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Page 1: Scots and Emigration 1800 – 1950 handling collectionScots and Emigration 1800 – 1950 handling collection The earliest settlers • The earliest Scottish settlements in Canada formed

Scots and Emigration 1800 – 1950 handling collection

Page 2: Scots and Emigration 1800 – 1950 handling collectionScots and Emigration 1800 – 1950 handling collection The earliest settlers • The earliest Scottish settlements in Canada formed

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Page 3: Scots and Emigration 1800 – 1950 handling collectionScots and Emigration 1800 – 1950 handling collection The earliest settlers • The earliest Scottish settlements in Canada formed

National Museum of Scotland Teachers’ Resource Pack

Scots and Emigration 1800 – 1950 handling collection

Teachers notes

Welcome to the National Museum of Scotland.

Our Emigration handling collection contains 9 original artefacts and 9 written sources from our collection and we encourage everyone to enjoy looking at and touching the artefacts to find out all about them.

These notes include:• BackgroundinformationonemigrationfromScotland,including

the Highland Clearances in the 19th century.

• Detailsabouteachitem.

• Ideasforquestions,thingstothinkaboutanddiscusswithyourgroup.

NMS Good handling guideThe collection is used by lots of different groups so we’d like your help to keep the collection in good condition. Please follow these guidelines for working with the artefacts and talk them through with your group.

1 Always wear gloves when handling the artefacts (provided)

2 Always hold artefacts over a table and hold them in two hands

3 Don’ttouchorpointatartefactswithpencils,pensorothersharpobjects

4 Check the artefacts at the start and the end of your session

5 Please report any missing or broken items using the enclosed form

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National Museum of Scotland Teachers’ Resource Pack

Scots and Emigration 1800 – 1950 handling collection

What is emigration?• Emigrationinvolvesindividualsorgroupsofpeopleleavingtheir

countryoforigintosettleinanother.Thismaybeforpersonal,socialoreconomicreasons,ortoescapehardshiporpersecution.

• Immigrationisthearrivalandsettlementintoacountryorpopulation of people from other countries.

Scots and emigration• Forhundredsofyears,Scotshaveleftthiscountrytoliveandwork

abroad.Somepeopleleftinsearchofabetterlife,otherswereforcedto leave.

• ThemaindestinationsformostScotswereCanada,AmericaandAustralia.ThiswaslargelyduetoBritishColonialexpansionwhichbegan at the turn of the seventeenth century with the establishment of the Virginia Company (led by Captain John Smith) and many more like it.

• PeoplecouldgotothesecountriesastheywerepartofthegrowingBritishEmpireandtheempireneedede.g.administrators,soldiersand missionaries.

• Duringthe19thcentury,thenumberofpeopleleavingScotlandincreased as more became known about countries overseas. Transport by sailing ship and eventually steam ship also became more readily available.

• ManywholeftScotlanddidnotsurvivethelengthyvoyages.Onpacked ships there was also the risk of diseases such as dysentery andsmallpoxwhichwouldspreadrapidlyamongstpassengers.

• Someemigrantsfailedtoprosperintheirnewhomes.

• Otherpeoplefoundsuccessinvarioustradesandestablishedfamiliesin their new country.

• Scottishemigrantstooktheirtraditions,music,customsandlanguagewiththemandmanyScottishtraditionsweremaintained,developed and influenced by cultures that they found there.

One of the ships taking the emigrants to Canada,leavingStornowayharbour

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National Museum of Scotland Teachers’ Resource Pack

Scots and Emigration 1800 – 1950 handling collection

The earliest settlers• TheearliestScottishsettlementsinCanadaformedinthe18th

century and were often made up of disbanded regiments of soldiers.

• TheSevenYears’War(1756–1763)isregardedasthefirstglobalwarandinvolvedBritain,PrussiaandHanoveragainstFrance,AustriaandSweden.TheoutcomeoftheSevenYearsWarwasthatBritainwasestablishedasthegreatestcolonialpowerwithcontroloverIndiaandNorthAmerica.

• SoldierswhohadfoughtintheSevenYears’WarandtheAmericanWarofIndependence(1775–1783)weregivengenerous freehold land grants by the government which allowed them to settle in Canada. This also provided a reserve of trained men should the need to defend the new colonies that were arising.

