Growth of Middlesbrough – Migration stories

You’ve heard the big names: Bolckow, Vaughan, Dorman, Pease. But what about the working people who made Middlesbrough’s wealth during the Industrial revolution? How did our population boom so quickly?

Using historic maps and census records, this localised workshop uncovers the story of migration in Middlesbrough, which reflects the diverse cultural makeup of our town today. Students get the chance to explore case files of migrants moving to Middlesbrough from British Colonies and see how the British Empire shaped the population of the late Victorian/early Edwardian period.

Session aim

• Explore the role of migration in shaping Middlesbrough during the Industrial Revolution.

Session objectives

• Investigate historic maps and census records from our local area.
• Acknowledge the role that colonialism had in shaping migration in the 19th/20th century.
• Develop an appreciation for the diverse cultural background of Middlesbrough.

Curriculum links (Department for Education)

• History: “A local history study.”
• History: “a study of an aspect or theme in British history that extends pupils’ chronological knowledge beyond 1066.”
• Geography: “Locate the world’s countries, using maps to focus on Europe (including the location of Russia) and North and South America, concentrating on their environmental regions, key physical and human characteristics, countries and major cities.”
• Geography: “understand geographical similarities and differences through the study of human and physical geography of a region in the United Kingdom, a region in a European country, and a region within North or South America.”
• Geography: “Use maps, atlases, globes and digital/computer mapping to locate countries and describe features studied.”