Scottish-American History

[Brian F]

Howdy folks,

I've posted a few times about my reenacting of the "Pioneer" period (approx. 1780-1830). I've got the "no-kilt" thing down, but I'd still like to have my "persona" be that of a Scottish immigrant.

If anyone could point me towards some books, movies, or websites with information on early-American Scots, I would truly appreciate it. I've done my own searches, but I can't seem to come up with anything.

~Yeti

[macwilkin]

Howdy folks,

I've posted a few times about my reenacting of the "Pioneer" period (approx. 1780-1830). I've got the "no-kilt" thing down, but I'd still like to have my "persona" be that of a Scottish immigrant.

If anyone could point me towards some books, movies, or websites with information on early-American Scots, I would truly appreciate it. I've done my own searches, but I can't seem to come up with anything.

~Yeti

Here are three to start off with:

Hewitson, Jim. Tam Blake & Co.: the story of the Scots in America. Edinburgh: Canongate, 1993.

Hunter, James. A Dance called America: the Scottish Highlands, the United States, and Canada. Edinburgh: Mainstream, 1995.

Szasz, Fernec M. Scots in the North American West, 1790-1917. Norman: University of Oklahoma, 2000.

Regards,

Todd

[Kid Cossack]

Here are three to start off with:

Hewitson, Jim. Tam Blake & Co.: the story of the Scots in America. Edinburgh: Canongate, 1993.

Hunter, James. A Dance called America: the Scottish Highlands, the United States, and Canada. Edinburgh: Mainstream, 1995.

Szasz, Fernec M. Scots in the North American West, 1790-1917. Norman: University of Oklahoma, 2000.

Regards,

Todd

And if I could weave together a bit, only in the dance called America would we have a Hungarian (Ferenc is a Hungarian name, isn't it?) writing about Scots in the North American West!

[macwilkin]

Yep, Professor Szasz is a Hungarian; in his introduction he discusses this fact, and mentions that his only real connection to Scotland is the fact that he's a Presbyterian.

Still, it's one of the best books I have read on the Scottish immigrant experience. It is in my "top 5" favorite book list.

T.

[Archangel]

There's a fairly heavy book by Fischer called Albion's Seed which gives a fairly detailed overview of that period. The books in four sections and that's one of them. Your library might have it and it can help narrow down to your specific character.

[macwilkin]

There's a fairly heavy book by Fischer called Albion's Seed which gives a fairly detailed overview of that period. The books in four sections and that's one of them. Your library might have it and it can help narrow down to your specific character.

Much of this will depend on what sort of immigrant Yeti is wishing to portray; if he's thinking of a Lowlander or even an Ulster-Scot, then I would recommend Albion's Seed and Leyburn's The Scots-Irish: A social history. However, if he's thinking of a Highlander, then Albion's Seed may not be as helpful, since Fischer's chapter deals with the Ulster-Scots and Borderers.

Duane Meyer's The Highland Scots of North Carolina might be better in that instance.

Of course, immigration from the Highlands slowed to a trickle after the Revolution.

Regards,

Todd

[Brian F]

Much of this will depend on what sort of immigrant Yeti is wishing to portray...

I'd like to portray a Highlander...I don't know how historically accurate it is, but I would really like to portray a Highland Regimental that was "left behind" after the Revolutionary or F&I War.

[macwilkin]

I'd like to portray a Highlander...I don't know how historically accurate it is, but I would really like to portray a Highland Regimental that was "left behind" after the Revolutionary or F&I War.

Not impossible, but remember that there was some anti-Scottish feeling from Americans during and after the Revolution. I remember an account of a Highland officer who was taken prisoner by the Americans, and how he and several other Highlanders were cursed, spit at and generally abused by colonials as they were taken behind American lines. Read Meyer and Hunter before deciding on a Highlander impression.

Again, that's not to say that there wouldn't be Highlanders at all, because there were. The key thing about any living history impression is whether or not you are portraying the "average" person of a particular time period. In NPS we were taught to avoid the "fringe elements" of society when developing a first-person impression, in order to give visitors the experience of a "typical" person in the time period.

If you're attempting a particular persona for living history, I would recommend you be as accurate as possible.

Here's another book worth looking at:

Lachlan McGillivray, Indian trader : the shaping of the southern colonial frontier By Edward J. Cashin.

Todd

[davidlpope]

I'd like to portray a Highlander...I don't know how historically accurate it is, but I would really like to portray a Highland Regimental that was "left behind" after the Revolutionary or F&I War.

Reenacting isn't really my thing, but I've met some lovely people who portray members of the 84th Regt of Foot, Royal Highland Emigrants. If you're bitten with the bug, why not go all in? You can wear period clothing AND the kilt. Search Google for "84th Royal Highland Emigrants" and you'll get hits for several different groups across the country. Best of luck!



Cordially,
David

[Archangel]

Much of this will depend on what sort of immigrant Yeti is wishing to portray; if he's thinking of a Lowlander or even an Ulster-Scot, then I would recommend Albion's Seed and Leyburn's The Scots-Irish: A social history. However, if he's thinking of a Highlander, then Albion's Seed may not be as helpful, since Fischer's chapter deals with the Ulster-Scots and Borderers.

Duane Meyer's The Highland Scots of North Carolina might be better in that instance.

Of course, immigration from the Highlands slowed to a trickle after the Revolution.

Regards,

Todd

Agreed.
The main community then would have to be in North Carolina.

The other choice would be demobbed army but I can't really see that one. The Scots were not welcome if they kept to their ways. Unless the Scot had a special skill or wealth, not likely, he would assimilate very quickly. They would "go native" and head to (present) Canada or get back to Scotland as quick as possible. I think a number would have gone to Bermuda.

The role of the Scots along the western frontier was to keep the colonies contained as much as keeping the Indians on the other side. Their role was not appreciated. They were sent there because they were seen as barely above that "savage" level themselves.

Todd, you'd have to help me here but I would say that Highland Scots would have been strongly unwelcome in the colonies from well before 1745 to the early 1800s. Britain became more relaxed politically after the 1760s, the American colonies never did. The Highland Dress Act would have been seen to be in force. It wouldn't have mattered after 1776 because now the Scots would be seen as symbols of British aggression.