• Duringthisperiod,theaftermathoftheJacobiteRisings(1688–1746)performedasacatalystformanyScotstomovetotheAmericas in greater numbers.

Forced emigration • Fromthelate16thcenturytothe19thcentury,manyScots

were forced to leave their homes.

• Convictswereoftensenttopenalcolonieswhichwerebeingestablished in Australia. These convicts acted as labor to build the colonies

• Manypeopleemigratedasaformofreligioussalvation,movingto places where they would be free to practice their own religion without persecution. As settlements began to be established in America and Canada distinct religious groups were visible.

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National Museum of Scotland Teachers’ Resource Pack

Scots and Emigration 1800 – 1950 handling collection

The Highland Clearances• Oneofthemainformsofforcedemigrationwasduetothe

HighlandClearancesthattookplaceinthe18thand19thcenturies.

• Duringthisperiodthousandsofcrofterswereforciblyevictedfromtheir land by the landowners to make way for the more profitable intensive sheep-farming or deer hunting.

• Thesecroftersoftenhadlittlealternativetomoveastheywerefaced with high rents and little legal protection.

• ManyofthoseevictedchosetomovetolargeindustrialtownssuchasGlasgowwheretheyexperiencedcrampedtenementlivingandpoorworkingconditionsinfactories.Toavoidthis,manypeople chose to emigrate to Canada where they could continue farming.

• WhethertheHighlandClearancesdestroyedawayoflifeorthiswayoflifewascomingtoanendanyway,theyweredepictedinpaintings and song for generations to come.

CroftsatGarthsness,Quendale,1874after the tenants were evicted

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National Museum of Scotland Teachers’ Resource Pack

Scots and Emigration 1800 – 1950 handling collection

In search of a better life• ItisimportanttonotethatnotallScottishEmigrationtook

placeasaresultofforcefuldisplacement.Instead,manyScotscarefully planned their travels and were aware of the economic benefits that places like America and Canada offered. Many Scots were driven by enterprise and entrepreneurship; a new landwouldconsequentlyoffernewopportunities.

• SocialandeconomicpressuresinScotlandduringthe18thand19th centuries meant that although levels of employment in industrywerehigh,earningalivingandmaintainingadecentlife were often difficult.

• AlthoughmanypeopleleftScotlandasalasthopeofescapingpoverty,manywereskilledworkersandhadsomecapitaltohelp them.

• Emigrationwasencouragedbyemigrationsocietiesandgovernment agents who arranged destinations and passages. Emigration societies were often set up by businessmen or groups of tenant farmers.

• AlthoughScotland’spopulationrosefrom1,265,380in1755to4,472,103in1901andthecountrybecameamatureindustrialeconomy,duringthesameperiodithadoneofthehighestlevelsofemigrationinBritain.

• Althoughthereasonsforemigrationchangedovertime,ratesofemigrationfromScotlandstayedhighuntilthe1930s.

Canada• Oneofthemostpopulardestinationsforemigrantsfrom

Scotland was Canada and this resource looks at some of the items that the emigrants would have needed when they arrived.

• Akeyshipwhichbrought200ScottishimmigrantstoPictouin1773wastheShipHector.Itisthoughtthatthisstimulatedacontinual flow of Scots to Canada.

• NovaScotiaisaCanadianprovincewhichmeans‘NewScotland’AnexampleofatradewhichattractedmanyScotsto Canada was the timber trade. The places where settlements were made were attributed to where people could easily access this work and the ships that would take the timber back to the Clyde (eg. Charlottetown).

• Scotswentontolayrailroads,foundbanksandexploitthefurtrade,andhelpedformthepoliticalinfrastructureofmodernday Canada.

Two well-dressed young ladies,happytowavegood-byetotheoldlife,as they leave for Canada in1927

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National Museum of Scotland Teachers’ Resource Pack

Scots and Emigration 1800 – 1950 handling collection

Contents

Items from home1.Darningmushroom

2.Butterpats

3. Spurtle

4.Iron

5. Christening robe

Items used in Canada6.Wolffur

7.Caribouandmoosehides

8.Snowshoes

9.Porcupinequills

Contemporary images of emigration10.Painting–The Last of the ClanbyThomasFaed

11.Painting– A Coronach in the Backwoods by George W. Simson

12.Poster–GeneralInformationforintendingemigrants

13.Poster–AnchorLineSteamersfromGlasgowtoNewYork

14.Poster–EmigrationtoCapeofGoodHopeandNatal

15.Photograph–Settler’shouseinCanada

16.Photograph–We’vegotjobsinCanada;Wedon’twantthedole!

