The Political History of Eighteenth-Century Scotland

This study looks afresh at the assumption that those in the Scottish parliament who voted for the Union of 1707 sold their country. The world of Scottish politics after the Union is then explored from the perspective of the people at the top of the ruling elite. It is the world of the “squadrone”, Argyll, Ilay, Bute and Dundas, where there was little civic virtue. Much is learned by looking at the century as a whole in describing their struggles, their motives and ideas, their place within the politics of Great Britain and the challenges to their complacency.

Reviews of The Political History of Eighteenth-Century Scotland

'Shaw's book is to be welcomed precisely because it is (courteously) provocative and because it tries to deal with problems rather than being concerned merely to deliver a narrative for those unfamiliar with the period.' – Emma Vincent Macleod, H-Albion 'The author sets out to discuss issues rather than provide a narrative for students who are wholly unfamiliar with the period. His work is clearly written and readable and the chapters are subdivided in a way that aids notemaking.' – Scottish Consultative Council on the Curriculum, Annotated Bibliography for Georgians and Jacobites: Scotland 1715-1800 'This…will make an ideal textbook for students in the expanded teaching of Scottish history that everyone wants to see.' – Michael Fry, The Herald