Emigration from the British Isles

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  • Emigration from the British Isles
    • The Pilgrim Fathers
      • Under Elizabeth I England was Protestant. A small group of Puritans felt they were being persecuted so left for Holland.
      • In the summer of 1620 the group set sail for Virginia with the aim to set up their own community.
      • They faced a difficult journey on the Mayflower and got blown much further north than Virginia.
      • When they arrived 3 months later many of them were suffering from scurvy due to a lack of vitamin C.
      • Many of the Native Americans had died by this point due to diseases from European settlers.
      • The Pilgrim Fathers took food from offerings on Native American graves and used their houses.
      • They were attacked by some remaining Native Americans but they drove them away.
      • Half of the Pilgrim Fathers died in the first winter. Those who survived befriended some Natives.
      • A successful harvest in 1621 was marked with a special meal now known as Thanksgiving.
      • More Puritans left England to join the new community. By 1640, 20,000 had arrived and Boston was created.
    • Canadian Scots
      • In the 18th century the British government sold a large piece of Canadian land, Nova Scotia or 'New Scotland' to 2 Scottish businessmen.
      • The businessmen encouraged many Scottish families to go and work for them in 1773.
      • The journey to Canada was long and diseases spread quickly. 18 children died of dysentery or smallpox on The Hector.
      • A thriving timber industry was developed which began exporting to Britain.
      • By the end of the 19th century over 250,000 Scottish people were in Canada.
    • The Irish Potato Famine
      • The 19th century saw mass emigration from Ireland due to hardship. Most Irish farmers were poor and lived off a simple diet with potato being a staple.
      • In 1845 the harvest failed due to a potato blight. By 1849 over 1 million people had died from starvation or starvation related illnesses.
      • Over 4 million Irish people emigrated, mainly to the USA.
      • 150,000 Irish settled in England, mainly Liverpool and Manchester.
      • Those who went to America had to pay £200 a ticket (in todays money) and that only brought 1 bed in a small cabin.
      • Most families could not afford to all go so one person went and sent money home.
      • When arriving in America they had to undergo health inspections on Ellis Island. Anyone found unfit for work was sent home.

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