Migration and Impact of Empire Dates, Events, and Laws

1066

The year of the Norman Conquest.

1169

Year of the English invasion of Ireland.

1190

Year of the Anti-Jewish attacks in York.

1290

Year of the expulsion of Jews from England by Edward I.

1530

Year when the expulsion of Gypsies was ordered.

1560s

The decade marking the arrival of Walloons and the beginning of the slave trade.

1570s

Decade in which the first wave of Huguenot refugees arrived.

1598

Year the Steelyard (German trading post) was closed by Elizabeth I.

1600

Year the East India Company was founded by Royal Charter.

1616

Year of the first recorded named Asian in England.

1650s

Decade of forced transportation of Gypsies.

1656

Year of the readmission of Jews to England.

1660

Year the Royal African Company was set up.

1680s

Decade of the second wave of Huguenot refugees.

1687

Year of James II’s Declaration for Liberty of Conscience.

1688

Year of the Glorious Revolution; Nine Years’ War begins.

1689

Year of the Bill of Rights; Siege of Derry.

1690

Year of the Battle of the Boyne.

1691

Year of the Battle of Aughrim and Treaty of Limerick.

1692

Year of the Massacre of Glencoe.

1694

Year the Bank of England was founded.

1695

Year when penal laws against Irish Catholics began.

1697

Year of the Treaty of Ryswick.

1698

Year marking the end of Royal African Company monopoly.

1699

Year of the English Woollen Act.

1701

Year of the Act of Settlement.

1702

Year of Queen Anne’s accession.

1704

Year when inheritance rights were removed from Irish Catholics.

1707

Year of the Act of Union (England and Scotland).

1709

Year of the Foreign Protestants Naturalisation Act; Arrival of Palatines.

1713

Year of the Treaty of Utrecht.

1714

Year of the Accession of George I.

1715

Year of the Jacobite rebellion.

1717

Year the Mughal firman was granted to East India Company.

1833

Year slavery was abolished across the British Empire.

1840s

Decade of the Irish Potato Famine.

1857

Year when the Indian Rebellion ended East India Company rule.

1870

Year of the Naturalisation Act.

1900

Population reached 42 million; 70% in cities.

1905

Year of the Aliens Act.

1914

Year of the Alien Registration and British Nationality Act.

1915

Year of internment of ‘enemy aliens’.

1919

Year of race riots in port cities and Alien Registration (Amendment) Act.

1925

Year of the Coloured Alien Seamen Order.

1936

Year of the Battle of Cable Street.

1938-39

Years of Kindertransport.

1940

Year of internment during WWII.

1947

Year of the Polish Resettlement Act.

1948

Year of the British Nationality Act; Empire Windrush arrives.

1958

Year of the Notting Hill Riots.

1962

Year of the Commonwealth Immigrants Act.

1963

Year of the Bristol Bus Boycott.

1965

Year of the Race Relations Act.

1966

Year of the founding of the National Front.

1968

Year of the Second Race Relations Act and Enoch Powell’s 'Rivers of Blood' speech.

1971

Year the Immigration Act introduced work permits.

1973

Year the UK joined the EEC.

1976

Year of the Third Race Relations Act which established the CRE.

1978

Year of the murders of Altab Ali & Blair Peach and the Rock Against Racism carnival.

1980

Year of the St Paul’s Uprising.

1981

Year of New Cross Fire; Brixton and Toxteth riots.

1985

Year of Tottenham & Brixton riots; Schengen Agreement signed.

1993

Year of Stephen Lawrence murder; Asylum and Immigration Appeals Act.

1996

Year of the Asylum and Immigration Act.

1998

Year of the Crime and Disorder Act which involved racist motive sentencing.

1999

Year of the Immigration and Asylum Act.

2001

Year the Sangatte camp (Calais) was closed.

2002

Year of the Nationality, Immigration and Asylum Act.

2004

Year when Eastern EU enlargement led to a migration spike.

2007

Year the UK Border Agency was established.

1709

Foreign Protestants Naturalisation Act.

1833

Slavery Abolition Act.

1870

Naturalisation Act.

1905

Aliens Act.

1914

Alien Registration and British Nationality Act.

1925

Coloured Alien Seamen Order.

1947

Polish Resettlement Act.

1948

British Nationality Act.

1962

Commonwealth Immigrants Act.

1965

Race Relations Act.

1968

Commonwealth Immigrants Act (amended).

1971

Immigration Act.

1976

Race Relations Act (CRE established).

1993

Asylum and Immigration Appeals Act.

1996

Asylum and Immigration Act.

1998

Crime and Disorder Act.

1999

Immigration and Asylum Act.

2002

Nationality, Immigration and Asylum Act.