Hello, and thanks for joining me for another Oak Academy History video.

My name is Mrs. Knox, and today I'll be guiding you through the resources and the materials you need to be successful in the lesson.

So let's begin.

Today's lesson is part of the GCSE at Excel Historical Environment Unit on Notting Hill, and in today's lesson, we'll be focusing on the sources and the historical context of Notting Hill.

By the end of the lesson, you will be able to explain the strengths and the limitations of some of the key sources for Notting Hill.

Now we'll be using some key words in today's lesson, so let's start by having a look at some of the words we'll come across.

The first word is the word source, and in history, a source is a direct or firsthand piece of evidence from the past.

We'll also use the term historical context.

The historical context is what is happening at the time of a historical event, possibly shaping the event.

And finally, we'll come across the word contemporary.

Contemporary is from the same time as something.

Today's lesson will be in three parts.

In the first part of the lesson, we'll be focusing on one of the most important sources about Notting Hill, the West Indian Gazette.

There are a number of useful written sources for studying Notting Hill, but amongst the most useful are local newspapers that were published for the Caribbean community who lived there.

The best example of this is the local source of the West Indian Gazette.

This was founded in March, 1958 in Brixton in London by the Black activist Claudia Jones, who also founded the Notting Hill Carnival.

You can see on the right hand side of the screen now the plaque that commemorates the black activist Claudia Jones.

Claudia Jones created Britain's first major black newspaper, which gained a circulation of 15,000 people.

The West Indian Indian Gazette included poems and stories that reflected the experiences of Caribbean migrants.

It helped the Black community to develop a consciousness of their own history and culture.

This is a very useful source for historians because it helps us to hear Caribbean migrants authentic voices, their concerns, their fears, and their hopes.

Much of what we know about the relationships between the Caribbean migrant population who came here and the state particularly the police, comes from the West Indian Gazette.

The West Indian Gazette gives us accounts of some of the violent clashes between Caribbean migrants and the police.

The newspaper also reveals the social conditions experienced by Caribbean migrants in Notting Hill, for example, some of the articles featured the poor state of war damaged housing, and the problem of overcrowding in houses of multiple occupation.

Historians can also gain an understanding of how Black activism emerged in response to racism and discrimination in Notting Hill.

For example, the case of The Mangrove nine was widely reported in the West Indian Gazette.

Okay, time to have a check of your understanding.

I'd like you to discuss this question with a partner, what makes the West Indian Gazette a useful source for a historian, understanding the historical context of Notting Hill? Press Pause until you've had your discussion and then press Play.

Welcome back, I hope you've had a good discussion.

Let's have a look at some of the things you might have mentioned.

You could have said that the West Indian Gazette was a useful source because it tells the firsthand experiences of Caribbean migrants in Notting Hill.

Much of what we know about racism and discrimination in Notting Hill comes from the articles in the West Indian Gazette.

It illustrates important features of Caribbean culture such as poetry and stories, and it shows how Black activism emerged in response to police brutality.

However, all of the sources used by historians tend to have limitations as well as strengths.

The West Indian Gazette has limitations as a source.

Firstly, it does not give a balanced account of the Caribbean migrant experience in Britain.

Rather, the newspaper only shows events from the Caribbean migrant's point of view.

It's worth remembering that the founder of the newspaper, Claudia Jones, was a member of the British Communist Party, and this meant that the newspaper focused on the oppression of working class Caribbean people rather than any of the progress that was being made.

Something else to consider is that the newspaper only covers a limited period of time from 1958 until 1964, as due to financial struggles and the death of Claudia Jones, it closed within six years.

Therefore, all we can see really for the West Indian Gazette is that it is a snapshot of the Caribbean migrant experience.

For example, it was not able to cover the 1965 Race Relations Act, which banned racial discrimination in public places.

Finally, there's also something else to consider about the nature of newspapers as historical sources.

For example, the West Indian Gazette may not always have been accurate because newspapers only provide commentary that reflects generally the views of the owner of the newspaper.

They are also not impartial sources of information, and so other accounts and other sources need to be taken into consideration to provide a full and an accurate picture of the Caribbean experience in London in the 1960s.

