Quote Originally Posted by cajunscot View Post
Because even American history doesn't get the attention it deserves -- as a per-course history instructor at a local community college, we barely can cover basic American history. A four-year university is more likely to have a course on Irish or Scottish history, but even then, there's no guarantee. My alma mater didn't offer a basic Canadian history course.

Personally, while the ancient Celts are more "romantic", I think more people relate to the Irish & Scottish immigrants and their contribution to the US, Canada, Australia, etc. I've been preaching for sometime now that Scottish organizations shouldn't wait for a "Braveheart" to make all things Scottish "cool"; instead we should be looking for the local contributions of Scottish immigrants to our communities.

For starters -- did you know that an Irish soldier-of-fortune, Hugh Oconor (originally O'Connor) was the first Commander of the Presidio at Tucson? Or that a half-Scot, half-Indian scout named Archie McIntosh helped General Crook bring in Geronimo? Or that Arizona's most famous son, William O. "Buckey" O'Neill, was the son of an Irish immigrant?

My dad is from Prescott, btw, and I spent a good deal of my childhood in North PHX.

T.


This is my point! Granted, in my youth I may not have meditated on these realities as much as I would like to now, but the more involved I get in the history the more I see how much the roots really spread out and span the globe. Personally, music is what really shows me connection. When I listen to aussie folk, irish folk, and bluegrass, to me it seems there are huge connection.

Don't get me started on celtic immigrants to America! What a completely neglected part of history that has become! Not to mention the hardships and assimilating that was involved that hardly anyone considers! I think next to slavery and our treatment of native americans, as a society, the celtic immigrants rank pretty high as a group of neglected and mistreated peoples.

I dont want this to be a "bash" anything thread, but it's a serious issue! I hope what I said made sense, I really dig what you offered especially in regards to American connections of today. Why do we negate such a rich history? I think American's have a serious identity crisis afoot, although thats a whole other discussion! lol