When James Boswell first arrived in London, at the age of 20, it was impossible for him to hide his unease about his national origins. On meeting Dr. Johnson he announced, “I do indeed come from Scotland, but I cannot help it.” Johnson showed no surprise: “That, Sir,” he responded, “I find, is what a very great many of your countrymen cannot help.”
Modern Scots are rarely so sheepish about their background. But contemporary Scottish patriotism is often a caricatured affair, and in the popular mind Scottishness is identified with little more than bagpipes, Burns, tartans or whiskey. Mildly amusing, but hardly noteworthy.
In How the Scots Invented the Modern World, American historian Arthur Herman attempts to show how we underestimate the Scots and their influence. “People of Scottish descent are usually proud about their history and achievements,” he observes. “Yet even they know only the half of it.” The entertaining tales of Braveheart and the...
Mark Lovewell has held various senior roles at Ryerson University. He is also one of the magazine’s contributing editors.
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