Okay, let's have a check now to see if you understand the strengths and limitations of the West Indian Gazette.

As a source for the historical context of Notting Hill, I'd like you to read through the various features of the newspaper and then tick to say whether you feel it is a strength or oral limitation.

Press Pause whilst you complete your answer and then press Play when you're ready to hear what you should have said.

Welcome back.

Let's see how you got on with your answer.

One feature of the West Indian Gazette is that it is a contemporary source for the period studied.

Therefore, this is a strength of the newspaper.

Secondly, another feature is it only covers the period from 1958 to 1964.

This is a limitation.

Thirdly, the newspaper is strongly influenced by communist ideology.

This is another limitation.

Also, the source highlights the racism within the Met Police.

This is a strength of the West Indian Gazette.

Also, it provides information about the migrant experience in Notting Hill, for example, housing conditions.

This is another strength, and finally, the West Indian Gazette gives an insight into the growth of Black activism.

This is another strength Well done if you got them all correct.

Finally, in this section, I'd like you to attempt this question.

How far do you agree with Sofia's view? Let's have a read of Sofia's view.

She says, "The West in D Gazette is not a valuable source for understanding life for Caribbean migrants in Notting Hill because it only covers a short period of time and is one-sided." I'd like you to write one paragraph that states whether you agree or disagree with Sofia and remember to explain why.

Press Pause whilst you complete your answer and then press Play.

Welcome back, let's see how you got on.

Your answer might have included some of the following.

I disagree with Sofia's view that the West Indian Gazette is not a valuable source.

One reason for this is that despite the period covered by the newspaper being short, it remains extremely important to understanding the initial experiences of migrants to Notting Hill in the 1960s.

A second reason is it would be difficult to understand the later developments in race relations without the valuable insights into Caribbean culture provided by the Gazette.

And finally, the Gazette also provides an explanation for the growth of black activism in response to police brutality, and therefore it is overall a valuable source despite its limitations.

Here's an alternative response that you might have written instead.

I agree in part with Sofia's argument that the Gazette is not a valuable source as it only covers the period prior to the Race Relations Act of 1965, and therefore is unable to give a full account of the gradual improvement of Caribbean migrants experience in London.

Additionally, the Gazette is less valuable because its purpose was to emphasise the plight of the Caribbean migrant experience in Notting Hill as it was made for a Caribbean migrant audience.

However, this does not mean the Gazette has no value as a source, as taken into consideration alongside other sources, it still provides an important snapshot of life for Caribbean migrants in Notting Hill.

Alright, let's move on now to the second section of the lesson today where we'll focus on some other contemporary local sources.

Besides the West Indian Gazette, there are a number of other contemporary local sources.

By contemporary local sources, we mean primary sources produced in the local area in the '50s and the '60s days.

Here are three really valuable examples of contemporary local sources.

Firstly, photographs of the Caribbean Carnival.

Secondly, diaries of attendees of shebeens and The Mangrove restaurant.

And finally, the letter written in 1970 about the march for The Mangrove restaurant and why it was needed.

Let's start by focusing on the value of some of the photographs of the Caribbean carnival.

These provide us with evidence of how the Caribbean Carnival in 1959 was used to bring the various communities within Notting Hill together.

Some of the strengths of these sources include the fact that the photographs are contemporary sources.

They provide a snapshot of the actual event.

They quickly and concisely provide information about the people involved and the spirit of the event.

Finally, they sometimes also record details of everyday life not captured in written records.

However, as with all sources, the Carnival photographs do also have some limitations.

These include the fact that the photographs need to be studied alongside other sources of information.

As without the context, the photograph cannot always be understood.

Also, many of the photographs reflect the perspective of the photographer.

It cannot be assumed that they were taken simply to document the event.

And finally, the people in the photographs or the name of the photographer is not always identified.

Okay, let's check your understanding of the value of photographs as historical sources.

What knowledge might historians gain from looking at photographs of the Caribbean Carnival in 1959? Would the A, find out who attended the event? For example, was it a multiracial event? Would they B, find out what people were wearing, C, why the carnival was held, or D, what people did at the carnival? For example, dancing, press Pause, and when you've got your answer, press Play.

