Ulster and North America: Transatlantic Perspectives on the Scotch-Irish.

Abstract

This collection of 11 essays addresses the complex issues of Scotch-Irish history and ethnic identity by viewing them from a transatlantic and comparative perspective. The 11 essays, originally presented at meetings of the Ulster-American Heritage Symposium by scholars from Scotland, Ireland, Canada, and the United States, address the nature of Scotch-Irish culture by examining values, traditions, demographics, and language. The essays emphasise several themes: the dynamic nature of Ulster society in the 17th and 18th centuries, which shaped the motives for migration to the New World; the experience of migration, including the expectations and realities of life in the New World; and the development of economic strategies and community building in both Ulster and the New World. The book also provides a discussion of the ongoing scholarly debates on ethnic identity and cultural diffusion. The contributors to this volume approach their subject from a variety of disciplines, which emphasizes the diversity of the Scotch-Irish experience. New research illustrates the value of transatlantic dialogue and of comparative studies firmly based in local and regional studies for the understanding of ethnicity and migration history.