17.Photograph–Wavinggoodbyetoanemigrantship

18.Seriesofengravings–Lifeonanemigrantship

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National Museum of Scotland Teachers’ Resource Pack

Scots and Emigration 1800 – 1950 handling collection

Items from home1. Darning mushroom

• Thisisamushroomshapedtoolwhichisusuallymadeofwood.

• Itisusedtoholdsocksandstockingsinplaceforthemtobe darned.

• Thesockisstretchedoverthecurvedtopofthemushroom,and gathered tightly around the stalk to hold it in place for darning.

• Darningisasewingtechniqueforrepairingholesandwornareas in fabric.

• Itisatraditionalmethodforrepairingfabricdamageorholes that do not run along a seam and where patching is impracticalorwouldcreatediscomfortforthewearer,suchas on the heel of a sock.

• Othertoolsfordarningincludedarningeggs,darninggourds and darning needles.

• Darningismainlydonebyhandbutcanalsobedoneonasewing machine.

Feeltheobject.Itisquitecomfortable to hold. Can you imagine darning a sock on it?

Lookatthesizeoftheobject.Itisquitesmallandwould have been fairly easy to fit in a bag to take on a ship.

See

Why do you think people darned the holes in their socks instead of just buying new ones?

Think

Touch

Page 10: Scots and Emigration 1800 – 1950 handling collectionScots and Emigration 1800 – 1950 handling collection The earliest settlers • The earliest Scottish settlements in Canada formed

National Museum of Scotland Teachers’ Resource Pack

Scots and Emigration 1800 – 1950 handling collection

2. Butter pats • Inthe19thcenturybutterpatswereusedtoshapebutter

intobricks,readyforsaleanduse.

• Milkthathadbeenchurnedintobutterneededtobepatted into shape but a person’s warm hands would melt thebutter,sobutterpatswereusedinstead.

• Butterpatsaresometimesreferredtoas‘Scotchhands’.

• Usingbutterpatswasaskilfuljobandinvolvedconsiderabledexterity.

• First,excessmoisturewassqueezedoutofthebutter,which was then transferred to a wooden board. Holding a patineachhand,thebuttermakerthenworkedthebutterinto shape.

• Theinsidefaceofthepatisribbed.Thisgrippedthebutterandsqueezedoutanyremainingwater.Theribsalsomadeattractive patterns on the finished butter.

• Butterpatsandmouldswerewashedinsaltedwater.Thisprevented the butter from sticking to them.

Hold the objects. How do you think they would have been used?

Likethedarningmushroom,these are small items that would have been easy to pack.

See

Many emigrants settled in rural areas where they needed to make/grow everythingrequiredfordailylife–whatmightthishave included?

Think

Touch

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National Museum of Scotland Teachers’ Resource Pack

Scots and Emigration 1800 – 1950 handling collection

3. Spurtle • AspurtleisaScottishtoolusedforstirringporridgeand

soup.

• Thelongthinshapemeansitcanbeusedforconstantstirring which stops the porridge from congealing and becoming lumpy.

• Itiscurvedtomakeiteasiertohold.

• Spurtleswereusuallymadefrombeechwoodwhichwasplentiful in Scotland.

• Porridgewasoneofthemainfoodsforpoorpeoplelivingin the Highlands of Scotland in the 19th century.

• Peopleoftenmadeenoughporridgetolastaweekandpoured it into the kitchen dresser drawer to set.

• Theymadefreshporridgeforbreakfasteachdayandtakeslices of the set porridge to work with them.

Feelhowtheobjectiscurved,makingiteasiertohold.

Againthisitemisquitesmall and would have been easy to pack.

See

How do you make your porridgetoday?Inthemicrowave?Imaginetakingit to school for your lunch.

