PART THREE THE UNION RIPPING OF SCOTLAND A HISTORY LESSON IN BETRAYAL

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Published on 20th Nov 2024

The Treaty of Union was not a union of equals. It was not a noble coming together of two proud nations to share resources and prosperity. It was a forced agreement, born of desperation, coercion, and betrayal. Scotland was cornered, manipulated, and exploited by England at every turn, its sovereignty stripped away, its people betrayed by their own elites, and its lands militarised under the guise of unity. This was no partnership; it was a takeover, and the scars of this exploitation remain etched in Scotland’s history and identity to this day.

At the dawn of the 18th century, Scotland was a nation in crisis. The Darien Scheme, a bold venture to establish a Scottish trading colony in Panama, was meant to elevate Scotland into the ranks of Europe’s colonial powers. It was an ambitious plan, financed by the collective investment of nearly a quarter of Scotland’s entire wealth. Thousands of Scots, from small landowners to merchants and nobles, poured their savings into the scheme. The promise of prosperity was intoxicating, but the reality was devastating. Poor planning, rampant disease, and the hostility of Spanish forces spelled disaster for the colony. Those who didn’t die of illness or starvation abandoned the settlement, leaving behind the wreckage of Scotland’s dreams of economic independence.

Yet the failure of the Darien Scheme was not merely a tragedy of circumstance. England played an undeniable role in its demise. The East India Company, fearing competition, lobbied aggressively against the scheme. King William III, ruling both England and Scotland, prohibited English colonies and allies from offering the Scots any support. English legislation, particularly the Navigation Acts, classified Scotland as a "foreign nation," cutting its merchants off from essential trade routes. Scotland was left isolated, its efforts sabotaged by the very nation it shared a monarch with. Whether by design or indifference, England’s actions contributed significantly to Darien’s failure, leaving Scotland economically crippled and desperate.

The aftermath of Darien plunged Scotland into despair. Investors were ruined, famine gripped the land, and the national economy teetered on the brink of collapse. It was in this weakened state that Scotland became vulnerable to England’s machinations. England, ever opportunistic, exploited Scotland’s desperation with ruthless precision. The Alien Act of 1705 was a calculated move, threatening to classify Scots as aliens in England and barring key Scottish exports like cattle, coal, and linen. It was economic blackmail, plain and simple, designed to force Scotland to the negotiating table. The message was clear: accept the Union, or face ruin.

Negotiations for the Treaty of Union were anything but fair. England used bribes, coercion, and legislative pressure to secure compliance. Scottish nobles, many of whom were financially ruined by the Darien disaster, were offered pensions, cash payments, and positions of influence in the new British state. Some even received lands in England, aligning their personal fortunes with those of the English aristocracy. These men, the first Scottish unionists, betrayed their nation for personal gain, selling out the sovereignty of Scotland to line their own pockets. Meanwhile, ordinary Scots rioted in the streets of Edinburgh and Glasgow, furious at the betrayal. Their voices were ignored, their resistance crushed under the weight of political manipulation and military intimidation.

England’s military posturing during this period was unmistakable. English troops were stationed along the border with Scotland, a constant reminder of the power imbalance between the two nations. Naval forces anchored in the Firth of Forth near Edinburgh, a direct and visible threat to any who might oppose the Union. These were not the actions of a nation seeking partnership; they were the actions of a nation enforcing submission. The Treaty of Union was signed not out of mutual respect, but under duress, with the shadow of English military looming large over the proceedings.

The treaty itself codified Scotland’s subjugation. A key clause required Scotland’s military forces to be absorbed into the British Army, placing them under English command. This was not integration; it was disarmament. Scotland lost its ability to defend itself, its military sovereignty handed over to a state that had no intention of protecting Scottish interests. The consequences were immediate and profound. The Highlands, long a source of resistance, were soon targeted by an aggressive campaign of militarization and control.

After the Union, England wasted no time consolidating its grip on Scotland. General George Wade was tasked with building a network of roads and forts to suppress Highland resistance and enforce compliance with the new political order. Over 250 miles of military roads and multiple forts, including Fort William, Fort Augustus, and Fort George, were constructed under his command. Wade’s successor, Major William Caulfeild, expanded the network to over 1,050 miles of roads, with additional fortifications to ensure complete control over the region. These roads and forts were not built to protect Scotland; they were built to dominate it. They allowed English troops to move quickly and efficiently through Scottish territory, turning the Highlands into a militarised zone under constant surveillance.

The military presence in Scotland was nothing less than an occupation. Forts were garrisoned with English soldiers, roads were patrolled to prevent rebellion, and the Highlands were systematically subdued. This was not the work of a benevolent government seeking to unify its people; it was the calculated suppression of a nation. The infrastructure built during this period was later instrumental in one of Scotland’s darkest chapters: the Highland Clearances. Troops deployed along these military roads forcibly removed Highland communities, making way for sheep farming and land consolidation. The clearances were not incidental; they were by design, an extension of England’s exploitation of Scotland’s resources and people.

The betrayal of Scotland was not limited to English forces and legislation. The Scottish nobles who supported the Union played a central role in this tragedy. Financially ruined by the Darien collapse, these men saw the Union as a way to recover their fortunes. Bribes, pensions, and positions of power were too tempting to resist, and they sold out their country for personal gain. These same nobles later profited from the Highland Clearances, leasing their lands to English landlords or converting them to sheep farming, displacing countless Scots in the process. They became the first true unionists, exploiting their own people to align themselves with English power and privilege.

The Treaty of Union was not a unification of equals. It was a conquest achieved through manipulation, coercion, and betrayal. Scotland was occupied by English military forces, not for its protection, but to enforce compliance and pave the way for exploitation. The roads and forts were tools of subjugation, and the Highland Clearances were the inevitable consequence of a system designed to benefit England at Scotland’s expense. The nobles who betrayed their people may have prospered, but their legacy is one of shame, their actions a stark reminder of what happens when a nation’s sovereignty is traded for personal gain. Scotland deserves better, and it is time to confront the truth of its history: the Union was never about partnership; it was about domination.