2. scotland and slavery
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Transcript of 2. scotland and slavery
LEARNING INTENTIONS
• Describe Scotland’s role in the Atlantic Slave Trade
• Explain whether or not you believe Scotland played a major role in the slave trade
Although it was mainly other parts of Britain that were involved in slavery, Scotland had a role too. This included building ships, slave ships setting sale and selling slave
grown products.
Scotland was not actually a part of Britain until 1707, meaning it
was excluded from trading with British colonies until then.
However once it joined some Scots saw a chance to make money by doing
this.
A great deal of merchants in Glasgow bought and sold various products which were grown by
slaves, including sugar, tobacco and cotton.
However most of these merchants only sold the products, they did not actually buy and sell
slaves.
Some slave ships left from Scottish ports (mostly Greenock
and Port Glasgow).
However they only carried a small
number of slaves (5000 out of Britain’s 3 million) and ended
after 1766.
Other Scots were involved in setting up businesses that had strong slave links.
The Bank of England was founded by a Scot (William Paterson)
and funded businesses with slave links.
Richard Oswald set up a slave trade post in
Africa.
Richard Oswald
Oswald was one of the main slave traders from
Scotland.
Oswald’s company owned a slave fort in Sierra
Leone.
Oswald lived in Auchencruive House, near
Ayr. This is now called Oswald Hall.
Other companies with slave links had Scottish
roots too.
Greenock had a large sugar industry, with strong links to those slaves growing the
product.
Other Scots worked as slave traders and in
associated industries.
Parts of Scotland also indirectly benefitted from
the slave trade too.
For instance, the herring industry (fishing) saw bigger sales to help the food needs of the slave
economies.
Interestingly, a look at Jamaica gives an
indication of strong Scottish links.
Slaves were often given the surname of their
owner. Around 60% of people in the Jamaican
telephone directory have Scottish surnames e.g.
McDonald.