Modern Scottish History: 1707 to 1997 Module

Taught in collaboration with The Open University, Modern Scottish History, 1707-1997 examines the remarkable social, political and economic history of a small nation on the edge of Europe.

In the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries, the country transformed from one which was largely agrarian and rural into a leading industrial, urban society. There then followed a different kind of transition as Scotland adapted in the twentieth century to the demise of world-ranking industries such as shipbuilding, iron and steel making, and textiles.

The period covered by this module also witnessed some extraordinary political and social changes. With the Union of 1707, Scotland lost its own parliament and the process of political integration with the rest of Britain was hastened. By the end of the 1890s, however, there was a vibrant home rule movement and, a century after that, Scotland regained a parliament in 1999.

To explore this transformation, you will examine themes such as Jacobitism, the Enlightenment, slavery, missionaries and religion, highland clearance, the health of the cities, the weather of the nation, emigration and diaspora, new jobs, new industries, and new roles for women.