Scotland’s Links To Empire, Colonialism & Historic Slavery: Social Media Resource

This resource is to support the museum sector when answering questions on social media about Scotland’s involvement with empire, colonialism, and historic slavery. The document was based on:    

• Comments and questions MGS have received about the Empire, Slavery, and Scotland’s Museums project.   
• Comments and questions museums in Scotland have received when discussing their work investigating the links with the legacies of empire, colonialism, and historic slavery in their collections. 

The principles for responding to comments that we’ve used to underpin this document are:   

• Phrase responses in a way that is sensitive and respectful.   
• Taking the essence of disrespectful comments and interpret them in connection to wider themes.  
• Be sure to link to more information to get around Twitter’s small character limit. 

Q1. How was Scotland involved in historic chattel slavery? Isn’t this just an American problem?  

To find out more about Scotland’s links with historic chattel slavery please take a look at this resources page in particular this migration timeline resource from the Empire Museum.  

Q2. Is this history still relevant to Scotland?  

Recent research has revealed a number of ways in which historic slavery and the Scottish involvement in empire and colonialism have shaped modern Scotland and the legacies are still with us today. Knowing more about these legacies expands on our existing knowledge about Scotland’s relationship to the rest of the world.  

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Research shows how historic slavery & Scottish involvement in empire and colonialism have shaped modern Scotland. The legacies are still with us today. Knowing about these legacies expands our existing knowledge about Scotland’s relationship to the world. More info: http://bit.ly/3QU2krC  

Q3. Is this history relevant for people who live outside of Scotland’s major cities?  

Scotland is facing up to the reality that for more than two centuries, its economy was closely tied to imperial trade and conquest, including the enslavement of human beings. People from all over Scotland were participants in and drivers of the British Empire, both at home and overseas, and the profits of these ventures helped to build the cities, towns, villages, homes, and infrastructure that are part of our society today. These colonial ventures have profound human consequences, developing and advancing racist and prejudiced views that persist today. To find out more about Scotland’s involvement in imperial trade and conquest look at this National Museums Scotland page. 

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1. Scotland’s economy was tied to imperial trade & conquest. Scots were involved in the Empire, both at home & overseas as politicians, traders, settlers, colonial administrators, soldiers, missionaries and forced migrants. This has profound human consequences, developing and advancing racist & prejudiced views that persist today. http://bit.ly/3D18pwp 
2. The wealth generated from the systems of empire, colonialism & historic slavery enriched Scotland at the expense of the places which were colonised. Today, the legacies and links remain between Scotland and its international diaspora. More info: http://bit.ly/3D18pwp   

Q4. People in Scotland have been persecuted and colonised. Why are we not looking at this history?  

The histories of oppression are frequently intertwined and exploring the depth and breadth of our history will help to explore some of those connections. For example, there are connections between the Highland Clearances, the Scottish people involved in the management of empire, and the ownership of enslaved Africans, information can be found on MGS’s resources page  

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1. Histories of oppression are frequently intertwined. Exploring the breadth of our history helps to uncover some of those connections. Info: https://bit.ly/37tclpI  
2. Histories of oppression are frequently intertwined. E.g. there are connections between the Highland Clearances, the Scottish people involved in the management of empire & the ownership of enslaved Africans. Explore examples at: https://bit.ly/325NicB 

Q5. Why is the history of Scotland’s involvement in empire, colonialism, and historic slavery relevant for people with a working class heritage?   

The histories of oppression are frequently intertwined and expanding our knowledge about Scotland’s global reach will help to explore some of those connections, for example between mill workers and unions who campaigned for the abolition of the transatlantic trade in enslaved Africans. However, the reliance on the labour of enslaved people was throughout society, including shipbuilders on the Clyde who were building boats to run the blockades of the US so that they could get their cotton to keep local industries going. Read more about the connections between histories of oppression. 

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1. Histories of oppression are frequently intertwined and expanding our knowledge about Scotland’s global reach will help to explore some of those connections. Find examples of these connections at https://bit.ly/3izN4R3 and https://bit.ly/2Uafgk6  
2. (Thread) Histories of oppression are frequently intertwined and expanding our knowledge about Scotland’s global reach will help to explore some of those connections. E.g. mill workers, unions and abolition. (1/2 ). (2/2) However, reliance on labour of enslaved people was throughout society, incld shipbuilders on the Clyde who built boats to run the blockades of the US so they could get their cotton to keep local industries going. Info: https://bit.ly/3izN4R3 + https://bit.ly/2Uafgk6   

Q6. Should we focus on modern day slavery instead?  

