What was Scotland Like in 1900? (SQA National 5 History): Revision Note

Summary

Scotland was a significant part of the British Empire. Glasgow was known as the ‘Second City of the Empire’.Glasgow’s lead in shipbuilding, engineering, and jute supplied imperial markets and, in time, helped equip the Empire for war. As production increased throughout the early 1900s, unrest grew among the working class, who were unhappy about low pay and dangerous working conditions. The trade union movement grew in the early 1900s as a response to the conditions. 

The political landscape was shifting from Liberal dominance towards a rising Labour movement. At the same time, women’s suffrage movements were campaigning for an extension of voting rights, while sectarian tensions grew in some parts of Scotland. The living conditions were challenging during this time. The working class faced overcrowded tenement buildings, poverty and poor health. TB and infant mortality were high during this time. Rural areas also faced challenges related to depopulation and crofting pressures.

The British Empire

• Scotland played an important role in the success of the British Empire

• Many important industries manufactured goods that were sold to imperial markets

  • Clyde shipyards, such as John Brown & Co. (Clydebank) built liners and warships

  • Dundee’s jute mills turned jute into sacks and ropes

• Banks, insurance firms and shipping companies based in Glasgow financed and managed trade throughout the Empire

  • For example, Clydesdale Bank financed local industry and commerce

• Missionaries from Scotland set up churches, schools and hospitals overseas, spreading religious ideas and literacy

  • Mary Slessor from Dundee travelled to Calabar, present-day Nigeria and opened mission schools, taught girls as well as boys, and promoted basic healthcare

Industry and unrest

• Scotland was known as a world leader in shipbuilding, coal, iron and steel engineering

  • The work was hazardous

  • Lanarkshire, Fife and Ayrshire coalfields employed tens of thousands; miners faced gas and dust disease

• Wages for industrial workers fluctuated according to trade cycles and demand

  • Lay-offs were common when fewer workers were needed 

• Workers began to organise themselves in response to their challenging working conditions

  • The Singer Strike (Clydebank) in 1911 was a response to managers increasing the workload without paying additional wages

• The early 1900s saw the growth of trade unions

  • The ILP (Independent Labour Party) and the Labour Party gave workers a political voice

The challenges Scottish people faced

Housing

• There were overcrowded living conditions in Glasgow’s Gorbals and Calton areas 

• Multiple families shared basic facilities such as bathrooms

• Dundee also had dense, poor-quality housing near the jute mills

Health

• Tuberculosis (TB) was common in overcrowded areas such as the Gorbals

• Infant mortality was high in inner-city areas such as Glasgow and Dundee

Poverty & Unemployment 

• The fluctuation in trade caused irregular work, layoffs and wage cuts

• Many women in Dundee jute factories earned low wages with little job security

Rural Issues 

• Depopulation in the Highlands and Islands was caused by young people leaving for Scottish cities or overseas, such as Canada

• The seasonal herring fishing industry decreased sharply 

• Small farms (crofts) struggled with poor soil and high rents