SCOTLAND IN THE 18TH CENTURY
By Tim Lambert
King William realised the deposed king, James II might go to Scotland and claim the Scottish throne. To try and prevent that he urged a union of England and Scotland. The next monarch, Queen Anne did the same.
Scottish merchants saw economic advantages from a union and in 1706 they Scots agreed to open negotiations. The Scots wanted a federal union but the English refused. However in 1706 a treaty was drawn up. The two nations would share a flag and a parliament. Scotland would keep its own church and its own legal system. The Scottish parliament accepted the treaty of Union in 1707. The United Kingdom came into existence on 1 May 1707.
However the Act of Union was unpopular with many Scots and it soon became more so. Meanwhile James II, the king who was deposed in 1688 died in 1701 but his son James Edward was keen to regain the throne. His followers were called Jacobites from the Latin for James, Jacobus. James had many supporters in the Highlands and in 1715 the Earl of Mar proclaimed him king. Lord Mar also denounced the Act of Union.
Highlanders flocked to join Lord Mar and in September 1715 his forces captured Perth. However towns south of the Tay stayed loyal to the government.
On 13 November the Jacobites fought government troops at Sheriffmuir near Dunblane. The battle ended indecisively. However afterwards the government army was reinforced. On 22 December 1715 James Edward landed at Peterhead but the government army advanced and the Jacobites withdrew from Perth.
James Edward grew discouraged and on 4 February 1716 he and Lord Mar left Scotland. Afterwards the rebellion petered out. However the Highlanders were by no means defeated and they remained a threat to the government.
Still the government took some measures to control the Highlands. Fort Augustus was built in 1716 and in 1725-36 General Wade built a network of roads in the Highlands to make it easier for government troops to march from place to place.
Then in August 1745 Charles Stuart, grandson of the king who was deposed in 1688 landed in Scotland hoping to reclaim the throne. 'Bonnie Prince Charlie' persuaded some of the Highlanders to support him and in September 1745 they captured Edinburgh. They then routed a government army at Prestopans. The Jacobites then marched south and in December they reached Derby.
However the English failed to rise to support Charles and some of his Highland troops deserted. So on 6 December 1745 the Jacobites began a retreat.
They retreated to Inverness but the government was busy raising reinforcements. On 16th April 1746 the Jacobites were totally defeated by a government army at Culloden. Charles Stuart managed to escape to France.
The commander of the government army was William Augustus, Duke of Cumberland, known as 'Butcher Cumberland' because of his cruelty. After Culloden Cumberland ordered that the Jacobites should be given no quarter. Many wounded Jacobites were killed. Furthermore 120 prisoners were executed and more than 1,000 were transported to colonies.
Following the defeat of the Jacobite rebellion the government passed laws to destroy the Highlanders way of life forever. In 1746 a law banned the kilt and the bagpipes. Lands owned by Jacobites were confiscated and the 'heritable jurisdictions' (the right of clan chiefs to hold courts and try certain cases)were abolished.
Despite the Jacobite rebellions Scotland's economy grew rapidly during the 18th century. Landowners were keen to improve their estates and new methods of farming were introduced. Turnips and potatoes were introduced into Scotland.
Unfortunately the Highland Clearances caused much suffering. From the 1760s landowners evicted tenant farmers and turn their land over to sheep farming. Many of the dispossessed migrated to North America. Others moved to the rapidly growing industrial cities.
In the late 18th century the industrial revolution began to transform Scotland. The linen industry and the cotton industry boomed. The iron industry also grew rapidly.
Meanwhile transport improved. Turnpike roads were built. (Those roads were privately owned and maintained and you had to pay to use them). In the late 18th century canals were built in Scotland.
Many Scottish towns grew very rapidly especially Glasgow and Paisley.
Meanwhile art, learning and architecture flourished in Scotland and Edinburgh was called the Athens of the north.