Year 10 - History
The influence of Caribbean cultures on Notting Hill
Notting Hill, c1948–c1970
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This pupil-friendly study guide includes a unit summary, clear notes, common mistakes, and quick questions with answers.
Unit Summary
In this unit, pupils study a specific historical environment. They learn about the local context of this area and the way in which it interacted with national issues and the themes they have studied in their thematic study.
Lesson Summary
You will learn to describe how the area of Notting Hill came to reflect the culture of the migrants who moved there following WW2.
Key Notes
- Caribbean migrants to the area brought distinct island cultures with them leading to many community meeting places.
- Migrant-run shops, markets, cafes, restaurants, nightclubs, shebeens and entertainment venues became common in the area.
- Clubs promoting ska and reggae music became increasingly popular and attracted visitors from outside the area.
- All Saints Road developed as a centre for migrant culture, as did the Portobello Road Market.
- Mutual self-help organisations such as 'pardner' schemes allowed Caribbean migrants to access credit.
Vocabulary To Learn
- shebeen: a music and dance party organised by Caribbean residents of Notting Hill in response to a lack of migrant-friendly leisure entertainment, often held in basements or other migrant-owned venues
- ska: a style of music originating in Jamaica in the 1950s, making use of horns and trumpets alongside other instruments
- reggae: a style of music that developed from ska in the 1960s, differing from it in its focus on the use of keyboards
- self-help: the use of personal or collective effort to achieve something without relying on the government
- 'pardner' schemes: these allowed Caribbean migrants to make use of credit by paying into a communal fund, as many similar organisations did not accept migrant contributions
Common Mistakes To Avoid
- The discrimination and exclusion from opportunities that migrants sometimes face is just something these communities have to accept.
3 Quick Questions (With Answers)
1. Summarise this historical learning in two key ideas.
Caribbean migrants to the area brought distinct island cultures with them leading to many community meeting places. Migrant-run shops, markets, cafes, restaurants, nightclubs, shebeens and entertainment venues became common in the area.
2. Define this history term and explain why it matters in this topic. 'shebeen'
a music and dance party organised by Caribbean residents of Notting Hill in response to a lack of migrant-friendly leisure entertainment, often held in basements or other migrant-owned venues.
3. Correct this common history misconception using evidence language.
Mistake: The discrimination and exclusion from opportunities that migrants sometimes face is just something these communities have to accept. Correction: In fact, migrants set up self-help schemes and organise their own resources to ensure discrimination and lack of government help do not hold back their community and especially their children's access to opportunities.
More Lessons In This Unit
- Black activism in the Notting Hill area Study Guide
- Local context of Notting Hill Study Guide
- National context of post-war Britain Study Guide
- Notting Hill - sources and historical context Study Guide
- Racism and policing in 1950s Notting Hill Study Guide
- The Mangrove Nine Study Guide
- Writing about Notting Hill and its sources Study Guide
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