Multicultural Britain -Source based work.

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History Coursework Assignment

Multicultural Britain

1)  

    Source B is not a reliable source when investigating the extent of discrimination black immigrants faced in trying to find work in 1956.  The aim of the interview was to expose the ‘colour bar’ at British Railways, the company would not be willing to let the public know of any discrimination as they had already made a policy on a ‘no colour bar’, it could also effect business.  The interview was taken in 1956, after The British Nationality Act in 1948 confirmed the right of Commonwealth citizens to come and settle in Britain, therefore meaning they also had the right to jobs.  The interviewees are both significant workers for British Railways, so they should be clear on the matter of how the company should treat discrimination.  However they both seem to have different reasons on why the men were turned away, they also seem unsure about what they are saying (‘Er, well, erm’) showing they are not confident in what they are saying.  Which leads us to question if both men are telling the truth or not.  Mr Geary contradicts what he is saying; he goes from claiming there is no prejudice, to explaining why coloured men are not employed by the company.  This shows how unreliable what he is saying is.

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2)

    Source A may possibly be useful for a historian investigating the difficulties facing black immigrants looking for accommodation in the 1950’s.  Miller explains the difficulty of finding somewhere to stay, however he only states how awkward it was to find accommodation when searching on ‘the board’, there is no evidence of how he was treated when he either visited a place or telephoned the landlord inquiring about a room. The source was quoted by an immigrant in 1949, so it was first hand and had not been passed on by different people.  Source C supports what ...

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