Study for the Life in the United Kingdom Test. Prepare with flashcards and multiple choice questions, each offering hints and explanations. Get ready for your exam!

Multiple Choice

Between 1870 and 1914, approximately how many Russian and Polish Jews came to Britain to escape prosecution?

The main point is about migration driven by persecution in the Russian and Polish lands and how Britain absorbed a notable, but smaller, share of those refugees compared with other destinations. After the major pogroms and tightening restrictions from the 1880s onward, many Jews left for safer places, with Britain being a key destination alongside the United States. Historians estimate that about 120,000 Russian and Polish Jews emigrated to Britain between 1870 and 1914. That figure fits the scale of Britain’s immigrant Jewish community in that era and reflects records from ship passenger lists and early censuses, which show a growing population concentrated in places like London’s East End and other industrial cities. The other figures—around 150,000, 200, 400—would overstate Britain’s share of this broader emigration, making 120,000 the best overall estimate for this period.

The main point is about migration driven by persecution in the Russian and Polish lands and how Britain absorbed a notable, but smaller, share of those refugees compared with other destinations. After the major pogroms and tightening restrictions from the 1880s onward, many Jews left for safer places, with Britain being a key destination alongside the United States. Historians estimate that about 120,000 Russian and Polish Jews emigrated to Britain between 1870 and 1914. That figure fits the scale of Britain’s immigrant Jewish community in that era and reflects records from ship passenger lists and early censuses, which show a growing population concentrated in places like London’s East End and other industrial cities. The other figures—around 150,000, 200, 400—would overstate Britain’s share of this broader emigration, making 120,000 the best overall estimate for this period.