Darien - Scottish Colonial Disaster in 1700
Scotland's Failed Empire Helped to Create Britain
Oct 29, 2008
William Paterson’s Vision of a Lucrative Colony at Darien
William Paterson was born in Dumfries and Galloway in the south-east of Scotland, in 1648. An enterprising trader, he was to have a profound influence on the social development of Scotland, and indeed Britain, for two primary reasons. Firstly, he founded the Bank of England in 1694. Secondly, he was the driving force behind Scotland’s attempt to establish an overseas colony: a ruinous undertaking that was to lead to Scotland seeking political unification with England, creating the Kingdom of Britain in 1707.
Paterson pinpointed a strip of land, called Darien, in central America (occupying part of the modern day Republic of Panama). Anticipating the Panama Canal by over two centuries he saw this territory as key to anchoring trans-continental trade. By establishing a foothold on this narrow isthmus, a Scottish colony would control a lucrative trade route. Ships could unload cargo from Atlantic voyages, to be transported the short distance to Darien’s Pacific coast; and vice versa.
Paterson’s shortcut would pre-empt the treacherous sailing around the mountainous Southern Ocean at Cape Horn. It would increase the frequency of trade. It would make investors fabulously rich. Paterson described Darien as “The door of the seas, the keys of the universe”.
Scotland Becomes the Sole Investor in the Darien Scheme
From the inception of his ambitious plan in 1695 he managed to raise £600,000. Half of this came from Scottish coffers: a massive proportion of the small country’s national wealth in the 17th century. The remainder would be raised in England, The Netherlands and the Holy Roman Empire. However, King William III was not supportive so English investors got cold feet. The Scots were left to carry the risk of the entire venture.
The First Emigrants Leave Scotland for Central America
Nevertheless in July 1698, a flotilla of boats carrying 1,200 emigrants made ready for the epic westwards trek. They saw themselves as pioneers, preparing to lay the foundations of Scotland’s first colony since Nova Scotia. (Scotland’s previous settlement, on Canada’s eastern seaboard, had been enshrined by their settlers’ law as being part of mainland Scotland. It was sold under their feet to France by King Charles I in 1631).
Paterson’s strategy was to send a further two parties within the year, to bolster the settlement. Eventually the trading would commence, with the overland freight route paving the way for a canal.
The first wave of Scotland’s intrepid Empire builders departed Leith docks, to the north of Edinburgh, carrying a nation’s hopes. Within four months they weighed anchor, establishing a fort and compound they named New Edinburgh. However, they was beset by problems from the outset.
Problems Facing the Darien Settlers: Disease, Monsoons, King William III
During the lengthy voyage most of their provisions became rotten. Worse still, they discovered their immediate environment was not some tropical paradise. While the land route between the oceans may have looked a tempting proposition on a map, the reality would mean hacking through miles of dense jungle. Their arrival coincided with the monsoon season, and many of New Edinburgh’s hopeful inhabitants soon succumbed to fever.
Politics added to their woes. Approaching the English colonies on Jamaica for assistance, they were turned down on King William’s express orders: he did not want to cause ill-feeling with Spain, who had also claimed Darien.
New Edinburgh is Abandoned
After less than a year New Edinburgh’s starving and depleted survivors were left with no option but to abandon their venture and return home. International communication was non-existent in the late 17th century, so by the time this dejected first wave were crossing the Atlantic, the second and third waves of settlers were already heading in the opposite direction. Arriving at Darien in November 1699, rather than bolstering a thriving community they were horrified to come across an abandoned shanty town and extensive burial grounds. Trying in vain to regenerate this toe-hold of the Scottish Empire, they faced similar hostile conditions: lack of food, tropical storms, fever and non co-operative English neighbours. Worse was to follow when a Spanish Army laid siege to their colony for several weeks. The Scots surrendered Darien on 1 April 1700.
Their three remaining ships set sail for Scotland. In yet another cruel twist of fate, severe storms sank them before they reached Florida.
The End of Scotland’s Colony and the Beginning of the British Empire
Paterson’s pipe dream of establishing a Scottish Empire had cost 2,000 lives and 300,000 Scottish pounds. Far from creating a lucrative trading colony Scotland was now facing financial ruin. Perhaps the venture had been doomed from the start, given the intimidating conditions and difficulty of establishing lines of communication over a vast ocean. But the fact was that King William, who was the monarch of England and Scotland, had favoured Spanish interests over the survival of his own subjects.
Scotland was left with no option but to enter into political union with England, swallowing national pride but gaining access to the well-established trade routes of their distrusted neighbours. Seven years later, two of Europe’s oldest and fiercest rivals signed the Act of Union to became Britain. Scotland’s failed 17th century colonists had paved the way for a partnership in what was to become, over the next hundred years, the world’s largest ever Empire.
