Final Essay By Daniel Willson
By Daniel Willson
The purpose of this essay is to answer several questions about the Scots-Irish emigration to America. My Willson ancestors are Scots-Irish and came to America in 1737 by ship to Philadelphia. These Scots-Irish questions are:
- Who are the Scots-Irish people?
- Where did the Scots-Irish people live before coming to America?
- When did the Scots-Irish migrate to America?
- Why did the Scots-Irish migrate to America?
- Where did the Scots-Irish settle in America?
A. Who are the Scots-Irish people?
The Scots-Irish are the people that migrated from Northern Ireland to America from 1717 to the early 1800s (ref 1). Before coming to America the Scots-Irish were called Ulster-Scots because they were Scottish Presbyterians and descendants who had land grants in the 1600s in Northern Ireland, also called Ulster (ref 1). Northern Ireland was mostly Protestant (Presbyterian) but the rest of Ireland was mostly Catholic (ref 1), as it is today. The Scots-Irish term was an American term for these Northern Ireland settlers but they were called Ulster-Scots in Ireland, Scotland and England (ref 2).
B. Where did the Scots-Irish people live before coming to America?
The Scots-Irish people were called Ulster-Scots in Ireland before coming to America (ref 1). The Ulster-Scots lived in Northern Ireland in the 1600s and 1700s and migrated to America from 1717 to the early 1800s (ref 1). Before migrating to Northern Ireland, Ulster Scots came from Scotland because they were given land grants or were relocated by the English Kings from Scotland to Norway (ref 2). These Scottish people were mostly Protestants (Presbyterians) and the Northern Ireland is still mostly protestant today.
Based on DNA and genealogy results (ref 3), most Scots-Irish had origins in Northern-Ireland, Scotland, England, Northwestern Europe, and Norway before coming to America, as shown in figure #1 below.
Figure 1. Scots-Irish DNA found in the World (ref 3)
Based on history (ref 4), the Scot-Irish were raiding clans that lived on both sides of the border of Scotland and England, and were eventually resettled in Northern Ireland. The DNA data and the historical data agree.
C. When did the Scots-Irish migrate to America?
The Scots-Irish are a group of Scottish and Irish people that migrated from Northern Ireland to America from 1717 to early 1800s (ref 1). The largest migration came from 1717 to 1775 (ref 4). Scots-Irish emigration slowed during the Revolutionary War but increased after America got its independence from England. The Scots-Irish migration, also called the Ulster-Scots migration, from 1717 to the early 1800s is different than the large Irish migration to America in the late 1800s due to the potato famine in all of Ireland.
D. Why did the Scots-Irish migrate to America?
The Scots-Irish people migrated from Northern Ireland and Scotland (ref 4) to America for several reasons. First, many of them were forced to leave by the England government and kings (ref 2). Second, many leased land in Northern Ireland and the leases expired and the rent was increased by the British government. Some left for America for freedom of religion, since they were Protestant Presbyterians and were forced to swear allegiance to the English government and the Church of England, which they refused to do (ref 5). So they left Northern Ireland for a better life in America, to practice their religion, and to obtain land in America. Since most were poor, many served as indentured servants for several years to pay for their trip to America (ref 4).
E. Where did the Scots-Irish settle in America?
Based on DNA results (ref 3) and from figure #1 above, some Scots-Irish settled in the ‘southern midwest’ and the Tennessee area. Based on where people in the America claim to be of Scots-Irish descent (ref 4), there are concentrations in the east coast, the southeast and the Midwest and west (figure 2).
Figure 2. Current Areas of Scots-Irish Ancestry in the US (ref 4)
Many of the Scots-Irish landed in Philadelphia in 1700s and migrated westward along the frontier trails (ref 6), as shown in figure #3. These westward and southward emigration paths agree with the DNA and historical data.
Figure 3. Frontier Migration Trails and Roads of the Scots-Irish (ref 6)
The Scots-Irish moved southwest along the eastern side of the Appalachian mountains and settled along the migration roads (ref 6), as shown on figure #4.
Figure 4. Scots-Irish Frontier Migration Roads and Where They Settled (ref 6)
- Summary
The Scots-Irish were a group of emigrants who settled in America before the Revolutionary War. Reference 5 has the following summary of the Scots-Irish:
“In all an estimated 250,000 Ulster-Scots Presbyterians moved to America in the 100 years from 1710. They were people who became totally assimilated into the fabric of American society, they were after all the first Americans in many regions particularly in East Tennessee, Kentucky, Virginia and the Carolinas, North and South. Their involvement in the American War of Independence is well recorded and the bravery and determination shown in battle like Kings Mountain underline the sort of people they were.”
George Washington had the following quote (ref 5) about the Scots-Irish being his most dependable soldiers:
"If defeated everywhere else, I will make my stand for liberty, among the Scots-Irish in my native Virginia."
US President William McKinley said (ref 5) the following about the Scots-Irish:
“"The Scots-Irish were the first to proclaim for freedom in these United States; even before Lexington Scots-Irish blood had been shed for American freedom”.
The Scots-Irish came to America from Northern Ireland for a better life, to get land to farm and support their families, and for religious freedom. They believed in freedom and were important in helping America win the Revolutionary War.
G. References
1. Ref #1, The Scots-Irish Chronicles, The Scots-Irish in the Shenandoah Valley, Billy Kennedy, 1996
2. Ref #2, https://www.findmypast.com/blog/history/the-scotch-irish-in-america
3. Ref #3, https://www.ancestry.com/dna/origins/share/851476fa-5ec4-43b6-a34f-27b23b4b957c
4. Ref #4, https://www.findmypast.com/blog/history/the-origins-of-british-irish-colonial-immigrants
5. Ref #5, THE PLANTATION OF ULSTER, (http://www.ulsternationalist.freeservers.com/custom2.html)
6. Ref #6, AMERICAN MIGRATION ROUTES
(www.familyrootspublishing.net/collections/)
(american-migrations-the-routes-of-your-ancestors)
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