Welcome back.

You should've said that we'll be able to tell who attended the event and whether it was a multiracial event from looking at a photograph.

You would also be able to tell what people were wearing.

And finally, you'd also be able to tell what people did at the carnival.

For example, dancing.

However, you would not be able to tell why the carnival was held.

For that, you would need to look at some contextual background information.

A second valuable type of contemporary source is diaries of attendees of The Mangrove restaurant and shebeens.

These provide a detailed record of Caribbean culture in Notting Hill.

Some of the strengths of these documents include the fact that they are firsthand accounts of people's everyday experiences in Notting Hill, allowing us to hear the voices of ordinary people.

Also, diaries tend to be honest accounts of events.

They are useful for contextualising information gained from photographs and help historians to understand events in the past asked and finally, often they record how people felt about their experiences rather than just catalogue or list events.

However, it's always important to remember that diaries also have their limitations.

Firstly, they are highly personal and they only reflect the opinions and the experiences of the diarist, so we cannot presume everyone had the same experience.

Also, they do rely on the writer recording the event accurately.

Okay, it is time now for another check of your understanding.

Which two of these questions might a historian find the answers to using the diary of a customer from The Mangrove.

A, what led to The Mangrove Nine protest? B, what was the population of Notting Hill in the 1960s? C, why was The Mangrove important to the black community? Or D, what were housing conditions like in Notting Hill? Press Pause and when you ready for the answer, press Play.

Welcome back, let's see how you got on.

You should have said that historians would be able to answer the question, what led to The Mangrove Nine protest by reading the diary of a customer of The Mangrove restaurant.

Secondly, historians could also learn the answer to the question, why was The Mangrove important to the black community? Finally, a third very useful source for studying Notting Hill is the letter announcing the plans for The Mangrove march.

This was written by The Mangrove Action Group in 1970.

The strengths of this source include that it provides us with the reasons for The Mangrove protest.

It also shows that there was organised action taken against the police harassment.

Finally, it shows us that the protestors were willing to work through legal channels as the letter was sent to the Prime Minister and the home office.

However, there are still limitations to the letter.

These include, it only captures the views of a small number of Caribbean migrants who made up the action group.

It also has a limitation because the action group had a specific motive in sending the letter.

It tells us nothing about any previous response they may have had from the home office.

And finally, there are no specific details provided about the allegations of police harassment or any mention of government attempts to combat this.

Okay, here's another final check of your understanding now.

When using The Mangrove protest letter, why do historians need to keep in mind the action committee's purpose in writing the document? You should discuss your ideas with a partner.

Press Pause to have your discussion and then press Play when you're ready.

Okay, let's have a look at what your discussion might have included.

Historians need to keep in mind that the letter was a public statement designed to pressure the government into action in regard to police harassment of the Black community in Notting Hill.

Finally, in this section, let's put everything you've learned into practise.

I'd like you to answer this question.

The most important local contemporary source for understanding the historical context of Notting Hill is The Mangrove protest letter.

I'd like you to list three points that agree with this statement and three points that disagree with it.

Try to consider the strengths of the other text sources for your counter arguments.

Press Pause now and when you are ready, press Play.

Welcome back.

Let's have a look at how you got on.

In terms of the points that you might have said agree with the statement, you could have said that it shows the tensions between the Caribbean community and the metropolitan police.

Secondly, you could have said it reveals the ways that the leaders of the Caribbean community responded to racism.

And finally, you could have said, it shows how local issues regarding race in Notting Hill were becoming national issues for the government.

In terms of the points that disagree, you could have said the letter has a narrow focus on the march and police harassment and not other migrant experiences in Notting Hill at the time.

It also gives little insight into the day-to-day lives and struggles of Caribbean people living in London at this time, such as jobs and housing.

And finally, it fails to mention the carnival which had been improving race relations in Notting Hill since its creation in 1958.

It's now time to move on to the final section of the lesson today, this section will focus on contemporary national sources.

National sources are sources which contain information relevant to the whole of Britain.

For example, the census would be regarded as a national source as it contains data about everyone living in Britain.

