In Scotland, the 18th century opened in 1707 with the Union of Parliaments which marked the prelude of an institutional and economic fusion with England. However, this union was not deprived of confrontations, disillusions and open conflicts. Armed uprisings and political jousting dominated the Scottish scene until 1745. After the last Jacobite uprising was crushed, the Highlands were opened to anglo-saxon influences and the second half of the century witnessed an economic and cultural boom. Thanks to a refined society and an intellectual elite, Edinburgh came to be known as the “Athens of the North” and the Scottish Enlightenment pushed Scotland at the forefront of European culture. The Scots’ ambition to be fully part of the Union translated into their significant contribution in the success of the British Empire.
- Enseignant: Demaubus Thierry