Think

Touch

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National Museum of Scotland Teachers’ Resource Pack

Scots and Emigration 1800 – 1950 handling collection

4. Iron • Inthe19thcenturyclotheswerenormallymadefrom

natural fabrics such as cotton and linen.

• Cottonandlinencreaseeasilyandneededtobeironedafterthey were washed.

• Theironwasheateddirectlyonthefireorthehotplateofastove.

• Mostironscamewithastandtoreston.

• Thereweredifferenttypesofironusedinthe19thcentury,each with a specific purpose and which often used different heat source These included polishing irons which gave a smooth,polishedfinishtoclothes,millineryironsforironingbonnets and hats and egg irons for iron sleeves or gathered fabric.

• Laundries–eithercommercialorinalargeormediumsizedhousehold would have kept some of these different types of iron.Howeversmallerhouseholds,includingthepeoplewhowere likely to emigrate would only have had one or two as theyhadfewer,lessfashionableclothestoiron.

Can you pick up the iron? Doyouthinkitisheavy?

Lookatthenameandnumber on the top of the iron. This tells us the metal used to make it came from theCarronIronworksinStirlingshire.

See

What would you need to do before using a flat iron like this?

Lightthefireintherange,wait for range to get up totherightheat,testthe iron to see if at right temperature by spitting onit,havemorethanoneiron so that if one gets cold you have another ready to go (this is the origin of the saying‘keepingyourironsin the fire’)

Think

Touch

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National Museum of Scotland Teachers’ Resource Pack

Scots and Emigration 1800 – 1950 handling collection

5. Christening robe• Achristeninginachurchmarkedababy’sfirstpublic

appearance and was a cause of celebration.

• TheChurchdecidedthatallbabiesshouldbechristenedinwhitetosymbolizetheirinnocenceandpurity.

• Christeninggownswereusuallymadeoffinecottonorlinen and decorated with a type of embroidery called ‘Whitework’.

• Theyweredesignedtoresemblefashionable19thcenturyladies dresses.

• Christeninggownswereoftenkeptforsentimentalreasonsandwerepasseddownthroughthegenerations,oftenbecoming family heirlooms.

• Thebabyalwaysworeawhitecapwiththedressandwasusuallycarriedinachristeningcape,mantleorshawltohelp keep it warm.

Thesoft,lightcottonthatthe robe is made from.

The whitework embroidery aroundtheneck,sleevesand hem of the robe. the thread is the same colour as the fabric.

See

This robe may have been taken to Canada for sentimental rather than proctical reasons. What other items do you think may have been taken for sentimental reasons?

Think

Touch

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National Museum of Scotland Teachers’ Resource Pack

Scots and Emigration 1800 – 1950 handling collection

Items needed in Canada 6. Wolf fur

• Inthe19thcenturyinCanadawolveswerehuntedtoprotect people and animals from being attacked. Wolf fur was also used to make clothing and blankets by people living in Canada as they protected the wearer from the cold climate.

• Wolveshavethickfurrycoatsmadeupoftwolayersofhair.The first layer consists of long tough hairs called guard hairs that repel water and dirt. The second layer is an undercoat ofdense,softfurthatinsulatesthewolfandkeepsitwarm.

• Theouterlayergrowsin‘capes’onthewolf’sbackandcanbeupto20cmlong.Theinnerlayeroffurmaybeupto10cmthickandhelpskeepthewolfwarmintemperaturesupto-40F.

• Thecolourofwolffurvariesfromgreytowhite,red,brownandblackandsomehavemixedcolourcoats.

• Thecolourofawolf’scoathelpstocamouflageit.Forexample,whitewolvesaremorecommoninareaswithlotsof snow.

• WolfpeltswerevaluedbymanyNativeAmericanIndiantribes and were traded with the Scottish immigrants.

Feelthefur.Canyouthinkofwordstodescribeit?Doyou think it would keep you warm?

This is a complete wolf fur anditisquitebig.Whattypes of clothes could it be made into?

See

DidpeoplelivinginCanadaneed to use fur? What other materials could they have used to make their cold weather clothes?

Think about

Touch

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National Museum of Scotland Teachers’ Resource Pack

Scots and Emigration 1800 – 1950 handling collection

7. Caribou and moose hides• CaribouarewildreindeerwhicharefoundinCanadaand

Alaska. Moose are the largest member of the deer family andarefoundinCanada,AlaskaandpartsofnorthernUSA.

