| | | Scots-Irish Immigration to America Timeline | |
| | 1609 | The "Ulster Plantation" is established by King James I who confiscates over half a million acres of Irish land to be colonized by English-speaking, Protestant rent-paying tenants. | |
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| | 1609 | From 1609 over 200,000 Protestant Presbyterians from the lowlands of Scotland emigrate to the "Ulster Plantation" in Ireland. Their descendents are referred to as the Scots-Irish. | |
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| | 1632 | The Lord Deputy of Ireland established the Irish linen industry | |
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| | 1632 | The Linen Trade began and Scots-Irish traveled to America on the linen trade merchant ships. Philadelphia was the main destination port of the linen trade route and the first immigrants settled in the town. | |
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| | 1632 | The first migrants introduced flax growing and the production of linen to America. Communities are established in New England, the Ohio Valley, the Carolinas and Georgia. | |
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| | 1740 | The Irish Famine of 1740 - 1741 also known as the Year of Slaughter or the Great Frost hit Ireland in which an estimated 38% o the population died. Levels of emigration substantially increased due to this dreadful event. | |
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| | 1745 | Following the death and destruction caused by the Great Frost Colonel James Patten was granted 120,000 acres of land in the Blue Ridge mountains and Appalachian regions of America - the 'Backcountry'. Colonel Patten sold plots of land in the 'Backcountry' to other Scots-Irish settlers and another significant community of immigrants was established. | |
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| | 1754 | Settlement in the frontier lands led Scots-Irish-Americans migrants to become heavily involved in fighting the French and Indian War (1754–1763) and Pontiac’s Rebellion (1763–1766) | |
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| | 1775 | Many of the settlers fought against British tyranny in the American War of Independence (1775–1783) | |
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| | 1775 | The resolutions made in the Mecklenburg Declaration of Independence were passed on May 31, 1775 at the beginning of the Revolutionary War. Mecklenburg County in North Carolina had a large population of Scots-Irish citizens and it is claimed that Mecklenburg was the first of the 13 colonies to declare their independence from Great Britain. | |
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| | 1783 | The Declaration of Independence includes signers of Scots-Irish descent | |
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| | 1791 | The Scotch-Irish migrants played a major role in another revolt - the Whiskey Rebellion. The Whiskey Rebellion involved farmers of western Carolina and Pennsylvania who refused to pay the tax collectors. | |
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| | 1700's | Between 1720 and 1800 Scots-Irish Immigration to America had risen to more than 250,000. The pioneering migrants, including men like Davy Crockett move west across the United States during the period of Westward expansion | |
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| | 1829 | Andrew Jackson, an Ulsterman, became the "people's President". 15 American presidents including James Madison, James Buchanan and Chester Arthur have claimed Scots-Irish descent. | |
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| | 1800's | The Industrialization of America led to many opportunities in the iron and then the steel industries. Famous captains of industry included Andrew Carnegie, Thomas Mellon, James O'Hara and Isaac Craig | |
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| | 1892 | Immigration to the United States exploded in the 1880's and the United States began to pass laws to restrict immigration. The Ellis Island immigration center was opened (1892 - 1954) where migrants from Europe were required to undertake to medical and legal inspections. | |
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| | 1900's | The number of immigrants decreased but their descendents constitute a large number of the American population | |