Scotland's Role In The Revolutionary War

A nation is defined as a large group of people that associate with a particular territory and is united in seeking to form a government of that area. The United States, in the Revolutionary War, fought for independence, just as many other nation-states have done so over the years. The history of a formal Scotland can be traced back to the 9th century, or earlier by some accounts. On September 18, 2014, the people of Scotland, after a very long and intense campaign, voted to stay as a part of the United Kingdom. The recent vote in Scotland, where the supporters of independence were outvoted by about 10%, is hard to understand without first understanding the long and storied past of the nation. Just north of the location of the Roman Empire’s Hadrian’s Wall lies the present day border between Scotland and England. The Roman’s and later Christian missionaries inhabited the territory. In the late 9th century, the people of what would become Scotland – the Picts and the Scots were united after the death Kenneth MacAlpin, King of the Scots of Dalriada (Maclean 21). As Scottish King, starting in 1034, Duncan won land well into present day England. The Norman Conquest of England in 1066 was a turning point for English and Scottish relations, as England would now play a much greater role in the affairs of Scotland

The Treaty of the Union was supposed to keep the Scottish government and society intact, but as time went on, British parliament encroached on Scottish sovereignty (Greer 44). From 1950 to 1997, the SNP garnered a shockingly high level of support, to a high of 30% in 1974 (49). In 1999, the Scottish Parliament took regional power away from the British parliament. This was an important move in the history of Scotland’s independence. Since the early 18th century Treaty, Scotland had not had direct legislative control of their