How the Scots Invented the Modern World
Encyclopedia
How the Scots Invented the Modern World: The true story of how western Europe's poorest nation created our world & everything in it (or The Scottish Enlightenment: The Scots invention of the Modern World) is a non-fiction book written by Arthur Herman. The book examines the origins of the Scottish Enlightenment
and what impact it had on the modern world. Following the Great Man approach
, Herman focuses on individuals and presents their biographies in the context of their individual fields and within the theme of the Scottish contributions to the world.
The book was published as a hardcover in November 2001 by Crown Publishing Group
and as a trade paperback in September 2002. Critics found the thesis to be over-reaching but descriptive of the Scots' disproportionate impact on modernity
. In the American market, the trade paperback peaked at #3 on The Washington Post
bestseller list, while in the Canadian market it peaked at #1. Several critics, such as the reviewer for the Library Journal
, found the work scholarly but sometimes uncritical or over-exaggerated.
in Washington, DC. His last book, Joseph McCarthy: Reexamining the Life and Legacy of America's Most Hated Senator, was published two years earlier, in December 1999. The new book grew out of a class topic at the Smithsonian regarding intellectual life in Edinburgh
in the 18th century. Herman was impressed that so many prominent Scots who had large impacts of modernity
came from such a specific geographic location and time-frame. Herman had only once been to Scotland
as a teenager when his father, a professor, spent a semester at Edinburgh University. Though born and raised in the Midwestern United States
, his ancestry traces back to Norway; there are no Scots in his ancestral background of whom he is aware.
on Scotland and Great Britain. The roots come from an appreciation for democracy and literacy that developed from the Scottish Reformation
, when John Knox
brought Calvinist
Presbyterianism
to Scotland. He preached that God ordained power into the people and that it was for the people to administer and enforce God's laws, not the monarchy. For common people to understand God's laws they had to be able to read the Bible so schools were built in every parish and literacy rates grew rapidly, creating a Scottish-oriented market for books and writers.
Though they each resented one another, the English and Scots joined in 1707 to form the Kingdom of Great Britain
; the English wanted the Scots controlled and the Scots realized they could not match English power. The Scots immediately benefited from a centralized government that paid little attention to it, for example, inexpensive imports reduced the impacts of famines and allowed a Scottish culture to flourish. Herman calls the Scottish Enlightenment "more robust and original" than the French Enlightenment and that the product of the "Scottish school" was that humans are creatures of their environment, constantly evolving and trying to understand itself via social sciences
.
The defeat of the 1745 Jacobite rising decimated the antiquated social structure based around clans lorded over by chieftains; this liberalized the Scottish way of life by allowing citizens to own land and keep the profits instead of giving all profits to the chieftains who owned all the land. Their literate foundation allowed the Scots to become economically literate and take advantage of trade. Edinburgh
and Glasgow
became epicenters of intellectual thought. There existed in Scotland a clergy who believed that a moral and religious foundation was required for, and compatible with, a free and open sophisticated culture moderated hardline conservatives. Herman presents biographies of Francis Hutcheson
, Henry Home (Lord Kames)
, Robert Adam
, Adam Smith
, and others to illustrate the Scottish development.
The second part, Diaspora, focuses on the impacts of Scots on events, the world, and industries. Most Scots immigrants in the American colonies sympathised with the British during the American Revolutionary War
but those who did fight in the militias were the most capable because many were the same refugee families from the 1745 Jacobite rising. Herman claims that the Scottish School of Common Sense influenced much of the American declaration of independence
and constitution
. After Great Britain lost the American colonies, a second generation of Scottish intellectuals saved Britain from stagnation and reinforced a self-confidence that allowed the country to manage a world empire during the Victorian era
. Scots in India, like James Mill
, led the British idea of liberal imperialism, that they had to take over indigenous cultures and run their society for their own good, or "the white man's burden
". Herman claims that Sir Walter Scott invented the historical novel giving modernity a "self-conscious antidote" and gave literature a "place as part of modern life". In science and industry Herman states that James Watt's steam engine "gave capitalism its modern face, which has persisted down to today". It permitted business to choose its location, like in cities close to inexpensive labour and it was Scots who rectified negative impacts industry had, i.e. public health
movement. Scots' contribution to modern society is illustrated with biographies of Scots like Dugald Stewart
, John Witherspoon
, John McAdam
, Thomas Telford
, and John Pringle
, among others.
