The Clearances

[sharpdressedscot]

Modern Germans resent being forced to learn in primary school about the holocaust and their ancestors part in that horror wrought by men, white americans try to ignore the plight of inner city poor blacks as a longterm result of slavery and their own version of the Highland clearances involving the native americans and the american west.

I'd like to point something out. When somebody's ancestors did something that hurt the world or people in it, people tend to want to forget it ever happened. Sure, we can't erase it but we can learn from it. And not everything in history was about inventions or people discovering things or places, people died! Last year as part of our education we had to watch "Roots," it's a story of an African slave and his new life on the plantation, after we watch it our teacher proposed a good question (Not word for word): "Should we learn about things like this, even if it is very graphic?"

[Peter C.]

Thank you so much for your reply.I have no doubts whatsoever that some took advantage of the crop failures to "feather their own nest".Nothing much changes does it?Its still going on in many places in the world.

Getting back to the clearances and the potato famine. I think that the British government,local officialdom and society in general were not prepared and had no knowledge or facilities available to handle the disaster that landed on them.To put it simply they were out of their depth.Nevertheless I make no excuses for those who took advantage, of hungry peoples plight, whether they were in government or some local landlord who sat back(could they have helped?Some were in the same predicament!),did nothing and just waited for the deadful events to unfold.

Of course the potato famine was an awful episode in the much longer saga of the clearances of the Highlands and Ireland.

I am English, I was always disgusted that the British government didn't stop the people affected by the potato famine from starving. Now we are trying to stop people in Africa from starving and it is very difficult even today.

Having read your very wize words Jock, I wonder why I didn't think of that myself. It seems so obvious when it is put infront of you. thank you Jock.

I think the moral of this is that we should learn about history, be proud of the good bits, but not too proud, regret the bad bits if you like, but learn from them.

Then if we learn from the bad bits, those poor people who suffered will have done more for the world than they could ever imagine.

Great thread, I've learned a lot.

Peter

[way2fractious]

I presume Xmarkers are better informed and are aware enough of the subject [the highland clearances] to discuss it intelligently.

I did not know much regarding the Clearances until researching in preparation for my Robbie Burns Immortal Memory toast last January. Below is one paragraph:

First off here is way2fractious'

The Immortal Memory of Robbie Burns

Ladies and gentlemen – friends –
. . .
Robbie Burns was born in 1759, into a time of subsistence farming – and massive changes. He came at a time when the agrarian societies were about to be displaced by revolutionary developments in industrialization. Great aggregations of land and other resources were commencing to capitalize on new inventions and processes. The Highland Clearances, both the man-made ones driven by greed and the natural ones due to potato blight, forced many of his countrymen to move on. Africa was not the only source of slaves - some number of Scots, also, were sold into slavery in the American colonies. Many places around the world became home to the dispossessed.
. . .

Also, I agree with Beloitpiper, if I'm following his reasoning, that a Force greater than Nature used a naturally-occuring potato blight to hasten the Scottish diaspora. After all, a fledgling American nation was in desperate need of those Scottish bloodlines to "color" its "lines of strength." (Most Scots did not enter America as slaves.) Ireland, Canada, Australia, and many, many other places have also benefitted immensely from such population infusions.

Just my two cents - and a penny more.

w2f

[katmills2005]

My daughter will often ask me "why do we have to study history?" My son, however, thrives on history. He is always watching the history channel or going to SCA and other such events with me.

History is more than names and dates. Its a map of who we are, how we got to the place we are and a glimpse into the future that can be. I don't consider myself a history buff by any means. I do enjoy learning, reading and discovering. I go through spurts that usually (but not always) focus on medieval society.

I do still try to intrigue my daughter with history, slip bits of knowledge into conversations, or engage her in a documentary. These give mixed results. Ultimately I hope she develops the desire to enjoy history as her brother and I do.

Too many people associate history with a dull, boring class where a monotoned teacher drones on and on about dates that seem surreal and names or events that seem to most to be unimportant. They become conditioned to tuning out history with the impression its not important or not as exciting as Hollywood movies. The reality of history is lost in memories of a stifling classroom environment. The joy that can be found in learning, clouded by mundane drilling of information.

[Jock Scot]

I agree with you all the way Steve,sadly knowledge about Culloden and before is pretty scetchy too.Particularly with added myth,half-truth,propaganda,and genuinely well meant mis-information being bandied about as FACT.

[highlander_Daz]

There have been a number of "what if" Tv programmes
what if hitler won what if someone were to shoot George bush etc.

What if CES had won at Culloden? what sort of ruler would he have been? would the clearences have taken place? would he have "welshed" the Highlanders and had is own agenda which didnt include them?
would his French allies have taken advantage and invaded England? would they have then dumped CES ?

would CES then turned his eyes to Wales ?

who knows
CES doesnt come across as much of a stratergist, what if the English had rebelled if he had gained the English crown?

[JS Sanders]

Unrelated...

Jock Scot,
Where in the Highlands are you located? I have friends in Killin, though I realise that could be some distance away from you. Shall be over there again in a few months.

Private message me if'n you prefer not to post private info here.

Slainte,
steve

[Splash_4]

Folks, I want to say that this has been a most enlightening thread and I am pleased to see all of the resources that have been mentioned here. To that end, I just ordered Prebbles book to do further research. Thanks again one and all.

[Jaggy thistle]

There was a lot of voluntary emigration due to many other reasons apart from sheep

[Glen C]

There was a lot of voluntary emigration due to many other reasons apart from sheep

Amen! Though the highland clearances may not be well known or even well taught . Even less well documented are the thousands, like my family who fled for economic reasons. Imagine having a wife, 5 children farming skills and no land to call your own. I can’t even imagine how good unlimited cheap land must have look to them.