higher migration and empire - reasons for emigrant scots' failure

1. Migration &
Empire,
1830-1939
Reasons that some emigrant
Scots were unsuccessful

2. In today’s class I am learning to:
• Explain why some emigrant Scots were
unsuccessful in their new homes
Failure of some emigrant Scots

3. Scots travelled across the world in the hope of
building a new and better life for themselves. Whilst
many succeeded, others were not so fortunate.
Failure of some emigrant Scots

4. There is evidence that not
all emigrant Scots
experienced better lives.
Documents such as diaries
and letters show that
many faced Scots
problems like poverty,
unemployment and also
loneliness due to often
living in isolated areas.
Failure of some emigrant Scots

5. There were many reasons
some emigrant Scots failed:
• Problems with natives
• Weather problems
• Land problems
• Loneliness
• Economic problems
• Speaking Gaelic
• Poor reputation
Failure of some emigrant Scots

6. Problems with natives –
war and death
Many native people in the
Scots’ new homes moved
disliked the Scottish
emigrants taking land.
This often led to battles
between the two groups,
causing many deaths.
Failure of some emigrant Scots

7. Scots in Australia fought
against Aborigines over
control of land.
In 1857, the Hornet Bank
Massacre saw members of
the Fraser family being
killed by native people due
to farming arguments. In
turn the Scots then killed
around 100 Aborigines.
Failure of some emigrant Scots

8. Problems with natives -
disagreements
Even when arguments did
not lead to war, the Scots
and native peoples often
argued with one another.
Native people often killed
animals that were being
farmed by Scots.
Failure of some emigrant Scots

9. Scots in New Zealand
faced problems over land
purchases from Maoris.
Some Scots made deals
with the Maoris to buy
land – however it was not
always clear who owned
land, or the wrong land
was claimed. Other Maoris
refused to agree deals.
Failure of some emigrant Scots

10. Other Scots emigrated to
try to convert native
people to Christianity, but
this didn’t always happen.
By the mid-1860s, after 50
years of missionary work
in India, records suggest
that there were only 3,359
Indians converted by
Scottish missionaries.
Failure of some emigrant Scots

11. Weather problems -
farming
Many Scots also struggled
to adapt to the different
climates and how this
affected farming.
Highland Scots were used
to cold weather and rain,
very unlike conditions in
Australia.
Failure of some emigrant Scots

12. Weather problems -
surviving
The Scots also struggled to
adapt to weather found in
their new homes.
Winters in Canada and New
Zealand often involved
freezing conditions, leading
to deaths.
Failure of some emigrant Scots

13. Land problems
Many Scots were attracted
abroad with the promise
of free or cheap land.
However they often then
found that the land they
were allocated was very
poor quality and difficult
to farm on.
Failure of some emigrant Scots

14. In 1820, several
Highlanders in Canada
complained about the
land they were given.
They lived in the area of
Aldborough and Dunwich
and complained that there
farmland was too small,
and much less than they
had been promised.
Failure of some emigrant Scots

15. Loneliness - isolation
Many Scots found that their
new homes were often
lonely places.
In Canada, the first settlers
found they were miles from
towns with entertainment
or services, leading to
feelings of loneliness.
Failure of some emigrant Scots

16. Letters and diary records
from migrants often
describe disliking their new
homes, and wishing to
return to Scotland.
By 1900, around one-third
of Scottish emigrants
returned at some point,
partly due to quicker sailing
journeys.
Failure of some emigrant Scots

17. Loneliness - marriage
Another problem faced by
Scots was that it was often
single men who went, so
had no women to marry.
Later, steps were taken to
encourage single women
to emigrate, such as giving
them free travel to places
like New Zealand.
Failure of some emigrant Scots

18. Economic problems
Some Scots faced poverty
due to economic problems
in their new home.
The 1893 Australian
banking crisis saw many
banks go out of business,
leading to unemployment
and falling wages.
Failure of some emigrant Scots

19. Economic competition
Some Scots’ businesses
failed due to competition.
The Canadian fur trade
saw the Hudson’s Bay
Company and North West
Company compete, with
Scots working for both.
This rivalry often involved
violence and even murder.
Failure of some emigrant Scots

20. Speaking Gaelic
Many Scots hailed from
the Highlands and only
spoke Gaelic.
This meant they could face
difficulties in being hired
by British employers who
wanted workers that could
speak English.
Failure of some emigrant Scots

21. Poor reputation
Not all Scots had a good
reputation, making it
harder for them to work.
Some had been
transported to Australia as
crime punishment, and
employers did not always
want to hire them.
Failure of some emigrant Scots

22. Some other migrant
groups also disliked Scots.
Negative stereotypes
existed of the Scots –
sometimes expressed in
newspapers such as the
Otago Daily Times or
Virginia Gazette – which
claimed the Scots were
greedy or untrustworthy.
Failure of some emigrant Scots