The United Kingdom bucking tradition: how Great Britain became a multicultural society.

On May 10, 1940, Winston Churchill was sworn in as Prime Minister of Great Britain. That same day, Nazi Germany invaded Belgium, Luxembourg, and the Netherlands, continuing its deadly march across Europe. Churchill staked his reputation on winning World War II, promising the British Parliament "victory at all costs ... for without victory there is no survival."

Churchill helped rally the British people by making frequent public appearances and stirring radio addresses.

"Let us therefore brace ourselves to our duties," he said in one famous speech, "and so bear ourselves that, if the British Empire and its Commonwealth last for a thousand years, men will still say, 'This was their finest hour.'"

Five years after Churchill became Prime Minister, he could finally declare victory in Europe--but at a huge cost. More than 350,000 British soldiers and civilians had lost their lives during World War II. And German bombing raids had damaged or destroyed vast areas of London, England's sprawling capital. Such loss and devastation left the British people spiritually and economically shattered.

Amid this hardship, unrest spread throughout the British Empire, a world power for centuries. Churchill had said that he did not take office "to preside over the liquidation [end]" of the empire, but that is indeed what happened.

Millions of colonists, already unhappy with British rule, were energized by the part they had played in the war effort. One by one, colonies began to declare their independence from a power that they viewed as oppressive, or unjust.

Help Wanted!

As Britain struggled to rebuild its war-torn cities and towns, it faced a severe labor shortage. A call went out to its colonies and former colonies: Help Wanted.

Francesca Williams saw one such ad in a local newspaper in Kingston, Jamaica. Deciding to take a chance on the "mother country," Williams left home in 1951, at the age of 20.

A week after arriving in Chorley, an industrial town in northern England, she found work as a machinist.

"They had never seen a black woman before," Williams recalls. "The lady who hired me assumed that I couldn't speak English and said awful things in front of me. She was shocked when she realized I understood."

Life in England proved difficult for Williams and her Jamaican husband. They could find only low-paying jobs, and many British people either made cruel comments to them or treated them as objects of curiosity.

"It was so strange to me," says Williams. In Jamaica, I had seen people from all over--Russia, China, Africa. We knew there were many different people in the world. To us it was no big deal."

By 1958, roughly 210,000 colonists and former colonists had come to England to work. Most were from India, Pakistan, the West Indies, and West Africa.

This influx of people of color began to alarm British officials, most of whom were white. Soon laws were enacted to curb immigration. Despite the crucial role that immigrants had played in rebuilding England, racial discrimination permeated every aspect of society. Its remnants are still felt today.

A New Generation

Williams is now a grandmother many times over. One of her granddaughters, Rainna Saunders, 11, lives with her parents and four siblings in East London.

The area is home to many African-Caribbean families. In fact, 45 percent of Britain's minority ethnic population lives in London. According to the most recent census, in 2001, ethnic minorities in all of Britain now number 4,635,000, about 9 percent of the national population.

So far, Rainna has shown little interest in her West Indian heritage, or in the traditional foods that her grandmother prepares, including rice and peas, fried plantains, and saltfish. She is not much for English fare, either, preferring such treats as "pizza, Chinese food, or Kentucky Fried Chicken" to British pie and mash (pastry shells filled with mashed potatoes, ground beef, fish, and other ingredients).

Rainna's father sells cable-television equipment and her mother runs a day-care center. Money is tight, so Rainna and her siblings don't have all of the opportunities their parents would like. Rainna's father says he is concerned about the local school system, which is failing many African-Caribbean students.

"If I had the money, I would send my children to school in Jamaica," he says. "The education there is better."

Rainna is lucky. She recently gained entrance to one of the top public secondary schools in her area. Her favorite subject is technology.

"I love to do research on the computer," she says.

The Other Side of Town

Luke O'Brien, 14, lives on the other side of town from Rainna, in an affluent neighborhood in West London. He and his two siblings attend independent (private) schools because, says Luke, the public schools are "pretty bad."

Luke was born and raised in London, but his parents are American immigrants. He says that fitting in can sometimes be a problem, especially these days.

"Americans are not the favorites of Brits right now," Luke told JS. "People were very sympathetic [after the 9/11 terrorist attacks]." That has changed since the U.S. invaded Iraq.

"Not many people here are happy," says Luke. "It wasn't Britain [who supported the war]. It was Tony Blair."

Prime Minister Tony Blair is under attack at home for having sent British troops to fight in Iraq.

Last July, a British weapons expert committed suicide after accusing his government of exaggerating claims about Iraq's weapons of mass destruction. An investigation into the death--and the British government's role in it--followed. Blair, who appeared before the judicial panel earlier this month, denied beefing up reports about the threat Iraq posed.

