The Darien Scheme Iron money chest used by trading companies for security SCO 6066
In 1665 the Scottish Parliament established the 'Company of Scotland Trading to Africa and the Indies' and set up a Scottish Colony and world trading centre at Darien in Central America The original directors of the Company of Scotland were Scottish and English in equal numbers, with the risk investment capital being shared half from the English and Dutch, and the other half from the Scots. However under pressure from the East India Company, afraid of loosing their trade monopoly, the English Parliament withdrew its support for the scheme at the last minute, forcing the English and Dutch to withdraw and leaving the Scots as sole investors. No shortage of takers though as thousands of ordinary Scottish folk invested money in the expedition, to the tune of approximately £500,000 - about half of the national capital available. Almost every Scot who had £5 to spare invested in the Darien scheme. Thousands more volunteered to travel on board the five ships that had been chartered to carry the pioneers to their new home where Scots could settle, including famine driven Highlanders and soldiers discharged following the Glencoe Massacre.
Size: 5620px × 3733px
Location: The Scottish National Museum of Scotland Chambers St Edinburgh Scotland.
Photo credit: © David Gowans / Alamy / Afripics
License: Licensed
Model Released: No
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