, she may well have worked for several other seamstresses, but we do not know.

So, I'd like you to have our final discussion for today.

What does the life of Mary Fillis reveal about African people living in England from 1500 to 1700? Pause the video now, give yourself enough time to articulate your response out loud or for both of you to contribute to the discussion.

Brilliant.

Hopefully your discussion included some or all of the following.

That some migrated at the time as ambassadors, but not necessarily working with them.

That some worked as seamstresses with other African migrants.

That many black African people were known as blackamoors.

That some converted to Christianity and were baptised.

That we often have incomplete records of the lives of African migrants.

That there are often relatively few written sources to help us learn about the lives of African people in England from 1500 1700.

So with that last point, it's important to remember that we're not saying there aren't any written sources, but it just means that there is not enough for us to always create a full picture.

For example, with John Blanke, we assume that he married an English woman.

We're unsure.

With Mary Fillis, we have no records of what happened to her after the death of Mrs. Porter.

So, final task.

I'd like you to write two paragraphs explaining what we can learn from the lives of John Blanke and Mary Fillis about African migrants in England from 1500 1700, making sure to include the following details in your response.

Royal Attendant, trumpeter, blackamoor, St.

Botolph's Church and historical record.

So, your discussions have set you up perfectly for this.

Give yourself about 10 minutes and then come back when you're done.

Brilliant.

So, hopefully your response looks a little something like this.

"From the life of John Blanke, there are many things we can learn about life for African migrants in England in the early modern period.

The first is that his life shows that not all worked as 'unfree' servants as John Blanke likely came as a royal attendant of Catherine of Aragon and went on to become a trumpeter for King Henry VIII.

In addition to this, John Blanke reveals that some African migrants were highly valued.

This is seen through records that show his successful request to have his wages doubled by King Henry VIII.

And finally, John Blanke also suggests that some African migrants integrated into English society as he got married in 1512, presumably to an English woman.

Mary Fillis's life provides a different perspective of life for African migrants in England at this time.

She migrated during the visit of the Moroccan ambassador, although not necessarily with him as she settled in London to work as the servant of a merchant called John Barker.

Records show Fillis was referred to as a 'blackamoor' from which we can learn how African migrants in England were commonly described.

Mary Fillis was also baptised in St.

Botolph's Church in London in 1597, and the historical records revealed that it was common for African migrants to convert to Christianity and get baptised.

And she was one of 60 known African migrants to be baptised at this time.

Hopefully you got a lot of those key ideas in your answer.

If not, not to worry.

You can just pause the video now and add them to your response.

You've done absolutely brilliant work today.

The last thing we're going to do very quickly is look at a summary of what we've learned.

So to start off with, we learned that as England's role in the Transatlantic Slave Trade increased the number of African migrants in England did too.

However, not all African migrants arrived in England as a result of the trade.

For example, John Blanke.

Most African migrants in early modern England lived as 'unfree' servants.

However, this was not the case for all African migrants in this period.

And finally, we learned that historical records show some African migrants being baptised and working various jobs usually in large port cities such as London.

Really, really well done.

I'm so impressed with the work you've done today and you should be as well.