Historians ask questions about national sources.

These can include what do they tell us about differences in employment and housing in different parts of the UK, or how have they contributed to the formulation of government policy, or what can they tell us about life in the UK in the 1960s? Or how do national trends compare to local trends or what do they tell us about change over time within different communities in the UK.

Like local sources, national sources have limitations as well as strengths or historians.

In terms of their strengths, these include that they provide large amounts of data, which can be analysed.

They also allow comparisons to be drawn between different regions across the UK.

Also, they help historians to gain the contextual knowledge required to understand specific events and trends.

And finally, they can be used to measure the extent of changing economic and social conditions in the UK.

However, like local sources, national sources have limitations as well as strengths.

Some of the limitations include that they can fail to address important local issues which are overlooked by the general public and government.

They also mainly focus on statistical data, and therefore they do not reveal the stories and the people behind the data.

There can also be gaps in the data if people do not participate.

The first national source that we're going to look at is the census.

A census is an official count of the population conducted every 10 years.

Its purpose is to help to build a detailed picture of society.

This helps national and local governments to plan how resources should be distributed throughout society.

There was a census of the UK conducted in 1951, 1961, and 1971.

They reveal huge changes in British society over these decades and are very useful for historians studying Notting Hill.

For example, in the 1961 census, 2.

3% of London's population was recorded as non-white, but by the census of 1971, 7.

4% of London's population was recorded as non-white.

This tells us that London was becoming much more ethnically diverse in the period that led to The Mangrove March.

The 1971 census also reveals useful information about social and economic conditions in Notting Hill.

For example, the census collected data on a variety of things such as place of birth, year of entry, into the UK, employment status, family size, number of rooms and occupants in a dwelling and ethnicity.

Okay, let's check your understanding.

Choose two correct answers.

What does the 1971 census tell historians about social and economic conditions in Notting Hill? Does it A, tell us about the feelings of local people? B, does it tell us the population of Notting Hill was very diverse? Does it C, tell us about the relations between the Caribbean population and the Met, or D, tell us there was overcrowding in Notting Hill.

Press Pause and when you're ready to hear the answer, press Play.

Welcome back, the correct answers were B.

The census would tell us about the population of Notting Hill being diverse and also D was correct.

The census would tell us there was overcrowding in Notting Hill.

A second valuable national source for historians is an opinion poll.

An opinion poll provides useful data about social attitudes in Britain at a specific time in history.

However, it must be remembered that opinion polls survey a small percentage of the population, so it can only be used as a guide for measuring the views of the British public.

The first opinion poll, which asked about attitudes to immigration was conducted by the polling company Gallup in 1958.

The survey was conducted just weeks after the Notting Hill riots in 1958.

A time of great tension between the Black and white communities in Britain.

Okay, time to check your understanding.

I'd like you to discuss why the timing of the Gallup Opinion poll in 1958 might have resulted in unreliable results.

Press Pause to have your discussion and then press Play to see what you could have discussed.

Welcome back.

Let's have a look at what you might have discussed.

You could have said that the timing of the Gallup opinion poll in 1958 could have resulted in unreliable results because the 1958 Notting Hill riots would've been reported nationally and may have negatively affected how people felt about immigration in Britain.

Also, the context of the poll was one of tension between Black and white communities in Britain.

And finally, it was carried out during the first wave of immigration into Britain.

The opinion poll in 1958 revealed some interesting results.

It revealed that people in the UK believed that race relations were deteriorating.

In other words, getting worse.

Over half of those surveyed believed immigration to be a serious social problem.

And finally, over half of the respondents believed the UK had been harmed by immigration.

Subsequent polls revealed increasing hostility towards immigrants in the UK throughout the 1960s and the 1970s.

The data gathered in the opinion poll provides historians with information about the reasons people gave for their opposition to immigration.

Some of the reasons included that immigrants were said to be putting too much pressure on the welfare system.

It also revealed that immigrants were believed to have different habits and customs. And finally it was felt that immigrants were taking away work from British people and undercutting their wages.

Over half of the people surveyed in the 1960s and the 1970s disapproved of how the government was responding to mass immigration and could see no real benefits from immigration.

