[Political Interest]

I have been reading about colonial expansion and have been wondering about the extent to which Scotland was involved in British colonailism. Did the Scots have much involvement, or were these a select few who had been inducted into the aristocratic class?

[Potemkin]

Scottish soldiers could be regarded as the stormtroopers of the British Empire. Furthermore, Glasgow was known in the late 19th and early 20th centuries as "the second city of the Empire" (after London). So we participated in colonialism and empire-building in a very important way, both at the commercial/industrial level and at the level of the ordinary troops being sent out to put down native uprisings or invade another prospective colony. Scotland was actually England's main collaborator and co-conspirator.

[Cookie Monster]

collaborator and co-conspirator

More like loyal subjects, mimicking the dominant culture. I find it hilarious that modern Scottish nationalism rejects British imperialism and their part in it, as if the Scots were one of the victims of that imperialism.

[pugsville]

I'm pretty sure the highland clearances provided motivated, population for colonization.

[Potemkin]

More like loyal subjects, mimicking the dominant culture.

I disagree. It was Scottish intellectuals like Lord Macauley (whom Marx called "a sycophantic Scot") who provided the ideology behind British imperialism, and Scottish troops who supplied the physical force to implement that ideology. In the 18th and 19th centuries, the Scots were the dominant culture in Britain, largely because of our extensive provision of free, high-quality education to the masses. The Scottish elite were thinkers; the English elite were semi-literate fops.

I find it hilarious that modern Scottish nationalism rejects British imperialism and their part in it, as if the Scots were one of the victims of that imperialism.

Indeed. It's part of the Scots' victim complex, unfortunately.

[Cookie Monster]

I disagree. It was Scottish intellectuals like Lord Macauley (whom Marx called "a sycophantic Scot") who provided the ideology behind British imperialism, and Scottish troops who supplied the physical force to implement that ideology. In the 18th and 19th centuries, the Scots were the dominant culture in Britain, largely because of our extensive provision of free, high-quality education to the masses.

I agree. But to talk of Scots as colaborators implied the impression on me that they were always alien to the English culture when they were in fact part of it. The Scottish thinkers contributed to the futher development of that culture up to the point we speak of a British culture.

the Scots were the dominant culture in Britain,

What do you mean by this?
That the Scots were the dominant group contributing to British culture, that Scottish culture is the most dominant part of British culture, or something else?

The Scottish elite were thinkers; the English elite were semi-literate fops.

That made laugh out loud.

[Nets]

Also, don't forget Scotland's big bucket of imperialist FAIL that was the Darien Scheme which bankrupted them and more or less forced them to form the UK to escape their creditors.

I disagree. It was Scottish intellectuals like Lord Macauley (whom Marx called "a sycophantic Scot") who provided the ideology behind British imperialism, and Scottish troops who supplied the physical force to implement that ideology. In the 18th and 19th centuries, the Scots were the dominant culture in Britain, largely because of our extensive provision of free, high-quality education to the masses. The Scottish elite were thinkers; the English elite were semi-literate fops.

The Scottish enlightenment was top notch, indeed, especially with regards to economics, mathematics and engineering.

[Potemkin]

I agree. But to talk of Scots as colaborators implied the impression on me that they were always alien to the English culture when they were in fact part of it. The Scottish thinkers contributed to the futher development of that culture up to the point we speak of a British culture.

Indeed. British culture is not the same thing as English culture; in the 18th and 19th centuries there was a curious fusion of English and Scottish culture and thought which produced something new: British culture. It is a most curious phenomenon, almost unparalleled in world history, and probably accounts for a lot of the innovative and revolutionary nature of British culture and society at that time.

the Scots were the dominant culture in Britain,

What do you mean by this?
That the Scots were the dominant group contributing to British culture, that Scottish culture is the most dominant part of British culture, or something else?

That Scottish culture, or more specifically Scottish thought, was the dominant element in the formation of the ideology of the British ruling elite in the 19th century. It extended to almost all areas of British society - philosophy, economics, engineering, even literature and folk music.

The Scottish elite were thinkers; the English elite were semi-literate fops.

That made laugh out loud.

It's funny because it's true.

[canuck27]

Scottish were brought to Canada by the British
to take possesion of the Acadian houses and
land after the British deported the french-speaking
Acadians to Louisiana.

http://quotations.about.com/cs/poemlyri ... fellow.htm

Evangeline

[Cookie Monster]

Scottish were brought to Canada by the British
to take possesion of the Acadian houses and
land after the British deported the french-speaking
Acadians to Louisiana.

Sounds like a fair trade