Migration
This module discovers what migration is and enables us to trace our own migration history
Migration as part of the history of mankind
Despite long-range trade networks, as well as settlement and labor migration, as well as flight in the context of wars, migration rarely extended across continents until the 15th century. However, with the "discovery" of America, Europe took on a global expansion. Technological and organizational innovations were necessary conditions for this, as was the sustained exceeding of intellectual horizons. Only now can we speak of large scale migration at a global level.
Massive migration movements had been set in motion - voluntary as well as involuntary. The great colonial powers of Spain, Portugal, Great Britain and France appropriated parts of America, Africa and Asia in the following 300 years, with a massive impact on global population.
Task
Take a look at the different centuries and see which nations moved where at this time. This representation can of course only provide a brief overview and does not constitute all migration.
16th century – start of the 19th century
| When? | Who? | Where? | Explanation |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1500 – 1800 | Spanish/Portuguese | South America | Missionaries, merchants, plantation operators, craftsmen, farmers, but also convicts who had to perform forced labor, were on their way to the New World. Overall, around 8-9 million Europeans left the continent. |
| 1500 – 1800 | African slaves | South America, the Caribbean, southern North America | It is estimated that around 11 million African slaves, mostly from Western Africa, were forcibly transported to the Americas. |
| 1640 – 1880 | Europeans, mostly English and Irish | North America | People did not only leave Europe voluntarily. From 1640 England, for example, sent 50,000 convicts to Virginia and Maryland (now in the USA) as labourers. During this time, approximately 15 million Europeans left the continent. |
19th century
Between 1815 and 1930, more and more Europeans left the continent. Stories of pioneer migrants inspired people to make their way to the United States, South America or Australia. Travel was becoming easier through technological improvements, overseas migration was comfortable and no longer took so long. Approx. 60 million Europeans left the continent in this period.
| Who? | Where? | Explanation |
|---|---|---|
| Europeans | Australia | Initially convicts accounted for about half of the immigrants to Australia, where England wanted to get rid of them. Initially, raising sheep stood in the foreground on the continent. The discovery of gold in Australia boosted migration too and attracted many immigrants from Asia and Europe. |
| Europeans, Chinese, Japanese, Korean | Siberia | Only through the construction of the Trans-Siberian Railway was Siberia really made accessible for agricultural and industrial use. Not only were many workers needed for the construction of the railway, but also for the extraction of mineral resources and agricultural use attracted many migrants. |
| NO-Chinese | Manchuria | Around 25 million Chinese emigrated to Manchuria. Labour was sought for mines, construction of the railway and agriculture. Many Japanese also settled there. In this way, for example, the Japanese government wanted to control their own population growth and ensure a new "granary". |
| USA | Europe | In contrast to the preceding centuries, migration changed in the 19th Century. It was no longer a one-way street. Many of the emigrants returned to their home countries after a few years. |
| S-Chinese | Thailand, Philippines, Indochina, Australia | Like many Indians and Europeans, many Chinese, especially from the South, moved to other countries to work in agriculture, mining and train building. Partly to Asian countries, but also to Australia. |
| Indians | Southern Africa, Mauritius, the Caribbean | The Gold and Diamond fever in South Africa and Zambia called for many workers, who were provided by Africans themselves. Large (sugarcane) plantations were created that needed workers. It was mainly Indians who came into the countries. Since it was strictly enforced in the British colonies that no more slaves were used, low-paid Indians jumped into this role. |
| Europeans | Australia, New Zealand, Brazil, Argentina, Uruguay, Chile | At the end of the 19th Century migration was shifting more and more towards other countries, which were becoming especially interesting for migrants due to agriculture, but also due to a search for raw materials. Through agricultural modernization, opening up valuable mining products and participation in world trade, for example, Argentina could become a major global exporter. This attracted a large migration wave and Italians especially moved to Argentina. |
| Indians | Burma, Sri Lanka, Malaysia | Between 1846 and 1932, 28 million Indians left India. Some went to the British colonies to perform contract work on the plantations. Many more went to other Asian countries that had just modernized agriculture. |
20th century
Between 1815 and 1930, more and more Europeans left the continent. Stories of pioneer migrants inspired people to make their way to the United States, South America or Australia. Travel was becoming easier through technological improvements, overseas migration was comfortable and no longer took so long. Approx. 60 million Europeans left the continent in this period.
| Who? | Where? | Explanation |
|---|---|---|
| Out of the French colonies | France | In all the centuries of European expansion, Europe was rarely the target of intercontinental immigration. From the turn of the century to the 20th century educational migration from the colonial countries, which continues today, was slowly promoted. From then on, pioneer migrants made their way from Africa, Asia and the Americas to the European continent. |
| West Africans, Chinese, Indians | Europe | The First World War demanded soldiers. France recruited from its colonies, mainly men from West Africa, Britain from India and China. |
| Europeans | Europe | The First World War sparked massive flight and migration movements within Europe. For example, people fled from the battle sites in Eastern Europe towards the west. Nations also used the refugee movements to work against minorities, so that they were equally distributed. The First World War boosted nationalism and racism. In the interwar period, there were also massive resettlements - people returned to their homes or resettled due to the new borders in Europe. |
| Out of the (former) colonies | Europe | From the 2nd World War on, more and more residents of the colonies moved to Europe. Slowly, decolonization took place. The migration of many of the protagonists of the independence movements in the West (as well as Mahatma Gandhi) promoted decolonization. |
| Algerians | France | Between 1945 and 1960 the decolonization process was bloody in some countries. Many refugees fled to the colonial countries themselves, for example from Algeria. |
- What was the main driving force behind migration movements between the 15th and 19th centuries?
- What drove migration from the 20th century on?
- What made migration easier?
- What do you notice about the periods 1500-1800, 1800-1900 and 1900-1960 in terms of the density of migration, which continents were the preferred targets and which nationalities were on the move?