, that a historical narrative can be told through the lives of a few prominent figures. Regarding this approach Michael Lynch of The Globe and Mail
wrote, the biographies "reveal subtle but important links between these figures and their ideas, which Herman seeks to characterize, with some success, as a coherent body of distinctively 'Scottish' thought." One reviewer noted the book's "almost complete dependence on secondary sources". Herman provides a section, at the end of the book, listing sources used and suggestions for further reading on each chapter. In this section, he notes that some of the most influential sources consulted included the works of Scottish historians Bruce Lenman, John Prebble
, Thomas Devine, and Duncan Bruce, amongst others.
Regarding the title and thesis, that the people of Scotland invented the modern world, nearly every reviewer commented on it, some calling it "provocative", a "hyperbole", "absurd" and "pandering to prejudice". In the The Scotsman
, Graham Leicester writes that the "overblown rhetoric invites a sceptical reaction. But I suggest we just accept this extraordinary compliment graciously." It was likely influenced by Thomas Cahill
's How the Irish Saved Civilization
and the result of a marketing strategy. Several reviewers found that Herman was successful in proving that Scots did have a disproportionate impact on modernity
. Herman continued this type of theme with his next book, To Rule the Waves: How the British Navy Shaped the Modern World, published in 2004.
's Crown Publishing Group
. The hardcover was released on November 27, 2001 and the trade paperback, published by the Three Rivers Press
imprint, was released on September 24, 2002. In the US market the hardcover spent 3 weeks on The Washington Post
bestseller list peaking at #5 followed by a 14 week run by the trade paperback, peaking at #3. In the Canadian market, the trade paperback spent 80 weeks on The Globe and Mail
bestseller list, peaking at #1. The British version was re-titled the book The Scottish Enlightenment: The Scots invention of the Modern World and released in the UK market by Fourth Estate, a HarperCollins
imprint. It was long-listed by the 2002 Samuel Johnson Prize for Non-Fiction
.
Critics found the book well-written and scholarly but with an over-reaching thesis. The reviewer for the National Review
defended Herman's use of the word "invented", writing that it has "an older meaning: to discover and understand. The [Scots] did not, like a number of their French counterparts, seek to construct a new world ... they instead tried to understand certain traditions and institutions that had spontaneously arisen in the course of man's work, but that were still misunderstood even by many intelligent observers." In the The Scotsman
, reviewer George Kerevan wrote that Herman may have successfully proven his thesis but does not satisfactorily account for "why Scotland?"
Irvine Welsh
accused Herman of neglecting or down-playing some of the unfavourable actions by Scots, like the Highland Clearances
, prominence in the slave trade, and the formation of the Ku Klux Klan
. The reviewer for The National Interest
noted that Herman's study falls short of explaining why the Scottish Enlightenment ended and why "Scotland had declined into a backwater by the end of the 19th century".
Scottish Enlightenment
The Scottish Enlightenment was the period in 18th century Scotland characterised by an outpouring of intellectual and scientific accomplishments. By 1750, Scots were among the most literate citizens of Europe, with an estimated 75% level of literacy...
and what impact it had on the modern world. Following the Great Man approach
Great man theory
The Great Man Theory was a popular 19th century idea according to which history can be largely explained by the impact of "great men", or heroes: highly influential individuals who, due to either their personal charisma, intelligence, wisdom, or Machiavellianism utilized their power in a way that...
, Herman focuses on individuals and presents their biographies in the context of their individual fields and within the theme of the Scottish contributions to the world.
The book was published as a hardcover in November 2001 by Crown Publishing Group
Crown Publishing Group
-External links:*...
and as a trade paperback in September 2002. Critics found the thesis to be over-reaching but descriptive of the Scots' disproportionate impact on modernity
Modernity
Modernity typically refers to a post-traditional, post-medieval historical period, one marked by the move from feudalism toward capitalism, industrialization, secularization, rationalization, the nation-state and its constituent institutions and forms of surveillance...
. In the American market, the trade paperback peaked at #3 on The Washington Post
The Washington Post
The Washington Post is Washington, D.C.'s largest newspaper and its oldest still-existing paper, founded in 1877. Located in the capital of the United States, The Post has a particular emphasis on national politics. D.C., Maryland, and Virginia editions are printed for daily circulation...
bestseller list, while in the Canadian market it peaked at #1. Several critics, such as the reviewer for the Library Journal
Library Journal
Library Journal is a trade publication for librarians. It was founded in 1876 by Melvil Dewey . It reports news about the library world, emphasizing public libraries, and offers feature articles about aspects of professional practice...
