Scott, Ridley (b. Nov. 30, 1937, South Shields, Durham, Eng.) British film director. He studied art and worked as a set designer and director in British television, then formed his own production company in 1967 to make television commercials. His first feature film was The Duellists (1977). It was followed by the science-fiction thrillers Alien (1979) and Blade Runner (1982), a box-office hit that became a cult classic for its vividly dark images. His later films include Someone to Watch over Me (1987), Thelma & Louise (1991), and Gladiator (2000), which won the Academy Award for best picture.
Scott, Robert Falcon (b. June 6, 1868, Devonport, Devon, Eng.—d. c. March 29, 1912, Antarctica) British explorer. He joined the Royal Navy in 1880, proved his competence leading an Antarctic expedition (1901— 04), and was promoted to captain. In 1910 he embarked on a second expedition, and in October 1911 he and 11 others started overland for the South Pole. After their motor sledges broke down and seven men returned to base camp, Scott and four others trekked for 81 days to reach the pole in January 1912, only to find that Roald Amundsen had preceded them by about a month. Exhausted and beset by bad weather and insufficient sup¬ plies, the men died on the return trip, Scott and the last two survivors only 11 miles from their base camp. In England Scott was celebrated as a national hero for his courage, though his judgment has been questioned.
Scott, Sir Walter, 1st Baronet (b. Aug. 15, 1771, Edinburgh, Scot.—d. Sept. 21, 1832, Abbots¬ ford, Roxburgh) Scottish writer, often considered both the inventor and the greatest practitioner of the historical novel. From childhood Scott was familiar with stories of the Border region of Scotland. Appren¬ ticed to his father, a lawyer, in 1786, he later became sheriff depute of Sel¬ kirk and clerk to the Court of Session in Edinburgh. His interest in border ballads led to the collection Min¬ strelsy of the Scottish Border (1802- 03). His first original poetic romance,
The Lay of the Last Minstrel (1805), established his reputation; The Lady of the Lake (1810) was his most suc¬ cessful contribution to the genre. He produced editions of the works of John Dryden, 18 vol. (1808), and Jonathan Swift, 19 vol. (1814).
Troubled with debt, from 1813 he wrote in part to make money. He tired of narrative poetry and turned to prose romances. The extremely popular series now known as the Waverley novels consists of more than two dozen works dealing with Scot¬ tish history, including the masterpieces Old Mortality (1816), Rob Roy (1817), and The Heart of Midlothian (1818). He drew on English history and other themes for Ivanhoe (1819), Kenilworth (1821), and Quentin Dur- ward (1823). All his novels were published anonymously until 1827.
Scott, Winfield (b. June 13, 1786, Petersburg, Va., U.S.—d. May 29, 1866, West Point, N.Y.) U.S. army officer. He fought in the War of 1812 at the battles of Chippewa and Lundy’s Lane (1814). Promoted to major general, he traveled to Europe to study military tactics. He advocated a well-trained and disciplined army, earning the nickname “Old Fuss and Feathers” for his emphasis on military formalities. In 1841 he became commanding general of the U.S. Army. He directed operations during the Mexican War and led the U.S. invasion at Veracruz and the victory at the Battle of Cerro Gordo. He was the Whig Party’s nominee in the 1852 presidential election but lost to Franklin Pierce. In 1855 he was promoted to lieutenant general, becoming the first man since George Washington to hold that rank. Scott was still commander in chief of the U.S. Army when the American Civil War broke out in April 1861, but his proposed strat¬ egy of splitting the Confederacy—the plan eventually adopted—was ridi¬ culed. Age forced his retirement the following November.
Sir Walter Scott, detail of an oil paint¬ ing by Sir Edwin Henry Landseer,
1824; in the National Portrait Gallery, London
COURTESY OF THE NATIONAL PORTRAIT GALLERY, LONDON
© 2006 Encyclopaedia Britannica, Inc.
