Irish Immigration Exam Questions

Source C is evidence given to a Parliamentary Enquiry in 1836 by Alexander Carlisle who ran a spinning mill in Paisley. Source C Our mills never would have grown so rapidly if we had not had large numbers of Irish families. The work of this town requires women and children as well as men. Without the Irish, a sufficient number of workers would never have been found. The large immigration of the Irish at the harvest season also proves a great advantage to our farmers. 3. How useful is Source C for investigating the results of Irish immigration into Scotland? 3 marks

Source C is evidence given to a Parliamentary Enquiry in 1836 by Alexander Carlisle who ran a spinning mill in Paisley. Our mills never would have grown so rapidly if we had not had large numbers of Irish families. The work of this town requires women and children as well as men. Without the Irish, a sufficient number of workers would never have been found. The large immigration of the Irish at the harvest season also proves a great advantage to our farmers. 4.What evidence is there in Source C that the arrival of Irish immigrants brought benefits? What evidence is there in Source D that the arrival of Irish immigrants did not bring benefits? Source D is from “Changing Life in Scotland and Britain”. Many native Scots resented the Irish. They accused them of dragging down wages. While this was undoubtedly true, it has to be counterbalanced by saying that by 1880 they were becoming prominent in Trade Unions and were helping to push up wages. However, the arrival of large numbers of desperately poor Irish did nothing to ease the already overcrowded housing situation. Moreover, their arrival sometimes increased existing tensions over religious beliefs and practices. 5 marks

5.How far do you agree that the arrival of Irish immigrants brought benefits for all Scots? You must use evidence from the sources and your own knowledge to come to a conclusion. 4 marks