, found the work scholarly but sometimes uncritical or over-exaggerated.
Background
How the Scots invented the Modern World was written by American historian Arthur L. Herman. At the time of publication, the 45 year old author was the coordinator of the Western Civilization Program at the Smithsonian InstitutionSmithsonian Institution
The Smithsonian Institution is an educational and research institute and associated museum complex, administered and funded by the government of the United States and by funds from its endowment, contributions, and profits from its retail operations, concessions, licensing activities, and magazines...
in Washington, DC. His last book, Joseph McCarthy: Reexamining the Life and Legacy of America's Most Hated Senator, was published two years earlier, in December 1999. The new book grew out of a class topic at the Smithsonian regarding intellectual life in Edinburgh
Edinburgh
Edinburgh is the capital city of Scotland, the second largest city in Scotland, and the eighth most populous in the United Kingdom. The City of Edinburgh Council governs one of Scotland's 32 local government council areas. The council area includes urban Edinburgh and a rural area...
in the 18th century. Herman was impressed that so many prominent Scots who had large impacts of modernity
Modernity
Modernity typically refers to a post-traditional, post-medieval historical period, one marked by the move from feudalism toward capitalism, industrialization, secularization, rationalization, the nation-state and its constituent institutions and forms of surveillance...
came from such a specific geographic location and time-frame. Herman had only once been to Scotland
Scotland
Scotland is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. Occupying the northern third of the island of Great Britain, it shares a border with England to the south and is bounded by the North Sea to the east, the Atlantic Ocean to the north and west, and the North Channel and Irish Sea to the...
as a teenager when his father, a professor, spent a semester at Edinburgh University. Though born and raised in the Midwestern United States
Midwestern United States
The Midwestern United States is one of the four U.S. geographic regions defined by the United States Census Bureau, providing an official definition of the American Midwest....
, his ancestry traces back to Norway; there are no Scots in his ancestral background of whom he is aware.
Synopsis
The book is divided into two parts. The first part, Epiphany, consists of eight chapters and focuses on the roots, development, and impact of the Scottish EnlightenmentScottish Enlightenment
The Scottish Enlightenment was the period in 18th century Scotland characterised by an outpouring of intellectual and scientific accomplishments. By 1750, Scots were among the most literate citizens of Europe, with an estimated 75% level of literacy...
on Scotland and Great Britain. The roots come from an appreciation for democracy and literacy that developed from the Scottish Reformation
Scottish Reformation
The Scottish Reformation was Scotland's formal break with the Papacy in 1560, and the events surrounding this. It was part of the wider European Protestant Reformation; and in Scotland's case culminated ecclesiastically in the re-establishment of the church along Reformed lines, and politically in...
, when John Knox
John Knox
John Knox was a Scottish clergyman and a leader of the Protestant Reformation who brought reformation to the church in Scotland. He was educated at the University of St Andrews or possibly the University of Glasgow and was ordained to the Catholic priesthood in 1536...
brought Calvinist
Calvinism
Calvinism is a Protestant theological system and an approach to the Christian life...
Presbyterianism
Presbyterianism
Presbyterianism refers to a number of Christian churches adhering to the Calvinist theological tradition within Protestantism, which are organized according to a characteristic Presbyterian polity. Presbyterian theology typically emphasizes the sovereignty of God, the authority of the Scriptures,...
to Scotland. He preached that God ordained power into the people and that it was for the people to administer and enforce God's laws, not the monarchy. For common people to understand God's laws they had to be able to read the Bible so schools were built in every parish and literacy rates grew rapidly, creating a Scottish-oriented market for books and writers.
Though they each resented one another, the English and Scots joined in 1707 to form the Kingdom of Great Britain
Kingdom of Great Britain
The former Kingdom of Great Britain, sometimes described as the 'United Kingdom of Great Britain', That the Two Kingdoms of Scotland and England, shall upon the 1st May next ensuing the date hereof, and forever after, be United into One Kingdom by the Name of GREAT BRITAIN. was a sovereign...
; the English wanted the Scots controlled and the Scots realized they could not match English power. The Scots immediately benefited from a centralized government that paid little attention to it, for example, inexpensive imports reduced the impacts of famines and allowed a Scottish culture to flourish. Herman calls the Scottish Enlightenment "more robust and original" than the French Enlightenment and that the product of the "Scottish school" was that humans are creatures of their environment, constantly evolving and trying to understand itself via social sciences
Social sciences
Social science is the field of study concerned with society. "Social science" is commonly used as an umbrella term to refer to a plurality of fields outside of the natural sciences usually exclusive of the administrative or managerial sciences...