• Animalhideswereanimportantrawmaterialforpeoplelivingin19thcenturyCanada,particularlyforclothes,moccasins (a type of glove) and boots. Moose and caribou skins were the most commonly used.

• Animalskinsneedtobetannedbeforetheycanbemadeinto garments. Tanning is the process of making leather from the skins of animals

• Traditionaltanningmethodsaretimeconsuming–upto2 weeks for one hide - and take a great deal of physical strength. Hides can also be tanned in a factory but these are not as soft and strong.

• Mooseandcaribouhideswhichhavebeentannedusingtraditionalmethodsarestrong,durable,lightweightandwarm.

• Onceahidewastanned,peoplewouldoftendecorateitbysewing beads onto it or trimming it with fur.

Feelbothhides.Howdothey feel different? Can you think of words to describe them?

LookatwheretheCaribouhidehasbeenstitched.Ithas to be very soft before it can be stitched or beads sewn into it.

See

Imaginehowtheemigrantswould have felt seeing strange new animals like caribou,mooseandwolvesforthefirsttime?Doyouthink they would have had a cultural memory of wolves despitethembeingextinctin Scotland?

Think about

Touch

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National Museum of Scotland Teachers’ Resource Pack

Scots and Emigration 1800 – 1950 handling collection

8. Snow shoes• Thesearespecialshoesdesignedforwalkingoversnow.

• Theyworkbydistributingtheweightofthewearerovera larger area so that the person’s foot does not sink completely into the snow.

• Snowshoesweremadeofatoughhardwoodframewithawebbing of caribou hide in the middle of the frame.

• Theframehadasmallopeningforthefoot,whichwasfastened to the snowshoe by leather straps.

• Snowshoeswereraisedatthetoetopreventthewearerfrom tripping and to stop them gathering snow.

• Snowshoesareanexampleofimmigrantsadoptingpracticesandtechniquesusedbyindigenouspeople.Theywere originally used by Native Americans and then adopted byimmigrants.JohnRae,theScottishexplorer,wasoneofthe first non-Native Americans to use snowshoes. He was sneeredatbyotherexplorersfordoingthisbutrecognisedthe superiority of these technologies over anything introduced from Europe.

• Snowshoeswereessentialforfurtraders,trappersandanyone whose life or living depended on the ability to get aroundinareasofdeepandfrequentsnowfall.

Strap your foot to one of the snow shoes. What would it be like to walk in a pair of these?

Lookatthewebbinginthemiddle.Itstopstheshoesbeing like a pair of skis where the wearer would slide along the ground.

See

The snowshoes work like the paws of polar bears. The paws do not sink into the snow because their large surface area distributes their weight.

Think

Touch

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National Museum of Scotland Teachers’ Resource Pack

Scots and Emigration 1800 – 1950 handling collection

9. Porcupine quills• Porcupinesarerodentswithacoatofsharpspinescalled

quillswhichdefendthemfromattackers.

• Thequillscandropoutwhentheporcupineshakesitsbodyor they can be pulled out.

• Porcupineswerehuntedformeat.Thequillsweretraditionally used for decoration by Native Americans and this practice was then adopted by immigrants.

• Theycouldbewrappedontofringeandrawhidestrips,or sewn onto leather for embroidered clothing and accessories,orstapledthroughbirchbarktodecorateboxesorornaments.Theycouldalsobeusedtomakejewellery.

• Quillsarehardontheoutsideandspongyontheinside,making them useful for many kinds of craftwork. They can belefttheirnaturalwhitecolor,orcanbedyedinvariouscolors.

Althoughthequillsareonlysmall,theyarefartoosharp to touch as they could pierceaholeinyourskin!Doyouthinktheywouldhave been used for anything else because of this sharp quality?

Thepartofthequillclosestto the porcupine’s body is white and the tip is brown.

See

Can you think about a design you could develop usingquills?

Think

Touch

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National Museum of Scotland Teachers’ Resource Pack

Scots and Emigration 1800 – 1950 handling collection

Contemporary images of Emigration10. Painting – The Last of the Clan

• ThispaintingisbyThomasFaed(1826–1900)

• ItshowsthedepartureofanemigrantshipfromaScottishvillage at the time of the Highland Clearances.

