LEARNING INTENTIONS

• Describe Scotland’s role in the Atlantic Slave Trade

• Explain whether or not you believe Scotland played a major role in the slave trade

Although it was mainly other parts of Britain that were involved in slavery, Scotland had a role too. This included building ships, slave ships setting sale and selling slave

grown products.

Scotland was not actually a part of Britain until 1707, meaning it

was excluded from trading with British colonies until then.

However once it joined some Scots saw a chance to make money by doing

this.

A great deal of merchants in Glasgow bought and sold various products which were grown by

slaves, including sugar, tobacco and cotton.

However most of these merchants only sold the products, they did not actually buy and sell

slaves.

Some slave ships left from Scottish ports (mostly Greenock

and Port Glasgow).

However they only carried a small

number of slaves (5000 out of Britain’s 3 million) and ended

after 1766.

Other Scots were involved in setting up businesses that had strong slave links.

The Bank of England was founded by a Scot (William Paterson)

and funded businesses with slave links.

Richard Oswald set up a slave trade post in

Africa.

Richard Oswald

Oswald was one of the main slave traders from

Scotland.

Oswald’s company owned a slave fort in Sierra

Leone.

Oswald lived in Auchencruive House, near

Ayr. This is now called Oswald Hall.

Other companies with slave links had Scottish

roots too.

Greenock had a large sugar industry, with strong links to those slaves growing the

product.

Other Scots worked as slave traders and in

associated industries.

Parts of Scotland also indirectly benefitted from

the slave trade too.

For instance, the herring industry (fishing) saw bigger sales to help the food needs of the slave

economies.

Interestingly, a look at Jamaica gives an

indication of strong Scottish links.

Slaves were often given the surname of their

owner. Around 60% of people in the Jamaican

telephone directory have Scottish surnames e.g.

McDonald.