.
The defeat of the 1745 Jacobite rising decimated the antiquated social structure based around clans lorded over by chieftains; this liberalized the Scottish way of life by allowing citizens to own land and keep the profits instead of giving all profits to the chieftains who owned all the land. Their literate foundation allowed the Scots to become economically literate and take advantage of trade. Edinburgh
Edinburgh
Edinburgh is the capital city of Scotland, the second largest city in Scotland, and the eighth most populous in the United Kingdom. The City of Edinburgh Council governs one of Scotland's 32 local government council areas. The council area includes urban Edinburgh and a rural area...
and Glasgow
Glasgow
Glasgow is the largest city in Scotland and third most populous in the United Kingdom. The city is situated on the River Clyde in the country's west central lowlands...
became epicenters of intellectual thought. There existed in Scotland a clergy who believed that a moral and religious foundation was required for, and compatible with, a free and open sophisticated culture moderated hardline conservatives. Herman presents biographies of Francis Hutcheson
Francis Hutcheson (philosopher)
Francis Hutcheson was a philosopher born in Ireland to a family of Scottish Presbyterians who became one of the founding fathers of the Scottish Enlightenment....
, Henry Home (Lord Kames)
Henry Home, Lord Kames
Henry Home, Lord Kames was a Scottish advocate, judge, philosopher, writer and agricultural improver. A central figure of the Scottish Enlightenment, a founder member of the Philosophical Society of Edinburgh, and active in the Select Society, his protégés included James Boswell, David Hume and...
, Robert Adam
Robert Adam
Robert Adam was a Scottish neoclassical architect, interior designer and furniture designer. He was the son of William Adam , Scotland's foremost architect of the time, and trained under him...
, Adam Smith
Adam Smith
Adam Smith was a Scottish social philosopher and a pioneer of political economy. One of the key figures of the Scottish Enlightenment, Smith is the author of The Theory of Moral Sentiments and An Inquiry into the Nature and Causes of the Wealth of Nations...
, and others to illustrate the Scottish development.
The second part, Diaspora, focuses on the impacts of Scots on events, the world, and industries. Most Scots immigrants in the American colonies sympathised with the British during the American Revolutionary War
American Revolutionary War
The American Revolutionary War , the American War of Independence, or simply the Revolutionary War, began as a war between the Kingdom of Great Britain and thirteen British colonies in North America, and ended in a global war between several European great powers.The war was the result of the...
but those who did fight in the militias were the most capable because many were the same refugee families from the 1745 Jacobite rising. Herman claims that the Scottish School of Common Sense influenced much of the American declaration of independence
United States Declaration of Independence
The Declaration of Independence was a statement adopted by the Continental Congress on July 4, 1776, which announced that the thirteen American colonies then at war with Great Britain regarded themselves as independent states, and no longer a part of the British Empire. John Adams put forth a...
and constitution
United States Constitution
The Constitution of the United States is the supreme law of the United States of America. It is the framework for the organization of the United States government and for the relationship of the federal government with the states, citizens, and all people within the United States.The first three...
. After Great Britain lost the American colonies, a second generation of Scottish intellectuals saved Britain from stagnation and reinforced a self-confidence that allowed the country to manage a world empire during the Victorian era
Victorian era
The Victorian era of British history was the period of Queen Victoria's reign from 20 June 1837 until her death on 22 January 1901. It was a long period of peace, prosperity, refined sensibilities and national self-confidence...
. Scots in India, like James Mill
James Mill
James Mill was a Scottish historian, economist, political theorist, and philosopher. He was a founder of classical economics, together with David Ricardo, and the father of influential philosopher of classical liberalism, John Stuart Mill.-Life:Mill was born at Northwater Bridge, in the parish of...
, led the British idea of liberal imperialism, that they had to take over indigenous cultures and run their society for their own good, or "the white man's burden
The White Man's Burden
"The White Man's Burden" is a poem by the English poet Rudyard Kipling. It was originally published in the popular magazine McClure's in 1899, with the subtitle The United States and the Philippine Islands...
