Jacqueline Jenkinson
- Published in print:
- 2009
- Published Online:
- June 2013
- ISBN:
- 9781846312007
- eISBN:
- 9781846315138
- Item type:
- book
- Publisher:
- Liverpool University Press
- DOI:
- 10.5949/UPO9781846315138
- Subject:
- History, British and Irish Modern History
The riots that broke out in various British port cities in 1919 were a dramatic manifestation of a wave of global unrest that affected Britain, parts of its empire, continental Europe and North ...
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The riots that broke out in various British port cities in 1919 were a dramatic manifestation of a wave of global unrest that affected Britain, parts of its empire, continental Europe and North America during and in the wake of the First World War. During the riots, crowds of white working-class people targeted black workers, their families, and black-owned businesses and property. One of the chief sources of violent confrontation in the run-down port areas was the ‘colour’ bar implemented by the sailors' trades unions campaigning to keep black, Arab and Asian sailors off British ships in a time of increasing job competition. The book sets out the economic and social causes of the riots and their impact on Britain's relationship with its empire and its colonial subjects. The riots are also considered within the wider context of rioting elsewhere on the fringes of the Atlantic world as black people came in increased numbers into urban and metropolitan settings where they competed with working-class white people for jobs and housing during and after the First World War. The book details the events of the port riots in Britain, with chapters devoted to assessing the motivations and make-up of the rioting crowds, examining police procedures during the riots, considering the court cases that followed, and looking at the longer-term consequences for black British workers and their families. It examines the violent racist conflict that emerged after the First World War and the shockwaves which reverberated around the Empire.Less
The riots that broke out in various British port cities in 1919 were a dramatic manifestation of a wave of global unrest that affected Britain, parts of its empire, continental Europe and North America during and in the wake of the First World War. During the riots, crowds of white working-class people targeted black workers, their families, and black-owned businesses and property. One of the chief sources of violent confrontation in the run-down port areas was the ‘colour’ bar implemented by the sailors' trades unions campaigning to keep black, Arab and Asian sailors off British ships in a time of increasing job competition. The book sets out the economic and social causes of the riots and their impact on Britain's relationship with its empire and its colonial subjects. The riots are also considered within the wider context of rioting elsewhere on the fringes of the Atlantic world as black people came in increased numbers into urban and metropolitan settings where they competed with working-class white people for jobs and housing during and after the First World War. The book details the events of the port riots in Britain, with chapters devoted to assessing the motivations and make-up of the rioting crowds, examining police procedures during the riots, considering the court cases that followed, and looking at the longer-term consequences for black British workers and their families. It examines the violent racist conflict that emerged after the First World War and the shockwaves which reverberated around the Empire.
- Published in print:
- 2009
- Published Online:
- June 2013
- ISBN:
- 9781846312007
- eISBN:
- 9781846315138
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- Liverpool University Press
- DOI:
- 10.5949/liverpool/9781846312007.003.0008
- Subject:
- History, British and Irish Modern History
During 1919, the ports riot showed the deep sense of disquiet in British society in the immediate post-war period. The weak level of sailors' union organisation played a crucial role in the eruption ...
More
During 1919, the ports riot showed the deep sense of disquiet in British society in the immediate post-war period. The weak level of sailors' union organisation played a crucial role in the eruption of the riots, during and after which, black rioters and unemployed black workers defended their rights. The rioting was aimed at those considered as unfair economic competitors, as well as the ship owners. The events of the riots and the motivations of riot participants revealed that the riots in the seaports of Britain were not ‘mob’ violence. In 1920 and 1921, the recurrence of rioting in the ports served as a reminder that far-flung disorder was not restricted to the year 1919 and its connections with demobilisation and post-war social malaise. Rioting also recurred later in the twentieth century, most notably in 1948, 1958/59, the early 1960s, the late 1970s, and the 1980s.Less
During 1919, the ports riot showed the deep sense of disquiet in British society in the immediate post-war period. The weak level of sailors' union organisation played a crucial role in the eruption of the riots, during and after which, black rioters and unemployed black workers defended their rights. The rioting was aimed at those considered as unfair economic competitors, as well as the ship owners. The events of the riots and the motivations of riot participants revealed that the riots in the seaports of Britain were not ‘mob’ violence. In 1920 and 1921, the recurrence of rioting in the ports served as a reminder that far-flung disorder was not restricted to the year 1919 and its connections with demobilisation and post-war social malaise. Rioting also recurred later in the twentieth century, most notably in 1948, 1958/59, the early 1960s, the late 1970s, and the 1980s.
