Blackwell Reference Online

Extract

The Glencoe Massacre took place on the morning of February 13, 1692. Two companies under Captain Robert Campbell of Glenlyon, whom the MacDonalds of Glencoe had peaceably billeted for nearly two weeks in the Western Highlands of Scotland, began a rampage against their hosts, leaving over 38 dead. The massacre became symbolic – an act of political terrorism on behalf of the English government and its sympathizers in lowland Scotland. The massacre reveals the complex political relationship between England, lowland Scotland, and highland Scotland in the wake of William III's succession. Two issues were of particular relevance. On the one hand, William's invasion in the so-called “Glorious Revolution” necessitated that Scots choose between James VII and William of Orange. On the other hand, it heightened tension between lowland elites, who tended to favor a closer union with England, and highland clans, who emphasized their independence. When the Edinburgh-based Scottish parliament accepted William as their king, highland Scots revolted. These Jacobites, supporters of James VII, were defeated decisively by late 1691. The pretext for attacking the MacDonalds was a result of King William's directive requiring all Scottish chieftains to sign an oath of allegiance to the crown by January 1, 1692. Through a series of unfortunate events, chief Alexander MacDonald, also known as Alasdair ... log in or subscribe to read full text