A Higher World (1707 - 1815)

My wife and I travel to Scotland nearly every year. I love the place. It has the most rugged beauty I have ever seen. The history also fascinates me. Every time we go to Scotland, I see this set of three books by Michael Fry that each cover a time frame of Scottish history. I purchased some of the books and ordered the rest during my last trip to Scotland and can't wait to read them all in order this year.

Well, I wanted to dig in deep to Scottish history, and this book did that. Michael Fry delved into political, agricultural, cultural, societal, legal, and religious ideas from 1707 - 1815 in Scotland. This covers the period where Scotland goes from an underdeveloped to developing industrial nation.

Here are some things I learned that really stuck out to me:

The Jacobite rebellions (biggest ones in 1715 and 1745, but also one in 1708) Scottish folk tunes and how Beethoven and Hayden used them in their pieces Scotland attempted to repeal the Union (between England and Scotland) in the House of Lords in 1713, just 7 years after entering into it. It wouldn't be attempted again until 2014. The common law of England and Scotland had different historical roots. Scotland had two languages (in addition to English) - Scots and Gaelic. Robert Burns is credited with largely keeping Scots alive.

This was the second of three books I'm reading about Scottish history between 1707 and 1914. It's a fascinating history that I hope to continue to dig into throughout my life.