The Clearances

[Galician]

I deal with cultures other than American (and certainly Scottish). As a lover of history, I have long come to the realization that most humans consider history as something that has nothing to do with their own lives. They see it as having little or nothing to do with the demands of their daily needs.

Only sometimes, as we grow older, do some of us appreciate how the ripples of past actions and decisions echo in our own.

[ThreadBbdr]

What an intelligent question,if I may say so.I am not at all sure that the myth laden,half truths when looked at through "rose tinted glasses"will ever allow the whole truth to come out,but one thing is for sure illusions will be shattered!As a resident of the Highlands I see those illusions melt away to almost despair, nearly every month, as visitors find out that their(THEN) clan chief was the one that was responsible for clearing people, often in a fairly brutal way,from the land to make way for sheep or later on to make way for the early sporting estates.Nearly every clan chief has a nasty skeleton in their cupboard and it was,has been and is, very easy to blame somebody else---the English.They are not totally blameless though. Potato blight was of course the fault of no one.

Prepare to put your tin hat on for this one!

My (Lamont/Lemon) grandmother used to say "In every lineage there is a king and a saint - And a hanged man and a cattle thief. It's your responsibility to choose which one to follow."

[Frank McGrath]

I live so close to Antietam and Gettysburg, but still can't carry a conversation about what happened there. There is just not enough history taught in the schools.

[McClef]

Very little in history is completely black and white and when it comes to the clearances the interpretation of them can get pretty emotional.

There is an excellent book by John Prebble called The Highland Clearances that outlines the history and events of this period in Scottish history that explodes some of the commonly held myths and gives a good grounding in the subject and a general understanding of the period of migrations and upheavals throughout Europe will also help put it in context,

[Jock Scot]

I won't argue because of forum rules and getting off topic, but I somewhat disagree.

I do realise that we are on thin ice here and I know that neither of us want to come to verbal blows.However potato blight is an act of nature and I do not see that humans can be blamed for that.Goodness knows I spend many tens of thousands of pounds a year trying to keep potato blight at bay and often it still beats me!

For those terrible potato famine years they had no chemicals or knowhow to help them.I am genuinely very interested to hear why you think as you do,perhaps I have missed something.

[BEEDEE]

The problem with history is that it is usually written by the 'victors'. I don't mean that in a strictly military sense, but as the group that comes out on top, regardless of the circumstances. The clearances were, in the main part, inflicted on the populace by the Sots landed gentry who probably did not have vested interest in clearly documenting their actions.

So while the clearances played a major part in the Scots diaspora, it's not a well documented or taught history.

Brian

[Sheep In Wolf's Clothing]

There is an excellent book by John Prebble called The Highland Clearances that outlines the history and events of this period in Scottish history that explodes some of the commonly held myths and gives a good grounding in the subject and a general understanding of the period of migrations and upheavals throughout Europe will also help put it in context,

Ah McClef beat me to it! This was a great book on the subject. Actually I enjoyed and was enlightened by all of Prebble's books. I am troubled that history is very "under taught" in schools in Canada. (Along with music!) I had a wonderful history teacher that helped me realize that the romantic tales fed to us by movies and fictional books are great, and have their place, but the real history of any people is much more fascinating. I am much better for it.

Sara

[Kid Cossack]

re: "the good guys."

If you can show me a clan, a tribe, or a nation that has never done any other clan, tribe or nation dirty, I'll show you a clan, tribe or nation that never had the chance.

I like the blues, because it's a mixture of the sacred and the profane----just like us. We're killer apes, with a spark of the divine.

[Farlander]

...
For those terrible potato famine years they had no chemicals or knowhow to help them.I am genuinely very interested to hear why you think as you do,perhaps I have missed something.

One could argue that planting only potatoes as a personal food source did not help matters.

[slohairt]

History is poorly taught everywhere. Here in Canada, a lot of Canadians laugh at Americans who know little about Canada while they themselves know little more!

I remember commenting on clans and chiefs in a different thread and I have some rather strong opinions about them, but I won't bother repeating them again. I personally think the adulation some have for the institution is simply a continuation of the 'Balmoralisation' of the 19th Century. (Maybe it is just the Irishman from the Republic in me talking!)

Though I am loathe to use a Braveheart quote on this forum () I'll quote Hamish, because it truly sums up my view on them: A bunch of scheming b*st*rds who cannot agree on the colour of sh*te!

P.S. If you're referring to An Gorta Mór, Greg, I'll just say that it was a complicated matter that involved a lot of factors. However, events leading up to that period in history can certainly be blamed on some.