Immigration and Race Relations in Postwar Britain

By dcharles362

  • India gains her independence

  • Arrival of the Empire Windrush

    492 Jamaicans on board the Empire Windrush arrive in Britain, the first of a wave of nonwhite Commonwealth immigrants to the UK.
    <img src="http://www.bristolreads.com/small_island_read/images/the_windrush_generation/empire_windrush.jpg">

  • British Nationality Act of 1948

    This legislation nominally equated Commonwealth citizenship with British subjecthood and “entitled [subjects] to reside in the United Kingdom with full access to citizenship rights and privileges.”

  • The Republic of Ireland formed

  • Ghana gains her independence

    Ghana becomes the first British colony in Africa to gain independence.

  • Notting Hill race riots

    Notting Hill race riots
    A contemporary video regarding the riots can be viewed on the British Pathé website can be viewed <a href="http://www.britishpathe.com/record.php?id=35366" target="blank">here</a>

  • Commonwealth Immigrants Act of 1962

    This policy restricted immigration from the Commonwealths by issuing vouchers.

  • Bristol Bus Boycott

    Paul Stephenson and the West Indian Development Council organized a boycott of the Bristol Omnibus Company, which would not employ nonwhites. This boycott lasted four months.

  • Race Relations Act of 1965

    According to a BBC <a href="http://news.bbc.co.uk/onthisday/hi/dates/stories/december/8/newsid_4457000/4457112.stm" target="blank">article</a>, "The new act forbids discrimination on the "grounds of colour, race, or ethnic or national origins" in public places."

  • Commonwealth Immigrants Act of 1968

    In response to the influx of Kenyan Asian immigrants, this policy narrowed requirements for entry; immigrants must be bearers of a UK passport and be descended from British citizens.

  • "Rivers of Blood" speech

    Enoch Powell delivers his well-known speech.
    Excerpts from that speech can be viewed <a href="http://youtu.be/23MEL7424aQ" target="blank">here</a>.

  • Race Relations Act of 1968

    More specific than the 1965 act, this act made discrimination in employment and housing illegal.

  • Immigration Act of 1971

    This policy further restricted immigration based on "patriality," which was based on whether or not one's parent was <i>born</i> a British citizen.