Okay, time for another check of your understanding.

Which two of the following can be learned from studying the 1958 Gallup opinion poll on attitudes to immigration? Is it A, the British public had not accepted mass immigration in the decades following World War ii.

B, the British public's attitudes to immigration at the time of The Mangrove protest March or C, the British public did not believe the government was responding to immigration well enough.

Press Pause and when you're ready to see the answers, press Play.

You should have said, the first correct answer was A.

The Gallup opinion poll in 1958 showed the British public had not accepted mass integration in the decades following World War ii.

The other correct answer was C.

It also revealed the British public did not believe the government was responding to immigration well enough.

However, the opinion poll could only tell us about the opinions of people in 1958, and therefore reveals nothing about the attitudes that people had to immigration at the time of The Mangrove Protest March in 1970.

National newspapers are another really valuable national source of information for historians they can be used to study Notting Hill.

The national newspapers cover stories that they feel the population as a whole might be interested in, and they tend to disregard local issues.

The stories covered reveal the attitudes of the national media towards the major issues of the day.

Often these do reflect the views of the public, but they can also be an attempt to influence public opinion.

In the aftermath of the Notting Hill riots in 1958, articles appeared in the Times newspaper about those responsible for the violence.

Often the article suggested that the Black community were responsible for the lawlessness, which occurred in Notting Hill.

For example, one journalist referred to "young coloured men running wild." However, the same newspaper played down the behaviour of the white "Teddy Boys" and their openly prejudiced attitudes towards the Black community.

The Times ran articles which were based on in interviews with local residents.

However, they failed to conduct any interviews with Black people and largely relied on the testimonies of white women.

Have a think about why you think this might have been a problem.

That's right, it would only provide a one-sided account of why the riots took place.

Okay, time to check your understanding once more.

I'd like you to answer this question.

What does the Times' reporting of the Notting Hill riots tell historians about the attitudes of the national media towards racial tensions at the time? Press Pause and when you've written your answer, press Play to see what you could have said.

Welcome back.

You could have said that even established experienced reporters working for national newspapers could use derogatory language to describe Black people.

Also, there was a tendency to presume that it was only young Black men that were responsible for violence and lawlessness.

Finally, today, I'd like you to answer these questions in simply one sentence.

From national sources, what can historians learn about the historical context of Notting Hill using A, the 1971 census, B, the 1958 Gallup Opinion poll and C, the 1958 Times newspaper articles, press Pause, and when you finished your sentences, press Play.

Welcome back, let's see how you got on.

For the 1971 census, you could have said that historians can learn that the migrant population of Notting Hill had low paid jobs and lived in slum housing.

From the 1958 Gallup opinion poll, you could have said, historians can learn that many white people in post-War Britain held racist attitudes and did not support immigration.

From the 1958 Times newspaper, you could have said, historians can learn that racist attitudes were widespread in Britain and that the national press was often biassed against immigrant populations.

Finally, I'd like you to consider the limitations of national sources for historians studying the historical context of Notting Hill.

I'd like you to come up with three ways there are limitations.

Press Pause now and then when you're ready to see the answer, press Play.

Welcome back, let's have a look at the points you could have raised.

National newspapers do not understand the communities they are reporting on, which makes local newspapers important for studying events like the Notting Hill Riots.

Opinion polls can be affected by current events and do not tell the stories behind the data.

And finally, the census provides useful statistical information, but says nothing about the attitudes and the opinions of those surveyed.

We've reached the end of our lesson today, so let's have a quick summary.

Contemporary, local and national sources can all be used to deepen historians understanding of the historical context of Notting Hill.

There are strengths and limitations to each type of source.

However, all sources are useful in providing a historian with further understanding of an event.

It is important to take the sources strengths and limitations into account.

And finally, historians ask questions of sources to produce evidence for a particular inquiry.

For example, what does the census tell us about living conditions in Notting Hill? Thank you for all of your hard work in today's lesson.

I hope you'll find it useful when considering the strengths and limitations of sources and that you'll be able to use these sources to answer questions on the historical environment of Notting Hill.