• Thesceneisviewedfromthepointofthepersononboardship who bids a sad farewell to his friends and family who are left behind.

• Thistypeofpaintingiscalleda‘narrativepainting’.Thismeans that it tells a story.

• NarrativepaintingswereverypopularintheVictorianperiod.

Lookatthefacesofthepeople in the paintings. How do you think they are feeling?

See

What impression of the experienceofemigrantsdoes the artist create in this painting? How does the painting make you feel? Compare it with the other scenes of emigration that are included in this pack.

Think

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National Museum of Scotland Teachers’ Resource Pack

Scots and Emigration 1800 – 1950 handling collection

11. Painting – A Coronach in the Backwoods • ThispaintingisbyGeorgeW.Simson(1791–1862)

• ItshowsasettlerwhohasemigratedfromScotlandplayinga lament on the bagpipes as his wife weeps and comforts the baby after receiving news from Scotland.

• Thesceneisabouttheresourcefulnessandindependenceof the Highland emigrant who has single-handedly cleared theforestwithhisaxeandbuiltacabin.Althoughhehasachievedthis,hismind,andthatofhiswife,isstillfilledwiththe vision of home.

• ManyScottishemigrantstoCanadawouldhavefeltthissame sense of longing for their homeland.

• Thistypeofpaintingiscalleda‘narrativepainting’.Thismeans that it tells a story. Narrative paintings were very popular in the Victorian period.

Itisclearthatthewifeiscrying but how do you think the man playing the pipes is feeling? What emotions are displayed on his face?

See

What do you think was their reason for leaving Scotland?

Think

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National Museum of Scotland Teachers’ Resource Pack

Scots and Emigration 1800 – 1950 handling collection

There is a lot of information on this poster and whether the information was helpful or not depended on people being able to read. What do you think would have been the most important information for the emigrants?

See

What kind of information does it give us? What problems do you think this poster was designed to avoid?

Think

12. Poster – General Information for intending Emigrants

• In1888,theBritishgovernmentissuedthisposterproviding‘GeneralInformationforIntendingEmigrants’toCanada and the colonies in Australasia and South Africa.

• Itincludesdetailsofthebestmonthstosail,thecostandnumberofdaysthejourneywilltake,whattodoonlanding and what kind of jobs were waiting to be filled.

• Untilthe19thcentury,theBritishgovernmentrarelyintervened to control the conditions in which emigrants travelled.However,followingallegedabusesbyemigrationagents,thegovernmentplacedrestrictionsonthenumbersofpassengerscarried,improvedhealthandhygieneonships and ensured the that every person travelling would have an allocated supply of food.

• Journeytimestodestinationswerereducedwhensteamshipsreplacedsailingshipsinthe1850sand60s.Forexample,in1850ittook5weekstosailfromGreenocktoCanadabysailship.By1870thiswasreducedto2weeksby steam ship.

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Scots and Emigration 1800 – 1950 handling collection

13. Poster – Anchor Line Steamers from Glasgow to New York

• TheAnchorLinewasatransatlanticsteamshipcompanyfoundedin1856bytwobrothers,Nicol&RobertHandysideandshipmasterRobertHenderson.

• Thecompany’s’firststeamshipvoyageacrosstheAtlanticwasveryslow,taking28days.

• However,bythe1870stheyweresailingfromGlasgowtoNewYorkeveryWednesdayandSaturdayandfromGlasgowtoHalifax,NovaScotiaandStJohn,NewBrunswick(bothinCanada)onceamonthfromMarchtoSeptember.

• AtickettoCanadawiththeAnchorLinecost£13and13shillings(therewere20shillingsineverypound.Thiswouldbeabout£800intoday’smoneyandwouldhavebeen a substantial amount for the average person who wouldhaveearnedaround10–20shillingsaweek.

NewYorkisprintedinbiggertextthantheotherdestinations. Why do you think this was?

See

Thinkaboutthetechniquesthat this poster uses to encourage people to buy a ticket. These include advertising how easy it is to emigrate with cheap railwayfares,regularsailings,cheapsailratesand cheap through routes to other cities in states. Italsoliststhecitiesthatpeople might have heard ofsuchasNewYorkinlargetype.

