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Semester 2

Gazing West: Scotland and the Atlantic in the Seventeenth Century (HIST10508)

Subject

History

College

CAHSS

Credits

20

Normal Year Taken

3

Delivery Session Year

2023/2024

Pre-requisites

Visiting students must have completed 3 History courses at grade B or above, and please note that we will only consider courses with a specific focus on History (not including History of Art) towards these pre-requisites. We will only consider University/College level courses. **Please see Additional Restrictions below**

Course Summary

This course examines the history of Scotland's early inroads into the Atlantic. It introduces students to the various attempts by Scotland and Scottish individuals at establishing trading companies and colonies in competition with and emulation of other, successful Atlantic powers, and asks why Scotland failed where others succeeded. Gazing West covers topics such as the Scottish East India Company, the failed attempts at settling in Nova Scotia and Darien and cooperation with the Dutch, the Swedes and the English.

Course Description

This course examines the history of Scotland's early inroads into the Atlantic. While Scotland's role in the British Empire has been widely acknowledged, it is less well-known that prior to 1707, Scotland made sustained attempts at becoming an Atlantic player. Gazing West introduces students to the various attempts at establishing trading companies and colonies in competition with and emulation of other, successful Atlantic powers such as England, France and the Dutch Republic, and asks why Scotland failed where others succeeded. This is the 'pre-history' of what, on occasion, has been called Scotland's Empire. It is important as it provides insights into why Scotland could become so important so quickly in the British Empire of the eighteenth and nineteenth century. The course covers both the chronology and the historiography of Scotland's Atlantic history and makes extensive use of primary material.

Assessment Information

Written Exam 0%, Coursework 80%, Practical Exam 20%

Additional Restrictions

Unless you are nominated on a History or HCA exchange agreement, visiting students are only permitted to enrol in two 3rd year History courses each, per semester, before the start of the relevant semester’s welcome period – and spaces on each course are limited so cannot be guaranteed for any student. This includes courses in Economic History and Scottish History. Enrolment in a third course from this group will depend on whether there are still spaces available in the January Welcome Period, and cannot be guaranteed. It is NOT appropriate for students to contact staff within this subject area to ask for an exception to be made; all enquiries to enrol in these courses must be made through the CAHSS Visiting Student Office. This is due to the limited number of spaces available in this very popular subject area.

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