11. What impact did the Scots have in their new countries?

Angus McMillan from Skye has been accused of the murder of Aborigines in the Australian state of Victoria.

James Ramsay MacDonald was born in Lossiemouth. He never knew his father who was a farm labourer. His mother was a servant. He emigrated to England and became involved in trade unions and the Labour Party. He was Britain's first Labour Prime Minister in 1924.

Andrew Carnegie was born in Dunfermline but his family emigrated to the USA. Carnegie made millions in the US steel industry and in railroads. He was famous for giving his money away for libraries and other community purposes. He famously said "The man who dies rich dies ashamed."

1. Scots migrants were usually keen to educate their children. They set up schools and colleges.



2. They took their Protestant and sometimes the Catholic religion.



3. Many Scots became important politicians in countries like Canada, Australia and New Zealand.



4. Andrew Carnegie from Dunfermline was the world’s richest man in 1906. He gave all his money away to good causes.



5. Don’t forget the Scots in England! E.g. Ramsay Macdonald became the leader of the Labour Party.

BUT …

Scots were not angels! Scots were often guilty of treating Native American Indians badly. The same happened in Australia where Scots sometimes attacked Aborigines. From "The Scotsman":

A SCOTTISH pioneer revered as one of Australia's foremost explorers faces being erased from maps amid accusations that he was responsible for the cold-blooded murder of hundreds of aborigines.

The aborigines are calling for the electoral district of McMillan in the southern state of Victoria to be renamed out of respect for the men, women and children they say were slaughtered by Angus McMillan and his 'Highland Brigade' in the massacre of Warrigal Creek.

The 1843 massacre was one of several attributed to McMillan, originally from Glenbrittle, Skye, and his band of Scottish settlers, who styled themselves the 'Highland Brigade'. They are accused of carrying out a genocidal campaign against the aborigines for a decade.