'Losing Sight of the Shore: How Edinburgh Doctors Led the British Imperial Century' with Professor Wendell McConnaha, 22 September 2022 1pm

Institute for Northern Studies Public Online Seminar Series

22 September 2022 1pm Online. Free and open to all to attend.

In the first of our INS Public Seminar Series Professor Wendell McConnaha will be exploring 'How Edinburgh Doctors Led the British Imperial Century'. During the British Imperial Century, between 1815-1915, the population of Scotland was one-fifth that of the population of England. Despite these differences, over one-half of the British explorers during this period were Scottish.The nature of exploration was changing and this transformation required a new league of explorer.  These men had to be willing to travel, be physically strong, curious, with the training and knowledge to see what was new, and the intellect and ability to explain their finds and their impact to others upon their return home. The interest in this new approach began to grow and the investigation and understanding of the natural world became integrated within these exploring missions alongside existing efforts related to expanding commerce within the British Empire.