Scots in the Caribbean, 1600 1900

Emigration from Scotland to the Caribbean increased after 1763, with the end of the Seven Years War between Great Britain and France. Certain islands, previously French, became British and the British government promoted settlement there. Small numbers of Scots also went to the Dutch and Danish West Indies, and Britain also acquired colonies on the east coast of South America, where vast sugar plantations were developed. Scots emigrants to the Caribbean were mostly men who chose to leave their families at home, possibly due to the unhealthy climate in the West Indies. Ships voyaging between Scotland and the Caribbean illustrate trade routes from Scotland, with passengers and manufactures such as linen and metalware on the outbound voyages, and raw materials, generally cotton, tobacco, sugar, and mahogany on the return.