Maltese emigration in the nineteenth century

Abstract

This essay deals with Maltese emigration during the nineteenth century. Maltese emigration can be said to have had its first impetus with the first depression following the Napoleonic Wars. Prior to the coming of British Rule, there was never a strong need to emigrate, since Malta lived under the feudal, sort-of-paternalistic rule of the Order of St. John. Here I shall deal with the first attempts made to organise emigration. This attempt, having failed, was taken up by individual initiative. Through this initiative the whole of the Maltese emigration movement directed itself to the North African coast and to the Eastern Mediterranean. Many obstacles faced the Maltese emigration move from time to time there were bound to be failures. Some of these failures will be dealt with, and an attempt will be made to find the reason for these failures. Besides the failure in ventures, one should also try to pinpoint the causes for the failure of the Maltese emigration movement to organise itself on a national scale. Had such a movement come into existence, the history of Maltese emigration would have been different. I have deemed it fit to begin this essay with a brief outline of Malta's economic history throughout the nineteenth century. This will serve as a background, and will help us to understand better why, with the coming of British Rule to Malta, it became clear that Malta's resources were never sufficient to maintain its population.