M&E 3 - Impact of Scots on the Empire Flashcards
James & Alexander Brown
In the 1850s, James and Alexander Brown set up large coal mines in Newcastle, New South Wales.
This has a positive impact on the economy of Australia because by 1914 their mines were producing 8% of all coal in the region and through the production of materials from mined minerals, the Australian economy was growing
Thomas Lipton
Thomas Lipton, who was from Glasgow, had a tea company which became the largest company trading in tea in 1848.
This had a positive impact on the Indian economy because Scottish involvement in India’s tea trade helped India to overtake China as a world provider.
Henry Nicol
Henry Nicol from Greenock set up a shipyard in Auckland where over 180 ships were built between 1843 and 1887
This had a positive impact on the economy of New Zealand because large amounts of wool and meat were able to be transported back to Great Britain by boat.
Catherine Helen Spece
Catherine Helen Spence, born in Melrose, became Australia’s first female political candidate and journalist.
This had an extremely positive impact on the culture and religion of Australia because her actions advanced the cause of women’s rights in Australia. She was called Australia’s greatest women during her lifetime for her political efforts and writing.
Education System
Scotland has a huge influence on New Zealand’s education system.
This had a positive impact on the culture of New Zealand because the 1872 Scottish Education Act made education compulsory for children aged 5 to 13 and it was provided free of charge. This system became the basis for New Zealand’s education system introduced in 1877.
Suez Canal
The opening of the Suez Canal in 1869 connected the Mediterranean Sea and the Red Sea.
This had a positive impact on the economy of India as it created a much faster route from Britain to India which opened up more trading routes and became known as the ‘Highway to India’
Sheep farming
Scots played a key role in the development of sheep farming in Australia.
This had a positive impact on the economy of Australia because it was a Scot, John Macarthur, who introduced the merino sheep to Australia and Scottish investment was used to set up huge sheep runs in New South Wales and Victoria.
Canadian Pacific Railway
The Canadian Pacific Railway was heavily funded by Scots, such as Lord Mount Stephen who used his banking business to fund the project and Sandford Fleming who was its lead engineer.
The railway had a positive impact on the Canadian economy because it opened up parts of Canada which had not previously been accessible, allowing it to further improve trade networks.
Suttee/ Thuggee
In lands that had been taken over by the British, Dalhousie banned the practice of Suttee, a Hindu practice where a widow would voluntarily throw herself on the funeral pyre of her husband and Thuggee, an organised cult of killers in India.
This has a negative impact on the culture and religion of India because many Indians resented these practices being banned which caused further negative relations between Scots and Indians.
John MacDonald
Canada’s first Prime Minister, John MacDonald and his successor, Alexander Mackenzie, were both Scottish.
This clearly shows that Scots had a positive impact on the culture of Canada because John MacDonald, along with seven other Scottish ‘founding fathers’ of Canadian democracy guided Canada to independence in 1867.
