This work examines the geographical origins and destinations in British America of the emigrants who left Scotland during the seventy year period from 1784 to the mid 1850's. It considers the factors which influenced their decision to emigrate and choice of settlement location. A decisive factor in the settlement decision of many Scots was the pull of family and community ties. Once early colonisers had established a foothold for themselves their compatriots often followed. Prince Edward Island acquired its strong links with Argyll because it had been settled by first-wave colonisers from Argyll and they in turn attracted successive waves of Argyll emigrants. The choice of destination by the earliest colonisers and their regional origins were therefore crucial determinants of the earliest regional links forged between the two countries. The British government's trade and defence interests were among the greatest influences determining where Scottish settlers would initially be drawn. For instance, the concentration of both Lowland and Highland Scots in the boundary areas of Upper and Lower Canada, close to the United States, is largely attributable to the government's policy of encouraging population growth for defensive purposes. The Renfrewshire/Lanarkshire domination of the Rideau valley military settlements reflects the pulling power of the first-wave settlers who were subsidised through the government's assisted passages scheme in 1815. Poverty was a factor in the large response from this one area and poverty also led thousands of Highlanders, when faced with destitution following the decline of the kelp industry in the 1820's, to opt for Cape Breton. However, here the cheapness of transport and the relative ease of squatting on wilderness land were probably more important driving forces than the hand of government. Proprietor and land company involvement was also instrumental in forging distinct regional links. The Sutherlander's enduring preference for Pictou, Nova Scotia has its roots in the early recruitment of Sutherland settlers by the land company with extensive acreages of wilderness to colonise in Nova Scotia.
| Identifer | oai:union.ndltd.org:bl.uk/oai:ethos.bl.uk:511305 |
| Date | January 1997 |
| Creators | Campey, Lucille H. |
| Publisher | University of Aberdeen |
| Source Sets | Ethos UK |
| Detected Language | English |
| Type | Electronic Thesis or Dissertation |
| Source | http://digitool.abdn.ac.uk/R?func=search-advanced-go&find_code1=WSN&request1=AAIU099379 |
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