Think

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Scots and Emigration 1800 – 1950 handling collection

14. Poster – Emigration to Cape of Good Hope and Natal

• Thisposter,advertisingemigrationtomanypartsoftheworld,isfromArbroathin1882.

• AlthoughemigrationfromAnguswasneveronthescaleofhighlandemigration,significantnumbersstilllefttheareaduring the 19th century.

• Intheearlypartofthe19thcenturythemaindestinationwasCanada,reachingapeakinthe1830s.

• CanadaandtheUSAarenearthebottomofthelistinthisadvertisement. This is because they were already popular destinationsandtherewasanexistingdemandtotravelthere.

• JohnHerald,Auctioneer,wasactingasabrokerforsteamshipcompanies,sellingtheirticketstohisclients.

What information on this poster would encourage people to emigrate? Compare this information with the information on the other posters in this resource. Which one do you think would have been most useful for emigrants?

See

WhyaretheUSAandCanada at the bottom of the list by the time this poster was published?

Think

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Scots and Emigration 1800 – 1950 handling collection

How many people can you see that live in this house?

See

Doyouthinkthehouseswouldhavebeenquicktoput up and easy to adapt? What do you think they would have been like to live in?

Think

15. Photograph – Settler’s house in Canada• MuchofthesettlementofwesternCanadainthelate19th

centurywascarriedoutbylanddevelopmentcompanies,such as the Commercial Colonisation Company of Manitoba,whoofferedhomesteads(housewithapatchof land) at reasonable rates. The company offered settlers wooden houses as illustrated: a one-roomed house with cellarcost£20andatwo-storeyhousewithfiveroomscost£66.

• Thesehouseswerelikekithouses–theywouldbeorderedflat packed and then the settler would build the house themselves.

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Scots and Emigration 1800 – 1950 handling collection

What reason do you think these people have for leaving Scotland?

See

Compare this photograph withthepaintingTheLastof the Clan. The painting deliberately evokes a sense of sadness and romanticism. The photograph creates a more positive and forward looking impression but may still be deliberately posed. Which one do you think is the more reliable source of evidence for what emigration was really like?

Think

16. Photograph – We’ve got jobs in Canada; We don’t want the dole!

• ThisphotographshowsagroupofScottishemigrantsonboardtheship‘Minnedosa’ontheirwaytoCanadain1925.

• ManyScottishpeoplemadethejourneytoCanadawhichofferednewbeginningsandjobopportunities,inshortsupply in their own country. There are descendants of the Scots settlers in Canada today. Nova Scotia translates as New Scotland and traditional Highland Games are still held in the region.

• Thisphotographshowsusthatemigrationcontinuedintothe20thcentury.

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National Museum of Scotland Teachers’ Resource Pack

Scots and Emigration 1800 – 1950 handling collection

Youcanseethatmanyof the people are holding white handkerchiefs. These were traditionally used to wave people off on a voyage.

See

Imaginethehustleandbustle at the docks as emigrant ships were leaving. What do you think the atmosphere would have been like?

Think

17. Photograph – Waving goodbye to an emigrant ship

• ThisphotographshowspeopleonGlasgowdockswavinggoodbye to emigrants from the Hebrides leaving for Canadaonboardtheship‘Metagama’in1925.

18. Series of engravings – Life on an emigrant ship

• Theseengravingsshowwhatlifewouldhavebeenlikeonan overcrowded 19th century emigrant sail ship.

• Theyinclude

1. Passengers waving as the ship departs

2. A roll call being taken on deck

3. The emigrants eating their dinner below deck

4. Passengers receiving their soup rations on deck

5.Passengerseatingtheirdinnerinthe‘forecastle’areaon deck

6.emigrantschartingtheship’sprogress

7.Emigrantsrelaxingbelowdeck

8.Emigrantsrelaxingondeck

9. Emigrants dancing on deck for evening entertainment

10. Thetransportationofanimalsontheship

11. A plan of the sleeping berths and dining tables below deck

Can you put these scenes in order? What impressions do these give of life on board the ship?

See

ThinkDoyouthinktheseare promotional drawings or drawings by someone on board as part of the voyage?

Think