Zion Genealogical Society of Lake County (Illinois, USA)

January 20, 2025

Start time: 7:01 PM

INTRODUCTION

Vicki Matteson introduced Scott Norrick, our speaker for this meeting. Scott researched his ancestral past for 30 years. Although Scotland is his area of focus, he has also researched England, Germany and Ireland. His presentation for this evening is "Scottish Immigration to America"

PROGRAM

The Scots and Scots Irish were some of the later immigrants to America. hey first immigrated to Ulster, Ireland and other parts of Europe in the early 1600s, while others were making their way here. Some were sent to America as prisoners of war. Less than 10 thousand tried unsuccessful colonization attempts to Nova Scotia, Stuart’s Town, South Carolina, East New Jersey and the Isthmus of Panama.

In the 1700s this all changed, due to politics, economics and wars, which brought hundreds of thousands of Scottish immigrants to America.

• Unification with England in 1707 opened trade between Scotland and America.
• Scotland became the largest exporter of American tobacco.
• Some Scots came to America, during this time as indentured servants.
• During the French and Indian War, many Scots served in the British Army. Many decided to return to America after the war.
• Poor harvests drove many to leave Scotland and come here.
• Those who were here fought on both sides during the American Revolution. Some on the losing side went to Canada.
• Many who stayed helped expand the western frontier, moving into the Ohio River valley and after the Louisiana Purchase, in 1803, across the Mississippi and beyond.

In the 1800s many educated and skilled Lowland Scots sought better employment opportunities in America. More Highlanders were forced to leave due to forced evictions and a cholera epidemic.

• In 1840 regular passenger routes from Scottish ports to America were established.
• The 1850s were the largest decade for Scottish immigration to America and Canada.
• The largest wave of immigration occurred in the 1900s, just after WWI, when the British economy was decimated. These immigrants went to the larger industrial cities.

The Scots and Scots Irish came for economic, political and religious tolerance reasons. They influenced American education, religion (Presbyterianism), food and drink (whiskey and bourbon) and music (contributors to the origin of blue grass). old

Some well-known Scots are Daniel Boone, Andrew Jackson, Davy Crockett, Alexander Graham Bell, and many more.

Scott Norrick welcomes questions. Contact him at scott@ancestralpast.com
His website is ancestralpast.com.

BUSINESS MEETING

Our president, Joanne Layne, opened the meeting at 8:05.

She reminded everyone about the March 15th special meeting and asked for volunteers and donations of soda and water. We expect about 40 to attend.

1. There will be three speakers

• Bruce Allardice, Private Yankee Doodle: Myths About Washington’s Army
• Joshua Bill, A Visit He Never Forgot: Abraham Lincoln’s Trip to Waukegan
• Ty Rohrer, Update on Waukegan Historical Museum at the Carnegie

1. Registration, for this metting, at the library is now open.
2. The Northern Illinois Conference with McHenry Genealogical society will be on July 12, 2025 at the McHenry County Collage. We are co-sponsors and will contribute $250 toward the conference. We also need volunteers to donate prizes for the drawings.
3. The newsletter will be out soon.

No Treasurer’s Report

Meeting ended at 8:17 P.M.
Respectfully Submitted
Gail Dever
ZGS Secretary

Updated February 13, 2025