". Herman claims that Sir Walter Scott invented the historical novel giving modernity a "self-conscious antidote" and gave literature a "place as part of modern life". In science and industry Herman states that James Watt's steam engine "gave capitalism its modern face, which has persisted down to today". It permitted business to choose its location, like in cities close to inexpensive labour and it was Scots who rectified negative impacts industry had, i.e. public health
Public health
Public health is "the science and art of preventing disease, prolonging life and promoting health through the organized efforts and informed choices of society, organizations, public and private, communities and individuals" . It is concerned with threats to health based on population health...
movement. Scots' contribution to modern society is illustrated with biographies of Scots like Dugald Stewart
Dugald Stewart
Dugald Stewart was a Scottish Enlightenment philosopher and mathematician. His father, Matthew Stewart , was professor of mathematics in the University of Edinburgh .-Life and works:...
, John Witherspoon
John Witherspoon
John Witherspoon was a signatory of the United States Declaration of Independence as a representative of New Jersey. As president of the College of New Jersey , he trained many leaders of the early nation and was the only active clergyman and the only college president to sign the Declaration...
, John McAdam
John Loudon McAdam
John Loudon McAdam was a Scottish engineer and road-builder. He invented a new process, "macadamisation", for building roads with a smooth hard surface that would be more durable and less muddy than soil-based tracks....
, Thomas Telford
Thomas Telford
Thomas Telford FRS, FRSE was a Scottish civil engineer, architect and stonemason, and a noted road, bridge and canal builder.-Early career:...
, and John Pringle
John Pringle
Sir John Pringle, 1st Baronet, FRS was a Scottish physician who has been called the "father of military medicine" ....
, among others.
Style
Herman wrote the book for an American audience who may not have been very familiar with Scottish history. He provides a historical overview and short biographies of the most prominent Scots. The historical approach uses the Great Man TheoryGreat man theory
The Great Man Theory was a popular 19th century idea according to which history can be largely explained by the impact of "great men", or heroes: highly influential individuals who, due to either their personal charisma, intelligence, wisdom, or Machiavellianism utilized their power in a way that...
, that a historical narrative can be told through the lives of a few prominent figures. Regarding this approach Michael Lynch of The Globe and Mail
The Globe and Mail
The Globe and Mail is a nationally distributed Canadian newspaper, based in Toronto and printed in six cities across the country. With a weekly readership of approximately 1 million, it is Canada's largest-circulation national newspaper and second-largest daily newspaper after the Toronto Star...
wrote, the biographies "reveal subtle but important links between these figures and their ideas, which Herman seeks to characterize, with some success, as a coherent body of distinctively 'Scottish' thought." One reviewer noted the book's "almost complete dependence on secondary sources". Herman provides a section, at the end of the book, listing sources used and suggestions for further reading on each chapter. In this section, he notes that some of the most influential sources consulted included the works of Scottish historians Bruce Lenman, John Prebble
John Prebble
John Edward Curtis Prebble, FRSL, OBE was an English/Canadian journalist, novelist, documentarian and historian. He is best known for his studies of Scottish history.-Early life:...
, Thomas Devine, and Duncan Bruce, amongst others.
Regarding the title and thesis, that the people of Scotland invented the modern world, nearly every reviewer commented on it, some calling it "provocative", a "hyperbole", "absurd" and "pandering to prejudice". In the The Scotsman
The Scotsman
The Scotsman is a British newspaper, published in Edinburgh.As of August 2011 it had an audited circulation of 38,423, down from about 100,000 in the 1980s....
, Graham Leicester writes that the "overblown rhetoric invites a sceptical reaction. But I suggest we just accept this extraordinary compliment graciously." It was likely influenced by Thomas Cahill
Thomas Cahill
Thomas Cahill is an American scholar and writer. He is best known for The Hinges of History series, a prospective seven-volume series in which the author recounts formative moments in Western civilization.-Biography:...
's How the Irish Saved Civilization
How The Irish Saved Civilization
How The Irish Saved Civilization: The Untold Story of Ireland's Heroic Role from the Fall of Rome to the Rise of Medieval Europe is a non-fiction historical book written by Thomas Cahill....
and the result of a marketing strategy. Several reviewers found that Herman was successful in proving that Scots did have a disproportionate impact on modernity
Modernity
Modernity typically refers to a post-traditional, post-medieval historical period, one marked by the move from feudalism toward capitalism, industrialization, secularization, rationalization, the nation-state and its constituent institutions and forms of surveillance...
. Herman continued this type of theme with his next book, To Rule the Waves: How the British Navy Shaped the Modern World, published in 2004.
Publication and reception
The book was published by Random HouseRandom House
Random House, Inc. is the largest general-interest trade book publisher in the world. It has been owned since 1998 by the German private media corporation Bertelsmann and has become the umbrella brand for Bertelsmann book publishing. Random House also has a movie production arm, Random House Films,...
