New
New
Year 10
Edexcel

National context of post-war Britain

I can describe the state of Britain after World War Two and explain how this led to increased Caribbean migration.

New
New
Year 10
Edexcel

National context of post-war Britain

I can describe the state of Britain after World War Two and explain how this led to increased Caribbean migration.

Lesson details

Key learning points

  1. As a result of the Second World War, Britain was in dire need of workers in order to rebuild the nation.
  2. People from across the British Empire had fought for Britain in WW2, but many returned to their home colonies in 1945.
  3. The ‘Windrush generation’ is the name given to early migrants to Britain from the Caribbean after 1948.
  4. Higher wages in Britain led to Caribbean migration; migrants faced discrimination, poor working and living conditions.
  5. The 1960s became known as the ‘Swinging Sixties’ as conditions improved and people had more time for leisure activities.

Common misconception

Students may believe that there was only rationing in Britain during WW2.

Rationing continued until 1954.

Keywords

  • Rationing - to only be allowed a fixed amount of something, for example, bread or meat, often due to shortages

  • Commonwealth citizens - citizens who lived in British colonies or former British colonies who had joined the Commonwealth

Encourage students to realise that not everyone's experience of a historic environment, in this case post-war London, was the same.
Teacher tip

Content guidance

  • Depiction or discussion of discriminatory behaviour
  • Depiction or discussion of sensitive content
  • Depiction or discussion of violence or suffering

Supervision

Adult supervision recommended

Licence

This content is © Oak National Academy Limited (2024), licensed on Open Government Licence version 3.0 except where otherwise stated. See Oak's terms & conditions (Collection 2).

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6 Questions

Q1.
What happened to migration to Britain after World War Two (WW2)?
it decreased
it stayed the same
Correct answer: it increased
Q2.
What happened to migration to Britain as a result of the British Empire?
it decreased
it stayed the same
Correct answer: it increased
Q3.
Match the keywords to the correct definitions.
Correct Answer:Commonwealth,a group of countries formerly belonging to the British Empire

a group of countries formerly belonging to the British Empire

Correct Answer:empire,a group of countries governed from the centre

a group of countries governed from the centre

Correct Answer:‘Swinging Sixties’,a cultural revolution that took place in Britain in the 1960s

a cultural revolution that took place in Britain in the 1960s

Q4.
Where did Britain get many of its soldiers from during WW2?
forced enemy soldiers to fight for them
Correct answer: recruited them from its colonies
introduced conscription halfway through the war
Q5.
Put the historical periods in chronological order.
1 - medieval
2 - early modern
3 - 18th and 19th centuries
4 - modern
Q6.
Match the period to the group who migrated to Britain at this point in time.
Correct Answer:medieval,Vikings

Vikings

Correct Answer:early modern,Huguenots

Huguenots

Correct Answer:18th and 19th centuries,Jewish migrants in the East End

Jewish migrants in the East End

Correct Answer:modern,Caribbean migrants

Caribbean migrants

6 Questions

Q1.
Which keyword describes to only be allowed a fixed amount of something, for example, bread or meat, often due to shortages?
Correct Answer: rationing, Rationing
Q2.
Complete the sentence: The ‘ generation’ is the name given to early migrants to Britain from the Caribbean after 1948.
Correct Answer: Windrush, windrush
Q3.
What level was Britain’s national debt at the end of World War Two (WW2)?
nearly £21 million
nearly £210 million
Correct answer: nearly £21 billion
Q4.
Which of the following statements show that life was difficult for Caribbean migrants in Britain?
Correct answer: promotion was difficult due to ‘colour bars’
they worked in a variety of professions
Correct answer: often had to take jobs for which they were overqualified
employment was easy to come by due to shortages
Correct answer: often had to take jobs for which they were underpaid
Q5.
What did the 1948 Nationality Act grant?
Commonwealth citizens the right to live and work in Europe
Correct answer: Commonwealth citizens the right to live and work in Britain
Took away Commonwealth citizens' right to live and work in Britain
Q6.
Why were the 1960s nicknamed the ‘Swinging Sixties’?
Life was getting harder; older people wanted a return to traditional activities
Correct answer: Life was improving; young people had more money and time for leisure activities
Life was up and down for many people and there was instability

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