Who migrated to Britain in the early modern period, and what was their experience c.1500 to 1700?
Early modern migrants including Huguenot refugees, the Dutch, the readmission of the Jews, and the beginnings of a Black presence, the reasons they came, their economic and cultural contribution, and the experience of refuge and prejudice.
A focused answer to the early modern section of OCR's Migrants to Britain thematic study, covering Huguenot and Dutch migrants, the readmission of the Jews, the early Black presence, the reasons for migration, the economic and cultural contribution, and the experience of refuge and prejudice.
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What this dot point is asking
This is the second period of the Migrants to Britain thematic study. You need to explain who came to early modern England (Huguenots, the Dutch, the readmitted Jews, and an early Black presence), why they came (especially as religious refugees), their contribution, and their experience of refuge and prejudice. The focus, as always, is on change and continuity: how migration in 1500 to 1700 compared with the medieval period.
Who came, and why
The Huguenots
Their contribution
Refuge and prejudice
Try this
Q1. Who readmitted the Jews to England in the 1650s? [Knowledge recall]
- Cue. Oliver Cromwell.
Q2. Explain why the Huguenots came to England. [Short explanation]
- Cue. They were French Protestants fleeing religious persecution in Catholic France, especially after the Edict of Nantes was revoked in 1685, and they sought refuge in Protestant England, where their skills were also valued.
Exam-style practice questions
Practice questions written in the style of OCR exam questions on this dot point, with worked answer explainers. The year tag is the paper they imitate, not the source.
OCR SHP 20184 marksDescribe two features of Huguenot migration to England.Show worked answer →
The thematic study opener (4 marks, two features, 2 marks each). Reward two distinct, developed features.
Feature one. The Huguenots were French Protestants who fled religious persecution in Catholic France, especially after the revocation of the Edict of Nantes in 1685, arriving as refugees in their tens of thousands.
Feature two. They were often skilled workers, especially in silk-weaving and other crafts, and settled in areas such as Spitalfields in London, strengthening English industry.
Top marks. Two separate features, each with a precise supporting detail.
OCR SHP 20228 marksExplain why many migrants came to England as refugees in the early modern period.Show worked answer →
The thematic study "Explain why" question (8 marks). Reward two or three developed, supported reasons.
Reason one. Religious persecution abroad: Protestant Huguenots fled Catholic France, and Protestant refugees fled the Spanish-controlled Low Countries, seeking safety in Protestant England.
Reason two. England as a relatively tolerant Protestant haven: after the Reformation, England offered refuge to fellow Protestants, and rulers sometimes welcomed skilled refugees for their economic value.
Reason three. Economic pull: refugees with valuable skills (silk-weaving, crafts, trade) found work and a welcome, so refuge and opportunity went together.
Top band. Link each reason to refugee migration and judge which was most important.
Related dot points
- Medieval migrants including Jews, Flemish weavers, Italian bankers and Hanseatic merchants, the reasons they came, their contribution to the economy, the experience of welcome and hostility, and the expulsion of the Jews in 1290.
A focused answer to the medieval section of OCR's Migrants to Britain thematic study, covering Jewish, Flemish, Italian and Hanseatic migrants, the reasons they came, their economic contribution, the experience of welcome and hostility, and the expulsion of the Jews in 1290.
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A focused answer to the industrial and imperial section of OCR's Migrants to Britain thematic study, covering Irish, Jewish, Black and imperial migrants, the role of industrialisation and empire, their contribution to industry and towns, and the experience of poverty and prejudice c.1700 to 1900.
- Modern migration including post-war Commonwealth migration and the Windrush generation, refugees, European and other migrants, the role of war, empire and labour shortages, the experience of integration and discrimination, and changing immigration laws.
A focused answer to the modern section of OCR's Migrants to Britain thematic study, covering post-war Commonwealth migration and the Windrush generation, refugees, European and other migrants, the role of war, empire and labour shortages, the experience of integration and discrimination, and changing immigration laws.
- The economic, cultural and social impact of migration across the whole period, the factors that shaped migrants' experience, change and continuity in attitudes to migration, and how to weigh interpretations of migration's significance.
A focused case study within OCR's Migrants to Britain thematic study, examining the economic, cultural and social impact of migration across the whole period, the factors shaping migrants' experience, change and continuity in attitudes, and how to weigh interpretations of migration's significance.