British Brothers' League facts for kids
| Formation | 1901 |
|---|---|
| Founder | William Stanley Shaw |
| Dissolved | 1923 |
| Type | Pressure group |
| Purpose | Opposition to immigration |
| Location |
The British Brothers' League (BBL) was a group in Britain that existed from 1901 to 1923. It was formed to oppose immigration, especially the arrival of people from Eastern Europe. The BBL was a "pressure group," meaning it tried to influence government decisions from outside Parliament. It was known as the biggest and best-organized group of its kind at the time. The group even tried to organize its members like a military group.
Contents
History of the British Brothers' League
The British Brothers' League started in May 1901 in east London. This was a time when many people were moving to Britain, especially from Eastern Europe. Many Russian and Polish Jewish people had arrived in the area since 1880.
Captain William Stanley Shaw created the BBL to campaign against this immigration. Their main slogan was 'England for the English'. Soon, the BBL worked closely with a local Conservative Member of Parliament (MP), Major Evans-Gordon.
Early Goals and Focus
At first, the League was not specifically against Jewish people. It was more interested in stopping the poorest immigrants from coming into the country, no matter their background. However, over time, Jewish immigrants became the main focus of their campaigns.
The BBL promoted its ideas through large public meetings. These meetings had guards whose job was to remove anyone who disagreed or caused trouble.
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Membership and Impact
The League claimed to have 45,000 members. However, membership was not very strict. People were considered members if they signed the group's manifesto, and they did not have to pay fees. Even a Tory MP named Howard Vincent signed up.
Because membership was so loose, the BBL's attempts to organize like a military group mostly failed. Still, the movement continued to hold demonstrations against immigrants.
A new law called the Aliens Act 1905 was passed, which limited immigration. The British Brothers' League saw this law as a big success for their cause. After this, the movement largely faded away.
Later Years and Legacy
The British Brothers' League officially continued until 1923, but it was very small by then. It was briefly connected with writer G. K. Chesterton and his ideas.
The group would sometimes reappear when there were new concerns about immigrants. For example, just before World War I, the famous writer Arthur Conan Doyle (who wrote Sherlock Holmes) even gave them a small donation. He was caught up in a growing public fear of German people at that time.
The League also left a lasting impact in east London. Later, other groups with very extreme political views, like the British Union of Fascists and the National Front, gained followers in the same areas. This showed that some of the BBL's ideas continued to be supported there.
