Around a quarter of Nelson's fleet at Trafalgar were born outside Britain. 
A witness reports in 1702: 'London is a world by itself. We daily discover in it more new countries, & surprising singularities....There are among the Londoners so many nations differing in manners, customs & religion, that the inhabitants themselves dorft know a quarter of them'
Cromwell invited Jews into Britain to, among other reasons, boost the financial and trading sectors. William III built on this and Sephardic Jewish communities moving from Amsterdam to London helped to make the latter the centre of finance in NW Europe.
John Cabot, led 1st Trans Atlantic English exped, discoverer of Newfoundland, was Italian Zuan Chabboto
"called the Great Admiral and vast honour is paid to him and he goes dressed in silk, and these English run after him like mad." Soncino, Milanese Ambassador to England, 1497
"called the Great Admiral and vast honour is paid to him and he goes dressed in silk, and these English run after him like mad." Soncino, Milanese Ambassador to England, 1497
The pioneering figure in the development of steam engines. The man whose ideas Newcomen based his 1712 engine on was Denis Papin a Frenchman who died destitute in London and is buried in an unmarked grave.
Brunel's father was a French refugee. A brilliant engineer who revolutionised the making of key bits of maritime equipment for, checks notes, Nelson's navy. His machines enabled blocks to be made at at ten times the previous rate of production. He taught & mentored his famous son
Nathan Rothschild. Born in Germany. Came to UK. LITERALLY provided the money to pay Wellington's troops in Portugal and Spain against Napoleon and in 1815 Wellington's army at Waterloo.
While the BANK OF ENGLAND was founded by a Dutch king of England on the advice of a Scottish (different country) banker influenced by the Franco Italian advisor to Charles I 50yrs earlier. The first governor was a Huguenot. Recently arrived French immigrants fleeing persecution
I am not saying that immigration made Britain a global hegemony. I'm saying it helped.
I'm saying that Britain won because it absorbed foreigners & foreign ideas more effectively that its competitors.
I'm saying that Britain won because it absorbed foreigners & foreign ideas more effectively that its competitors.
Which is no surprise because it's unspeakably obvious. 15thC Lisbon, 19th/20thC NYC, Tang China... Attracting talent, allowing them to thrive is foundational to building powerful prosperous states.
Hitler, by contrast, kicked out Jewish scientists. It's not rocket science.
Hitler, by contrast, kicked out Jewish scientists. It's not rocket science.
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