Inside The Darién Scheme, Scotland’s Miserably Failed Attempt To Build A Colony In The Americas

The Catastrophic Effort To Support The Colony

This chest was used to carry documents and money for the establishment of the Darién colony.

Since news traveled slow in those days, Scotland was unaware of the failure of the first mission. So as the first colonists were traveling back, the country was already sending a second expedition on the same ill-fated journey.

Only after the original settlers had reached safety did they learn that more ships — carrying about 1,300 colonists — were on their way to the abandoned colony, completely ignorant of the danger.

This new group of settlers landed in November 1699, finding only graves and abandoned huts left behind. Threatened by hundreds of Spanish militiamen, they were forced to huddle within a hastily-rebuilt fort.

Although the colonists defeated the Spanish attackers under the leadership of Captain Alexander Campbell, the arrival of five Spanish warships carrying hundreds of more soldiers put an end to their defense.

Devastated by sickness, lack of supplies, and minimal ammunition, the Scots were forced to surrender in March 1700.

Only a “handful” of settlers from the second expedition made it back to Scotland alive. Many of those who did not return had died of disease, starvation, or battle wounds. Others had been sold into indentured servitude, shipwrecked, or drowned while attempting to escape.

In less than two years, Scotland’s economy had been completely devastated by its colonization efforts. And tragically, almost everyone in the country had lost a friend or family member to the failed scheme.