Being part of the British Empire had significant impacts on Scotland's economy, people, and military. The economy benefited from jobs in factories producing goods for export throughout the Empire. Glasgow shipyards built vessels for global trade. Many Scots emigrated to seek opportunities in Canada and Australia while others immigrated to Scotland. Scots also played a major role in Britain's military, joining the armed forces and rising to leadership positions to defend Imperial interests around the world.

1. Migration &
Empire,
1830-1939
Impact of the British Empire
on Scotland

2. In today’s class I am learning to:
• Describe the different ways that
Scotland was affected by being part of
the British Empire
Impact of the British Empire on Scotland

3. Scotland joined with England (and Wales) in 1707 in
the Act of Union. This created Great Britain and
made Scotland part of the British Empire.
Impact of the British Empire on Scotland

4. Scotland’s membership of
the British Empire had a
significant impact on the
country, including on
issues such as:
• The economy
• People
• Military
• Other factors
Impact of the British Empire on Scotland

5. Impact:
economy
Impact of the British Empire on Scotland

6. In an economic sense,
Scotland was affected by
Empire membership in
different ways, including:
• More jobs (in Scotland
and abroad)
• New businesses being
set up
• Bank investments
Impact of the British Empire on Scotland

7. Being part of the Empire
allowed for numerous
different job
opportunities.
Factories across Scotland
used products grown
overseas, and goods were
made in Scotland and sold
elsewhere in the Empire;
all this created jobs.
Impact of the British Empire on Scotland

8. Dundee’s mills used jute
that was grown in India;
Camperdown Works in
Lochee was the biggest
jute mill in the world.
Glasgow built large
numbers of train engines,
and these went to
countries such as India,
Canada and New Zealand.
Impact of the British Empire on Scotland

9. Shipyards on the River
Clyde built vessels that
were sold to other Empire
countries, and then used
to transport goods across
the globe.
Many Scots then found
work on these transport
ships as members of the
Merchant Navy.
Impact of the British Empire on Scotland

10. Scots found that Empire
membership also gave
them more job
opportunities abroad.
Scots moved to countries
like Canada and Australia
to work as miners and
farmers, or in professional
jobs like doctors and
lawyers.
Impact of the British Empire on Scotland

11. The trading opportunities
created by the Empire led
many Scots to set up
businesses in Scotland and
overseas; all of this made
them very rich.
The Cox Brothers (James,
William, Thomas and
George) owned jute mills
and traded with India.
Impact of the British Empire on Scotland

12. Thomas Lipton was a
Glasgow trader whose
Lipton tea brand bought
tea from India and then
sold it around the world,
especially the USA.
Abram Lyle from Greenock
set up a sugar company
that later became known
as Tate & Lyle.
Impact of the British Empire on Scotland

13. Scotland’s banks also
benefitted from being part
of the Empire.
They loaned money to
Scottish and foreign
companies to let them
develop businesses
elsewhere, which then
made the banks a
significant profit.
Impact of the British Empire on Scotland

14. However the Empire also
sometimes caused
economic problems for
Scotland.
Competition from the
Empire – such as cotton
and jute – undermined
Scottish businesses and
eventually saw some
companies collapse .
Impact of the British Empire on Scotland

15. Impact:
people
Impact of the British Empire on Scotland

16. Membership of the Empire
led to huge numbers of
Scots leaving their
homeland to build a new
life elsewhere.
Locations such as Canada,
and Australia attracted
the Scots, reducing the
country’s population,
especially the Highlands.
Impact of the British Empire on Scotland

17. Sometimes many emigrant
Scots encouraged family
members to also move,
leading to more Scottish
emigration.
Other successful Scottish
emigrants would invest
money in Scotland, such
as Andrew Carnegie who
built libraries.
Impact of the British Empire on Scotland

18. It was not just Scots that
moved elsewhere in the
Empire – many people
also came to live in
Scotland.
Irish (and English) people
moved to Scotland in their
thousands, helping
replace those Scots that
had travelled abroad.
Impact of the British Empire on Scotland

19. Empire immigrants into
Scotland had various
impacts.
Irish migrants became
involved in politics and
trade unions, affecting
how the country was run.
Others set up businesses
(like Thomas Lipton),
creating jobs for Scots.
Impact of the British Empire on Scotland

20. The social background of
the country changed too.
Irish immigrants greatly
increased the country’s
Catholic population,
leading to the setting up
of Catholic schools. Also
football teams were
formed in the country’s
major cities.
Impact of the British Empire on Scotland

21. Impact:
military
Impact of the British Empire on Scotland

22. The British Empire had a
significant military
influence, and Scots were
at the heart of this.
Many Scots – often
following in a family
tradition – joined Britain’s
army or navy and were
posted around the world
to defend the Empire.
Impact of the British Empire on Scotland

23. Many wealthy Scottish
families also saw senior
opportunities for their
sons in the military.
Scottish sons joined the
army and became majors
or generals, leading
Britain’s army in various
parts of the Empire,
including India.
Impact of the British Empire on Scotland

24. Military opportunities
were not just about
working for the British
government.
The East India Company
had its own private army
due to the need to protect
their investments; many
Scots were soldiers and
officers in this.
Impact of the British Empire on Scotland

25. Empire membership also
affected the people that
Scottish soldiers fought
alongside.
During World Wars One
and Two, men from
countries like Canada,
Australia and India fought
on Britain’s side, along
with Scots.
Impact of the British Empire on Scotland

26. Impact:
other
Impact of the British Empire on Scotland

27. Buildings across Scotland
were built by merchants
using the money they
made from trading with
the Empire.
The Merchant City area of
Glasgow was built using
money from Caribbean
goods like tobacco and
cotton.
Impact of the British Empire on Scotland

28. Being part of the Empire
affected the words and
language that is used in
Scotland.
Words like pyjamas and
bungalow are taken from
the language of India.
Budgie is a word taken
from an Australian
language.
Impact of the British Empire on Scotland

29. Scotland’s Empire
membership also led to a
spread of Scottish culture
around the world.
Emigrant Scots celebrated
Burns Suppers or played
sports like shinty, all of
which created more global
knowledge about life in
Scotland.
Impact of the British Empire on Scotland