Question on European/British Isles history

[ConservativeDude]

I don't understand the 1745 Jacobite uprising in Scotland

[ConservativeDude]

If someone could enlighten me on this, I would be grateful. What I do get is that the Jacobites were trying to restore the rather absolutist Stuart monarchy. That would seem to me to be a bad thing, and I think that is the perspective of Whig historians (Correct?). They were trying to reverse, as it were, the Glorious Revolution. (Correct?)

But...unless I have my facts mixed up...weren't the Jacobites also supported by some Scottish clans? If that is the case, I don't understand why. Aren't the clans the freedom-loving ancestors of the American revolution? What am I missing here?

Or is it the case that the Jacobites, who were plotting with the French (correct?), were just joined by everyone who had a beef with the English, hence some of the Highlanders support for them?

If someone could enlighten me and perhaps others and explain the major players in this episode, I would be grateful.

[GoforBroke]

There are a number of good accounts on this site:

http://www.electricscotland.com/history/index.htm

[NonValueAdded]

ping

[Pharmboy]

I'm no expert on Jacobite history, but I do know that Hugh Mercer, who died a hero's death at the Battle of Princeton, was at the bloody Battle of Culloden in 1746 which essentially ended the Jacobite dream of putting Bonnie Prince Charles on the throne. See here:



General Hugh Mercer: Highland Rebel and Hero of the American Revolution -- 3/28/02

By Jeffrey Edmunds, CRRL Staff

As proud as this region is of its connections to General George Washington, he was not its only Revolutionary War hero. Virginians from the Rappahannock Valley bled on battlefields from Canada to Georgia, and covered themselves with glory. Hugh Mercer's memory is especially deserving of recollection and respect.
Scottish Rebel
Pennsylvania Indian Fighter
Fredericksburg Physician
Revolutionary War Soldier
In Memoriam
Further Reading

Scottish Rebel

Hugh Mercer was born in 1726 in Aberdeenshire, Scotland. He came from a long line of Presbyterian clergymen, and his father was the minister of Pitsligo Parish Church. For four years he studied medicine at Marischal College, today a constituent part of the University of Aberdeen.

In 1745 "Bonnie Prince Charlie" landed in Scotland to reclaim the throne lost by his grandfather in 1688. The Prince assembled an army, and it appeared for a time that he might actually topple his hated Hanoverian rivals in London. Nineteen-year-old Hugh Mercer enthusiastically joined the Prince's cause as an assistant surgeon, only to see it collapse. The end came at Culloden Moor on April 16, 1746, with the bloody crushing of the Prince's army by the soldiers of King George II.

Now a hunted rebel, Mercer fled back to Aberdeenshire where he lived in hiding for almost a year. His life and liberty were in danger every moment. In March 1747 he finally managed to buy passage on a ship to the New World and left Scotland forever.

[NonValueAdded]

Thanks, PB. I knew I was calling in the experts.

[SunkenCiv]

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[Da_Shrimp]

were just joined by everyone who had a beef with the English

It would be a grave mistake to view the Jacobite conflict as simply Scots v English. It was rather more complex than that!

[ConservativeDude]

That is what I am trying to understand, the complexity of it.

Because on the face of it, nothing makes sense. That Scots who would later support American independence would try to put a Stuart back on the throne makes no sense.

If you can enlighten us with a explanation, that would be awesome. Many thanks.

[ConservativeDude]

Thanks for that post. It underscores that there was definitely a pattern of Scot Presbyterians supporting Bonnie Prince Charles, and then later supporting American Independence.

I do not understand why they would support the re-ascent of a Stuart....unless somehow they thought that the Hanoverians were worse? The Stuarts aren't exactly republicans or parliamentarians....

[Pharmboy]

See here for a discussion of the amazing John Witherspoon (talk about your fighting Presbyterians, aye) and here.

Also, see here for Calvinism and the Revolution.

[Pharmboy]

Would you agree that after Bloody Culloden it became more of exactly that (i.e., Scots vs. English)?

[Little Ray]

The Stewarts (Stuarts) were also the kings of Scotland. It was an emotional issue, not a rational one. Scotland wanted their own king, not a Dutchman, and not the English Parliament where they were greatly outvoted.
In the process, they managed to miss the fact "Bonnie Prince Charlie" was probably more French than Scottish in upbringing and outlook...

[the scotsman]

The 1715 and 1745 uprisings were indeed to put the dictatorial Stuarts back on the throne,due to romantic nonsense notions of a 'free and liberal' restored Stuart-Scottish monarchy that would be a panacea for all Scotland's ills(the fact that the British-born Stuarts were exiled due to their dictatorial ways was and has been forgotten and whitewashed....).

This was NOT Scotland vs England,but Catholic pro-Stuart highlanders vs the Govt and the rest,both Protestant and Catholic(some Catholic highlanders even supported the Govt).

Unfortunately,in modern times,the romanticised tosh that passes for history has rendered it a Scots vs English battle(more Scots fought at Culloden AGAINST Charlie!) and that the Stuarts were just poor Scots kings conspired against by the big bad English and their Scots lackeys.....

[ConservativeDude]

Thank you. Extremely helpful.

What is puzzling though is why ANY Scottish Presbyterians would fight on behalf of the Stuarts against the sitting Crown. It appears that they were stricken with the romanticism that you mention. Many of these same people came to help American independence, so, from that perspective, we are glad that they had a history of fighting against the Crown - even if their initial efforts were misguided.

[ConservativeDude]

I recall also that Knox was the personal tutor of James vi/James I. Isn't that right?

I recall also that his student though he got rid of Catholic rulers, was not much for that part of Knox's political theory which said that the people have the right to remove a lawless king (even a Presbyterian one, for that matter!).

I think among other things that this demonstrates is the folly or at least extremely limited applicability of the notion that "my enemy's enemy is my friend."

(Just being against English /European Catholic monarchs in the 16th century doesn't necessarily make one a friend of Scotland, let alone a friend of liberty).

[Vanders9]

Someone on a recent British TV show summarised this very nicely. It went something like this:

The 45 rebellion: On one side was an army of Highland Scots, together with some French, Irish and English (from Manchester if you must know) lead by a pinply half polish, half italian who was illiterate in three languages. On the other was an army of English, Lowland scots, highland scots and a few merenaries, lead by a fat german who was probably the most unpleasant person who has ever lived.

[SunkenCiv]

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