by Frances Watt
We don't remember doing a Twitter poll which has returned such a one-sided result.
To receive almost 11,000 views is one thing, but over 2.5k votes is remarkable.
The comments in response to the poll have given us much food for thought because it turns out that we know next-to-nothing about the 'Clearances' and have a lot of reading to do, especially about what happened in Southern Scotland.
There's certainly no shortage of research material available. (Please see The Scottish History Society link below.)
People have strong feelings about the material and although John Prebble's 1973 book is probably the best-known, there are those who claim his account is an overly romanticised version. The topic has also been explored by figures such as James Hunter and Tom Devine but there are other Scottish historians who have little to say about the phenomenon.
There is also disagreement on whether or not the subject was ever taught in Scottish schools. In our experience it was not. The closest we had to any mention of that period (in primary school in Glasgow in the early 1970s) was a cursory look at Culloden.
As an example of a contentious issue which influences discourse around questions of identity and historical revisionism, the word 'clearance' appears to generate more heat than light. Some might suggest that there were no 'clearances' at all, just a long series of 'unfortunate' incidents made inevitable by the onset of industrialisation and agricultural 'improvement'.
Whatever the truth of the matter, there does seems to be a consensus (from reaction to our poll at any rate) that informing schoolchildren about the period is important. How that should happen, and what sources should be used, is wide open for debate.
The Highland Clearances (scottishhistorysociety.com)
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