's Crown Publishing Group
Crown Publishing Group
-External links:*...
. The hardcover was released on November 27, 2001 and the trade paperback, published by the Three Rivers Press
Three Rivers Press
Three Rivers Press is the trade paperback imprint of the Crown Publishing Group, a division of Random House. It publishes original paperback titles as well as paperback reprints of books issued initially in hardcover by the other Crown imprints.- History :...
imprint, was released on September 24, 2002. In the US market the hardcover spent 3 weeks on The Washington Post
The Washington Post
The Washington Post is Washington, D.C.'s largest newspaper and its oldest still-existing paper, founded in 1877. Located in the capital of the United States, The Post has a particular emphasis on national politics. D.C., Maryland, and Virginia editions are printed for daily circulation...
bestseller list peaking at #5 followed by a 14 week run by the trade paperback, peaking at #3. In the Canadian market, the trade paperback spent 80 weeks on The Globe and Mail
The Globe and Mail
The Globe and Mail is a nationally distributed Canadian newspaper, based in Toronto and printed in six cities across the country. With a weekly readership of approximately 1 million, it is Canada's largest-circulation national newspaper and second-largest daily newspaper after the Toronto Star...
bestseller list, peaking at #1. The British version was re-titled the book The Scottish Enlightenment: The Scots invention of the Modern World and released in the UK market by Fourth Estate, a HarperCollins
HarperCollins
HarperCollins is a publishing company owned by News Corporation. It is the combination of the publishers William Collins, Sons and Co Ltd, a British company, and Harper & Row, an American company, itself the result of an earlier merger of Harper & Brothers and Row, Peterson & Company. The worldwide...
imprint. It was long-listed by the 2002 Samuel Johnson Prize for Non-Fiction
Samuel Johnson Prize
The Samuel Johnson Prize for Non-Fiction is one of the most prestigious prizes for non-fiction writing. It was founded in 1999 following the demise of the NCR Book Award and based on an anonymous donation. The prize is named after Samuel Johnson...
.
Critics found the book well-written and scholarly but with an over-reaching thesis. The reviewer for the National Review
National Review
National Review is a biweekly magazine founded by the late author William F. Buckley, Jr., in 1955 and based in New York City. It describes itself as "America's most widely read and influential magazine and web site for conservative news, commentary, and opinion."Although the print version of the...
defended Herman's use of the word "invented", writing that it has "an older meaning: to discover and understand. The [Scots] did not, like a number of their French counterparts, seek to construct a new world ... they instead tried to understand certain traditions and institutions that had spontaneously arisen in the course of man's work, but that were still misunderstood even by many intelligent observers." In the The Scotsman
The Scotsman
The Scotsman is a British newspaper, published in Edinburgh.As of August 2011 it had an audited circulation of 38,423, down from about 100,000 in the 1980s....
, reviewer George Kerevan wrote that Herman may have successfully proven his thesis but does not satisfactorily account for "why Scotland?"
Irvine Welsh
Irvine Welsh
Irvine Welsh is a contemporary Scottish novelist, best known for his novel Trainspotting. His work is characterised by raw Scottish dialect, and brutal depiction of the realities of Edinburgh life...
accused Herman of neglecting or down-playing some of the unfavourable actions by Scots, like the Highland Clearances
Highland Clearances
The Highland Clearances were forced displacements of the population of the Scottish Highlands during the 18th and 19th centuries. They led to mass emigration to the sea coast, the Scottish Lowlands, and the North American colonies...
, prominence in the slave trade, and the formation of the Ku Klux Klan
Ku Klux Klan
Ku Klux Klan, often abbreviated KKK and informally known as the Klan, is the name of three distinct past and present far-right organizations in the United States, which have advocated extremist reactionary currents such as white supremacy, white nationalism, and anti-immigration, historically...
. The reviewer for The National Interest
The National Interest
The National Interest is a prominent conservative American bi-monthly international affairs magazine published by the Center for the National Interest. It was founded in 1985 by Irving Kristol and until 2001 was edited by Anglo-Australian Owen Harries...
noted that Herman's study falls short of explaining why the Scottish Enlightenment ended and why "Scotland had declined into a backwater by the end of the 19th century".
External links
- How the Scots Invented the Modern World (Hardcover) – Random House Inc.
- How the Scots Invented the Modern World (Trade paperback) – Random House Inc.
- The Scottish Enlightenment – HarperCollins (UK)