The forty-five

[Lindha]

How did the outcome of the forty-five change Scotland's future? Would Scotland today have been different if Bonnie Prince Charlie and his army had won at Culloden? And what if the Jacobites never would have tried to put Charles on the throne. Discuss...

[naebo_s]

It would have been a very different scotland.
We would have been a catholic nation. This would have meant we would have had different political allies and ties etc etc.

Who knows what could have happened if he had won.

[ANDY-J]

I don't think we would have become a catholic nation.Presbyterianism was too deeply ingrained within Scotland and even after victory at Culloden Prince Charles couldn't have imposed catholicism on a hostile population.He would either have had to adopt conventional religious beliefs or his position as monarch would have been untenable and short lived.

[legend75]

It's hard to say what would have come about should the outcome of the '45 been different. Although catholicism is rather infectious, Presbyterianism was well ingrained in the minds of the native population. Scotland's financial issue is an issue you might want to look into. With the state of affairs of the country at the time, the question is, would we have come under the domination of the Brits anyway? The country was used to squallor, but what about the Clan Nobility. They were known for their differentiation of opinion, and it takes a solid aggregation of power to keep up a new nation. As for Bonnie Prince Charlie, would iconography be enough to keep the country together? I have not come across any studies that promote the strength of the man's political prowess as external powers are concerned. However, loyalty is now and always has been strong in Scotland. There may be those out there who disagree with me, but they've got to realize the Highland point of view. Loyalty is defined differently in these terms.

[high_lander]

Well put.

[KevinBarclay-Jay]

There would not have been that many differences...Parliament (English) had reformed the monarchy and already beheaded one monarch...Charles would never have lasted as a King of Scots and his only chance of succes was to wrest the throne from George...This was not a hopeless event....some of the people involved were...It would be impossible to say what kid of King he would have made..but the amount of recoqnised brilliant poloticians that sought out the Jacobite courts must say something about their beleif in his ability to reign. The kings of the time...where no great shakes either, George II was treated as a joke even by common folk

i am in a minority
i am neither c of s or catholic
i am anglican!
willie