But according to a recent poll, two thirds of British voters think that he misled them on Iraq.

Rainna, for her part, has mixed feelings about the war.

"We should have [gone to war] because Saddam Hussein hurt his country," she says. "But a lot of people, a lot of children, were injured [in the fighting]."

Says Luke: "I don't think the war was justified. Iraq was probably funding terrorists, but it's also true that [the attack] has made terrorists more eager for retribution [retaliation]."

Rainna and Luke may be watching events unfold from opposite sides of London and two very different vantage points. But both represent the new United Kingdom.

Your Turn: THINK ABOUT IT

Why did the British Empire come to an end?

OBJECTIVES

Students should understand:

* The United Kingdom's immigrant population represents several former and current British colonies and contributes to the national culture and identity.

TEACHING STRATEGY

Tell students that the UK's large immigrant population represents several world areas. Discuss how immigrants affect a nation's government, economy, and culture.

BACKGROUND

The British government has proposed a policy that would require immigrants who seek citizenship to first pass tests in English-language proficiency and United Kingdom history. Those failing the exams would be barred from voting and obtaining a UK passport. A government official said the new policy would help ensure that immigrants can communicate in English and understand British culture.

THINKING SKILLS

CAUSE AND EFFECT: What changes did the United Kingdom experience after World War II? (Several colonies began to demand national independence. At the same time, Britain invited people in its colonies and former colonies to emigrate and help rebuild the war-torn nation.)

COMPREHENSION: Why are so many British voters upset with Prime Minister Tony Blair? (Two thirds of British voters feel Prime Minister Blair misled them on Iraq's weapons of mass destruction. Also, many Britons did not support the war against Iraq.)

ACTIVITY

THE ROMAN AND BRITISH EMPIRES: Direct students to write a report that compares the military, economic, and cultural achievements of the Roman and British empires. Reports should also include maps illustrating both empires. Then conduct a classroom debate on which empire was more powerful and the influence each has had on world history.

STANDARDS

SOCIAL STUDIES, GRADES 5-8

* People, places, and environment: How the United Kingdom's immigrant population contributes to the national culture; the social and political challenges that some immigrant groups face there.

RESOURCES

PRINT

* Costain, Meredith, Welcome to the United Kingdom (Chelsea House, 2001). Grades 5-8.

* Bernard, Catherine, The British Empire and Queen Victoria in World History (Enslow, 2003). Grades 6-8.

WEB SITES

* United Kingdom http://www.cia.gov/cia/publications/factbook/geos/uk.html

* United Kingdom Cultural Guide http://www.oxfam.org.uk/coolplanet/ontheline /explore/journey/uk/ukindex.htm

United Kingdom

The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland has a long name--it's a rather small country, about the size of Oregon. The UK includes the island of Great Britain (England, Scotland, and Wales), plus Northern Ireland (see map right).

For more than a century, the UK ruled a worldwide empire. But today, the empire has shrunk, consisting mainly of some islands. (See map, p. 20.)

FACTS TO KNOW

AREA: 94,548 square miles.

POPULATION: 59,200,000; 90% urban.

GOVERNMENT: Constitutional monarchy and parliamentary democracy. Head of state: Queen Elizabeth II. Head of government: Prime Minister Tony Blair, leader of the Labour Party.

ECONOMY: One of Europe's strongest economies, the UK imports one third of its food and many raw materials. It exports machinery and electronic equipment, and is a major producer of petroleum, coal, and natural gas.

PER CAPITA GDP*: $25,300.

CURRENCY: British pound, worth about $1.57 U.S.

RELIGIONS: Anglican, 27 million; Presbyterian, 8 million; other Protestant, 5 million; Roman Catholic, 5.5 million; Muslim, 1.5 million; Sikh, 500,000; Jewish, 350,000.

LITERACY: Males, 99%; females, 99%.

LIFE EXPECTANCY: Males, 75 years; females, 80 years.

QUESTIONS

1. The official name of the UK is the United Kingdom of Great Britain and--.

2. What is the capital of the United Kingdom?--

3. The island of Great Britain includes England, Wales, and--.

4. Northern Ireland is bordered by what other country?--.

5. What body of water separates England and France?--.

6. London is located on what named line of longitude?--.

7. The United Kingdom has many oil wells located in what body of water?--.

8. What is Scotland's capital?--.

9. What islands are located north of 60[degrees] north latitude?--.

10. Manchester is about how many miles northwest of London?--.

World Map Questions, p. 13

l. Northern Ireland 2. London 3. Scotland 4. Ireland (Eire) 5. English Channel 6. Prime meridian 7. North Sea 8. Edinburgh 9. Shetland Islands 1O. 170