Why did Dougal make Claire marry Jamie during Outlander Season 1?

We know why Claire had to marry someone, but why would Dougal make sure it was Jamie in Outlander Season 1? Here’s the big reason why.

During Outlander Season 1, Claire was forced into a marriage while stuck in the 18th century. We know why that had to happen. Married to a Scot, she was protected by the clan when it came to Black Jack Randall. But why did Dougal make her marry Jamie Fraser?

There were many other men in the clan who Claire could have ended up marrying. While taking the rents, the options were limited but all except Dougal were unmarried. Why not make Claire’s life miserable with Angus or Rupert? He could have even chosen Ned to get Claire away from Castle Leoch now and then.

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Dougal had a plan. Marrying her to Jamie helped him. Jamie had a direct claim to the MacKenzie lands, and that made him a threat to Dougal.

We saw during the gathering that Jamie was in danger. By not giving the oath to Colum, he would have been killed. But giving the oath would make him more of a threat to Dougal, so he would have been killed. Jamie managed to find a workaround that suited all, but he was still on dangerous ground.

When Colum died, Dougal wanted to run the clan. Even if it was through Hamish, it would have been better than nothing. However, it was clear that Jamie was being considered by Colum and the clan itself. Dougal needed to something that would get Jamie out of the way.

The best thing was to make his claim weaker. That meant marrying a Sassenach. By forcing Jamie into a marriage to Claire, it made it harder for people to support Jamie’s claims. They wouldn’t want an English woman as their lady.

Of course, Claire ended up working her way into the hearts of many. She managed to prove that she wasn’t a spy and many ended up turning to her for help. But the initial marriage was supposed to make Jamie’s stance within the clan weaker, and it temporarily worked.

What questions do you have about Outlander Season 1? What comes up that makes you scratch your head? Share your thoughts in the comments below.

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