-
Oh dear. The problem with historical revisionism is that you need to know what you would be revising before you do it, Ramsaye, even if you are just trying to troll...
The English East India Company was established in 1600, over a century before James took the English throne. James IV, being made James 1 of England, because of was the closest descendant of English King Henry VIII, and who visited Scotland once after ascending the throne sitting instead as head of the English parliament, who was unpopular for trying to pursue a policy of pacifism in the face of the hawkish English lords' continual desire to go to war with Spain or lock up Catholics, his refusal to so so inspiring Guy Fawkes to attempt to blow up Parliament?
You can pursue this historical whataboutery as much as you want, but none of it really makes much odds. War was already underway in Ireland, "discovery" of the Americas already happened and the bones of Empire were already in place:
https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/English_overseas_possessionsThe most relevant fact is that there was huge resistance to Unionism in Scotland from a population that hadn't been consulted and whose parliament was-much like Brexit today-undermined by a wealthy clique who stood to gain financially. If anything, the Union also underlined the fundamental differences between England and Scotland that endure today and still make the case for independence: https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jacobean_debate_on_the_Union
You might also care to read Andy White man's The Poor Had No Lawyers to brush up on how Scotland's clan system was broken up as a means to remove resistance to the Union and what was tantamount to mass deportation or displacement of a huge percentage of the population then took place...
You are reading a single comment by @deleted and its replies.
Click here to read the full conversation.
deleted
Elizabeth 1st, the last English Queen only raided the Spanish and Portuguese colonial trade routes, her attempts at colony and empire were largely unsuccessful.
It was King of the Scots James VI/1st who after the treaty of London set about the job of creating British Colonies and the foundations of Empire.
So yes you’re right that Scotland shouldn’t bear equal responsibility in the blame game, it should shoulder the lions share.