If you have ancestors from Northern Ireland who came to the Emerald Isle by way of Scotland, you are familiar with the Scots-Irish, or the Ulster Scots, or the Ulster Irish. Whatever term you wish to use, the Plantation of Ulster in the early 1600s started the migration of Scots as well as English to Northern Ireland.
Briefly, the English had tried for centuries to rule Ireland without success. After the Irish clans were defeated and exiled, the monarchy took the lands and decided to settle the area with loyal Scots and English subjects. The Scots came from the lowlands of Scotland were farmers looking for a better life. These Scots were Presbyterian and stubborn, working the land and, as the monarchy hoped, staying on the new land for generations,
For awhile, this was true, but the English monarchy began penalizing anyone who practiced a religion other than the Anglican Church. Taxes and rack renting (raising rent exorbitantly) also started to cause depression and economic hardship. As time went on, many Scots-Irish decided to go to America for an even better life. As more of these people left Ulster for America, many would let those that remained that prosperity was the answer in America. Come on over!
So after a generation or two in Ulster, many came to America, thousands of Scots-Irish left Northern Ireland and settled in America. Hundreds of thousands Americans can claim Scots-Irish ancestry. They began arriving en masse starting in 1717. Settling in Pennsylvania at first and then moving south to Virginia, the Carolinas, Tennessee, Kentucky, and the rest of the South, the Scots-Irish came. Land was cheap and there was a lot of it.
There were five significant waves of immigration. First, 1717-1718, 1725–29, 1740-41, 1754-55, and 1771-75. The first two settled in Pennsylvania, then the third and fourth looked to Virginia and the Carolinas, while the last spread out throughout the South.
These immigrants were very patriotic and supported the American Independence. Many fought in the Revolutionary War. They practiced their religion and helped shape the American government, education, and art as well.
If you have Scots-Irish ancestry and want to trace your ancestors back to Ulster and perhaps even Scotland, there are many places to look. Ancestry, FamilySearch, and FindMyPast are good places to start. Also, the Public Record Office of Northern Ireland (PRONI), ScotlandsPeople, Presbyterian Historical Society of Ireland, and the Ulster Historical Foundation are great websites for records.
We have previous posts on both Scotland and Ireland that may be of interest to you. Check them out for more record options.
FamilyFinders