Scott v. Stanford ► Scriabin I 1707
Scott v. Stanford See Dred Scott decision
Scottish fold cat Breed of domestic cat with ears that fold forward and down. A Scottish shepherd discovered the foundation cat—Susie, a white barn cat—in 1961. Scottish folds may be longhaired or shorthaired and of various colours and patterns. Susie’s fold was caused by a genetic mutation that does not appear in every kitten. The folded ear and a pedi¬ gree that leads back to Susie are required for show. Scottish folds are gentle and quiet.
Scottish Gaelic language Celtic language of northern Scotland, a descendant of the Irish speech introduced into northern Britain by invad¬ ers in the 4th-5th centuries. Gaelic gradually supplanted Pictish (see Picts) as well as the British Celtic Lowlands dialects, and by the Middle Ages it was the language of all of the Scottish Highlands and part of the Low¬ lands. Until the 17th century, Classical Modem Irish (see Irish language) was the literary medium of Gaeldom, and only after its collapse did writ¬ ers regularly begin to use features that distinguish Scottish Gaelic dialects from Irish dialects. Increasing Anglicization, suppression of traditional culture after the Battle of Culloden, and the 19th-century land clearances precipitated a marked decline; today it is probably a true community lan¬ guage for fewer than 80,000 people, most of whom live on the north¬ western coast and the Hebrides.
Scottish law Legal practices and institutions of Scotland. When the English and Scottish parliaments were joined in 1707, the legal systems of the two countries were very dissimilar. Scotland had supplemented its customary law with civil-law principles adapted from the systems of France and Holland. Its assimilation of English law following the union was significant, particularly in the area of mercantile law. The supreme Scottish civil court is the Court of Sessions, composed of 18 judges and divided into Outer and Inner houses. The supreme criminal court is the High Court of Justiciary. Below these two bodies are six sheriffdoms, each with its own sheriff court, an institution of great antiquity. Lesser cases are heard by district courts.
Scottish terrier or Scottie Short-legged terrier breed, perhaps the oldest of the Highland terriers. A strong and plucky dog, the Scottie is squat and bewhiskered, with alert-looking eyes and a distinctive rolling gait. It stands about 10 in. (25.5 cm) tall and weighs 18-22 lb (8-10 kg). Its hard, wiry coat may be of various colours.
Scotts Bluff National Monument National monument, western Nebraska, U.S. Established in 1919, it has an area of 5 sq mi (13 sq km). Its focus is a large bluff that rises 800 ft (244 m) above the North Platte River and was a prominent landmark on the Oregon Trail. A museum at the base of the bluff highlights the history of the pioneer travelers.
Scottsboro case U.S. civil-rights controversy. In April 1931, in Scotts- boro, Ala., nine African American youths were charged with the rape of two white women. Despite testimony by doctors that no rape had occurred, the all-white jury convicted them and sentenced all but the youngest to death. In 1932, following public outcry, the U.S. Supreme Court overturned the convictions on the grounds that the defendants had not received adequate legal counsel. Alabama retried and convicted one of the youths; this conviction too was overturned by the Supreme Court on the grounds that African Americans had been systematically excluded from the state’s juries. Alabama retried and reconvicted the defendants individually, but the state yielded to public pressure and freed or paroled all but one, who later escaped.
Scotus, John Duns See John Duns Scotus
scouting Activities of various national and worldwide organizations for youth aimed at developing character, citizenship, and individual skills. Scouting began when Robert S. Baden-Powell published Scouting for Boys (1908), in which he described the games and contests he used to train cavalry troops in scouting, envisioning small groups of boys who would learn tracking, reconnaissance, mapping, and other outdoor skills under a peer leader. The Boy Scouts, as established by Baden-Powell, was for boys 11-15 years old. The concept became so popular that separate orga¬ nizations for girls (Girl Guides, or Girl Scouts, 1910) and for younger boys (Wolf Cubs, or Cub Scouts, 1916) and older boys (Explorers) were also formed.