It’s important to place modern slavery in the context of the long history of human slavery from ancient times, through all societies, to the present. There are distinctive features and legacies of the transatlantic trade in enslaved Africans (historic chattel slavery) as explained in this article. 

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It’s important to place modern slavery in context of the history of human slavery through all societies, to the present. There are distinctive features + legacies of the transatlantic trade in enslaved Africans (historic chattel slavery), explained at https://bit.ly/3xz12XG  

Q7. Why is it important for museums to explore Scotland’s links with empire, colonialism, and historic slavery?  

Scottish museum collections, and sometimes their founding stories, have significant connections to empire, colonialism, and historic slavery. More knowledge about this area of history will allow greater insight into Scotland’s past as well as the ongoing legacies of this history, in the form of buildings, institutions, social change and collections. Find out more about Scottish museums and connections to empire, colonialism, and historic slavery. 

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Scottish museums have significant connections to empire, colonialism & historic slavery. Knowledge about this area of history will allow greater insight into Scotland’s past & the ongoing legacies of this history. More info: https://bit.ly/3g8Dtz9 and https://bit.ly/3iBHFck. 

Q8. Museums are for fun, relaxation, or inspiration. Why do we want to tell challenging histories in these spaces? Will this ruin spending time in them?  

This is sensitive history, but more knowledge is better than less knowledge, and many popular museums already deal with sensitive histories in ways that educate and sometimes inspire. Knowledge about Scotland’s links to empire, colonialism, and historic slavery connects to aspects of everyday life, including the foods we consume (sugar, chocolate, tea, etc.). There are also many inspiring stories that should be told of incredible acts of resistance and resilience, including the Haitian revolution, in which a small group of enslaved people defeated French and British colonial armies.  

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1. (thread)   

This is sensitive history, but more knowledge is better than less knowledge, and many popular museums already deal with sensitive histories in ways that educate and sometimes inspire. 1/2  

2/2 Knowledge about Scotland’s links to empire, colonialism & historic slavery connects to aspects of everyday life. There are many inspiring stories too of incredible acts of resistance & resilience. More info: https://bit.ly/37tclpI  

 2.  Many popular museums deal with sensitive histories in ways that educate & sometimes inspire. Knowledge about Scotland’s links to empire, colonialism & historic slavery connects to aspects of everyday life & there are many inspiring stories too of incredible acts of resistance & resilience.  

Q9. Do museums want to make people feel guilty about their heritage? What good will it do?  

It is important to acknowledge that sensitive histories do bring powerful emotions to the surface. However, more knowledge about this area of history will allow greater insight into Scotland’s past as well as the ongoing legacies of sensitive histories, in the form of buildings, institutions, social change and collections, information which can be found on the MGS resource page. Further more information can be found in the Curatorial thoughts on decolonisation blog. 

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It is important to acknowledge that sensitive histories do bring powerful emotions to the surface. However, more knowledge about this area of history will allow greater insight into Scotland’s past as well as the ongoing legacies of this history. Info: https://bit.ly/3iABc1e  

Q10. Why are museums getting involved in a political debate/ left agenda?  

Scotland’s historical and contemporary connections with empire, colonialism, slavery, and racism are integral to the stories museum audiences discover. This project is essential to Scotland expanding and deepening our understanding of history in all its complexity.  

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Scotland’s historical & contemporary connections with empire, slavery & colonialism are integral to the stories museum audiences discover. This project is essential to Scotland expanding and deepening our understanding of history in all its complexity. These blogs have more info: https://bit.ly/3g8Dtz9 and https://bit.ly/3iBHFck.   

Q11. Are museums in Scotland working to diversify the sector?  

Equality, Diversity & Inclusion in Scottish Heritage project is working to embed better working and engagement practices and policies across the Scottish heritage sector.  

Q12. Why would I want to participate in/visit a racist museum?  

The Empire, Slavery & Scotland’s Museums public consultation recognises that for many people museums have been places that they have found to be traumatising and harmful as the stories they tell are shaped by the racist legacies of empire, colonialism, and historic slavery.  

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The Empire, Slavery & Scotland’s Museums project recognises that for many people museums have been places that they’ve found to be traumatising + harmful as they are shaped by racist legacies of empire, colonialism & historic slavery. 

This digital resilience toolkit from #ShePersisted was created to support women in politics, but the advice in it can be applied to handling different situations of online abuse.

Museums Association: Communicating decolonisation guidance