Trade and Industry
In the early 18th century, many manufacturing trades were still
operating as they had done in the Middle Ages. This would soon
change, and the pace of change was fastest in the growing
cities.
Merchants and new prosperity
Follow how Glasgow in particular benefited from the expansion of
overseas trade following the Act of Union. The tobacco and sugar
trades were the foundations of the city's success (Case 2).
Coal and iron
Coal and iron were the essential ingredients in the take-off of
industrial manufacture which began in the 18th century. The
foundation of the Carron Ironworks in 1759 was a milestone in
Scotland's industrial development. Soon Scotland became a world
leader in the smelting and founding of iron.
Wrought and cast iron had a great range of industrial and
domestic uses, from the carronade (ship’s gun), perhaps the most
famous product of the Carron Ironworks, to a cast iron teapot (Case
10).
Later, with the development in 1856 of the Bessemer converter
which enabled bulk steel making, steel came into the picture (Case
11). One of Scotland's most famous steel structures is the Forth
Rail Bridge.
Money comes of age
If coal was the fuel of the Industrial Revolution, money was
also essential to make the wheels turn. Displays illustrate how
Scotland took the lead in many aspects of banking and insurance,
pioneering branch banking, the wide acceptance of banknotes and the
overdraft (Cases 12 and 13).