Scottish History For Dummies

Learn about: The history of Scotland from the Stone Age to today The Industrial Revolution and Highland Clearances Independence drives through the ages World wars and the 20th century Explore the rich and fascinating history of Scotland Want to discover how a small country on the edge of northern Europe packs an almighty historical punch? Scottish History For Dummies is your guide to the story of Scotland and her place within the historical narratives of Britain, Europe and the rest of the world. From the Beaker people right up to the present day, its all inside. Meet the peoples of Scotland get to know how the peoples who lived through the Stone, Bronze and Iron ages lived, what they ate and how they were viewed by the Romans Witness the making of a kingdom discover how the Kingdom of Alba came to be thanks largely to the actions of Kenneth MacAlpin, whose Gaels defeated the Picts Encounter the superheroes of Scottish history meet the men whose battles against English domination created the nation of Scotland: William Wallace and Robert the Bruce Travel through Great Britain and its Empire explore the events surrounding the unmaking of Scotland as a nation during the 18th century and how they impacted Scottish national identity Explore an industrial economy pull back the curtain on how Scotland was built into an industrial economy by inventors, explorers and missionaries Open the book and find: The Roman invasion and (near) conquest of Scotland Scotlands politics, languages and religion The reigns of William I, Alexander II and Alexander III The Wars of Independence Scotland during the Renaissance Charles I and the Wars of the Three Kingdoms Industrialisation and the Highland Clearances The making of modern Scotland

Introduction 1 Part I: Getting Started with Scottish History 5 Chapter 1: Welcome to Scotland 7 Chapter 2: From Nomads to Farmers: The Earliest Peoples 13 Chapter 3: Disunited Kingdoms (80–750) 21 Part II: Making the Kingdom (840–1286) 31 Chapter 4: The Kingdom of Alba (840–1040) 33 Chapter 5: Good Kings, Bad Kings and a Saintly Queen (1034–1153) 43 Chapter 6: Peace and Plenty? (1153–1286) 57 Part III: Making the Nation (1286–1542) 69 Chapter 7: The Wars of Independence (1286–1371) 71 Chapter 8: The Foundations of the Stewar t Dynast y (1371–1460) 91 Chapter 9: Renaissance Scotland (1460–1542) 109 Part IV: The Unmaking of a Nation (1540–1750) 131 Chapter 10: From Reformation to the Union of the Crowns (1540–1625) 133 Chapter 11: King, Commonwealth and Revolution (1625–1690) 157 Chapter 12: The Unmaking of a Nation (1690–1750) 179 Part V: The Remaking of a Nation (1750–1918) 199 Chapter 13: A Nation in Transition (1750–1832) 201 Chapter 14: The Making of Modern Scotland (1832–1918) 227 Part VI: New Beginnings (1918–2000) 257 Chapter 15: The Devil’s Decades: Politics and Poverty (1918 –1945) 259 Chapter 16: The Rebirth of a Nation (1945–2000) 271 Part VII: The Part of Tens 287 Chapter 17: Ten Great Places to Visit in Scotland 289 Chapter 18: Ten Little–Known Scottish People Who Are Worth Knowing About 295 Chapter 19: Ten Things Scotland Has Given to the World 305 Index 311

William Knox, PhD, is a Senior Lecturer of History at the University of St Andrews, Scotlands first university.