A Higher World (1707 – 1815)
Michael Fry
Reading Order: Book 14
Pages: 394
Reason Book was Chosen: My wife and I travel to Scotland nearly every year. I love the place. It has the most rugged beauty I have ever seen. The history also fascinates me. Every time we go to Scotland, I see this set of three books by Michael Fry that each cover a time frame of Scottish history. I purchased some of the books and ordered the rest during my last trip to Scotland and can't wait to read them all in order this year.
My Thoughts
Well, I wanted to dig in deep to Scottish history, and this book did that. Michael Fry delved into political, agricultural, cultural, societal, legal, and religious ideas from 1707 – 1815 in Scotland. This covers the period where Scotland goes from an underdeveloped to developing industrial nation.
Here are some things I learned that really stuck out to me:
- The Jacobite rebellions (biggest ones in 1715 and 1745, but also one in 1708)
- Scottish folk tunes and how Beethoven and Hayden used them in their pieces
- Scotland attempted to repeal the Union (between England and Scotland) in the House of Lords in 1713, just 7 years after entering into it. It wouldn’t be attempted again until 2014.
- The common law of England and Scotland had different historical roots.
- Scotland had two languages (in addition to English) – Scots and Gaelic. Robert Burns is credited with largely keeping Scots alive.
This was the second of three books I’m reading about Scottish history between 1707 and 1914. It’s a fascinating history that I hope to continue to dig into throughout my life.
