It's nice to know that some people of Scotland learn their history from the back of a crisp packet.
"in 1745 under rhe command of Prince Charles Edward Stuart the scots rebelled but were defeated at Culloden. Their defeat was followed by the breaking of the clan system and the highland clearances. Many scots emigrated to America where they or their descendants helped win the revolution in 1776."
Firstly, the main reason many Scots never wanted the Union with England in 1707 was because they feared the Anglican church would not only subsume the church of Scotland, but that the Anglican Church was too close to Roman Catholicism. The politican union, however unsavoury to the Presbyterian majority was actively sought by most of Scotland's political elite.
Secondly the Scots never rebelled in 1745. The Jacobites - or those loyal to the Stuarts- rebelled. The Jacobites were defeated by government troops, most of which were from Scottish regiments from the lowlands - though there were some regiments made up of Gaels. There were street parties in Glasgow when they heard the news of Bonnie Prince Charlie's defeat. The Presbyterian majority in Scotland hated Charles Edward Stuart. Most Scots in 1745 regarded him the way we regard Osama bin Laden today - an evil terrorist who had murdered many of their fellow countrymen. (The Stuarts, as kings of england and Scotland, had mercilessly persecuted the Presybeterians and the Covenanters in the 17th century).
Most of the Scots who fought in the American Revolution did so on the side of the British and having picked the losing side, most had to escape to Canada in case of revenge by their "fellow Americans" - this is one reason why there are so many people of Scottish descent in Canada. The Scots were generally hated at this period in American history - although it has to be said that there were many American revolutionary heroes among the Scotch Irish (Presbyterian Scots who emigrated from Scotland to Ireland and later America). The Scotch Irish and Scots descedants were associated with the Ku Klux Klan (the flaming cross was a famous Scottish symbol), hill billies and rednecks.
Oh and by the way, the Highland clearances were done by Scottish clan chiefs to their serf - in other words, the leaders of the Gaels who had made the Gaels go to war with Bonnie Prince Charlie then kicked their descendants off the land because it was more profitable to farm sheep. So if the clan system was broken up, it was done by the clan leaders in search of a quick profit.
One final thing, Highland dress was regarded by lowland scots as the uniform of beggars and thieves - at least until Sir Walter Scott decided to turn the tartan clad highlanders into a cute wee pictures to go on shortbread tins.
It's nice to know that some people of Scotland learn their history from the back of a crisp packet.
"in 1745 under rhe command of Prince Charles Edward Stuart the scots rebelled but were defeated at Culloden. Their defeat was followed by the breaking of the clan system and the highland clearances. Many scots emigrated to America where they or their descendants helped win the revolution in 1776."
Firstly, the main reason many Scots never wanted the Union with England in 1707 was because they feared the Anglican church would not only subsume the church of Scotland, but that the Anglican Church was too close to Roman Catholicism. The politican union, however unsavoury to the Presbyterian majority was actively sought by most of Scotland's political elite.
Secondly the Scots never rebelled in 1745. The Jacobites - or those loyal to the Stuarts- rebelled. The Jacobites were defeated by government troops, most of which were from Scottish regiments from the lowlands - though there were some regiments made up of Gaels. There were street parties in Glasgow when they heard the news of Bonnie Prince Charlie's defeat. The Presbyterian majority in Scotland hated Charles Edward Stuart. Most Scots in 1745 regarded him the way we regard Osama bin Laden today - an evil terrorist who had murdered many of their fellow countrymen. (The Stuarts, as kings of england and Scotland, had mercilessly persecuted the Presybeterians and the Covenanters in the 17th century).
Most of the Scots who fought in the American Revolution did so on the side of the British and having picked the losing side, most had to escape to Canada in case of revenge by their "fellow Americans" - this is one reason why there are so many people of Scottish descent in Canada. The Scots were generally hated at this period in American history - although it has to be said that there were many American revolutionary heroes among the Scotch Irish (Presbyterian Scots who emigrated from Scotland to Ireland and later America). The Scotch Irish and Scots descedants were associated with the Ku Klux Klan (the flaming cross was a famous Scottish symbol), hill billies and rednecks.
Oh and by the way, the Highland clearances were done by Scottish clan chiefs to their serf - in other words, the leaders of the Gaels who had made the Gaels go to war with Bonnie Prince Charlie then kicked their descendants off the land because it was more profitable to farm sheep. So if the clan system was broken up, it was done by the clan leaders in search of a quick profit.
One final thing, Highland dress was regarded by lowland scots as the uniform of beggars and thieves - at least until Sir Walter Scott decided to turn the tartan clad highlanders into a cute wee pictures to go on shortbread tins.