Scots are known throughout the world for their canny ways of buying. So much so that it has become part of our Scottish Culture. We make fun of ourselves continually calling it meanness but those who have ever studied the annual reports of the UK Charities Commission will know that on a basis of money donated that Scotland gives more to Charity per head of population than any other part of the UK. Just don’t let anyone else find that out.
The Royal Bank of Scotland is the most prosperous banks in the UK although it is no longer owned by the Scottish royal family. However it is public knowledge that the British Queen does bank with one of its constituent banks. For that matter so does the King of Soccer David Beckham and his wife!
Many of the most influential investment groups have either their headquarters or a main office in Scotland Lets face it anyone who wants to attract financially capable staff needs to have an office in Scotland.
Was this the reason why the American President Jefferson sent two Scottish Americans to take responsibility for the what was probably the most important real estate deal that America ever got involved in. If not the most important real estate deal in USA history it was almost certainly the largest.
One of the people sent by Jefferson was Robert Livingston a descendant of Lord Livingston who had served Guardian to the young Mary Queen of Scots after she was born 1542 so he clearly had a strong Scottish culture in his family background.He was also one of the five people who drafted the US Declaration of Independence with Thomas Jefferson, Benjamin Franklin, John Adams and Roger Sherman.
Some people have pointed to the very strong resemblance of the American Independence Declaration to the Scottish cultural equivalent the Declaration of Arbroath drawn up in 1320 claiming independence from the English conquerors. Livingston was also the person who administrated the oath of office to the new President no-one could doubt his importance in the establishment of the USA and a strong Scottish American whilst maintaining his Scottish Culture.
Together with fellow Scottish American James Munro he was sent by Jefferson to purchase 828,000 square miles of land from France. This land comprised of the states we now know as Iowa, Nebraska, Louisiana and Arkansas as well as most of Kansas, the two Dakotas, Oklahoma, Wyoming, Colorado, Montana and Minnesota.
Considering the total price paid was only $15 million these two Scottish Americans maximising their inherited Scottish culture background doubled the size of America at a cost of less than 3 cents an acre.
No doubt about it these two Scottish Americans were able to use their Scottish culture background with its canny financial skills and their knowledge of the real value of land in acquiring land. We have established a special website specially for Scottish Americans and others interested in their Scottish cultural connection on ScottishJerk.com If you thought these Scots buying so much land from the French was a bargain check out our Scottish land deal with this unique gift idea but very limited offer.