[Ads-l] Ulster Scots, Scots-Irish, Scotch-Irish

Sat Sep 2 00:08:33 UTC 2023

I would ponder this with a glass of Scotch whisky. Or Scottish whiskey?

On Fri, Sep 1, 2023, 7:29 PM Stanton McCandlish <smccandlish at gmail.com>
wrote:

> A couple of different but topically related matters.
>
> 1) Some of you are very good at ferreting out earliest findable uses of a
> term.  How would I go about finding a source for earliest known use (or
> even actual coining) of the term "Ulster Scots" or "Ulster-Scots", in
> reference to the Scottish population who settled in the north of Ireland
> primarily during the Plantation of Ulster (officially 1606–1641, but
> informally starting as early as the 1570s, and preceded by centuries of
> piecemeal immigration in the form of gallowglass mercenaries)?
>
> 2) Over at Wikipedia, there's been long-running, recurrent dispute about
> use of "Scotch-Irish" in various article titles.  The pro side claim that
> this is "the" term used by Americans and Canadians to refer to Ulster Scots
> immigrant heritage, though this can easily be disproven as a false
> dichotomy, since "Scots-Irish" is demonstrably used instead in various
> books and other sources.  (I.e., a "This is what we call ourselves" claim
> has been made, and proven faulty.)  The con side indicates that use of
> "Scotch" instead of "Scots" in reference to people is a Victorianism and
> increasingly regarded as offensive (not unlike "Aborigine", "Eskimo",
> "Chinaman", etc.)  The pro side likes to claim it is only Scots-in-Scotland
> who find it offensive, and their opinion isn't relevant to
> "Scotch-Americans", though this is also highly dubious.  There are lots of
> details involved in the years-long squabbling that I won't pore over here.
> To be clear, I'm in favor of renaming articles like "Scotch-Irish
> Americans" to use "Scots-" instead, though the lead section of such an
> article would still mention the "Scotch-" spelling, of course. The concern
> isn't that "Scotch-" is "wrong" in some kind of objective sense, but rather
> that Wikipedia's use of it in article titles and otherwise as the primary
> term is offending a large subset of readers for no benefit to any others
> nor any kind of gain to the project. The ultimate background of this is
> that "Scotch", a contraction of "Scottish", was often used as the general
> adjective in reference to Scotland and the Scots in the Georgian and
> Victorian era, and started falling out of fashion in the 20th century, but
> less so in North America than elsewhere.
>
> I'm looking for a way to get at this never-quite-resolving dispute from a
> source-based angle.  I've been doing this very manually and piecemeal so
> far, and have noticed a strong but not total trend of shifting to
> "Scots-Irish", even in American works published in the US East Coast and
> eastern South, where Scots-Irish descendants are most concentrated (i.e. it
> is not some kind of exonym being imposed), while older works (1980s and
> back for the most part) preferred "Scotch-Irish".
>
> I'm open to just being wrong about it. If it turns out that there's
> overwhelming evidence of a continuing preference for "Scotch-" in such
> constructions, despite Scots-in-Scotland taking offense (as in my
> *anecdotal
> *experience do plenty of the diasporic Scots descendants), then so be it.
>
> Google N-grams are kind of jaggedy and even contradictory on it and not
> much help; while they show a general increase in "Scots-Irish" from about
> the 1990s onward (probably because the Internet put more Americans in
> immediate touch with actual Scots who object to "Scotch"), there are spikes
> in use of "Scotch-Irish", and it remains common, especially when not
> attached to "American[s]".
>
> * Ngram for just the bare term by itself, shows "Scotch-Irish" dominant but
> declining, with "Scots-Irish" on the rise:
>
> https://books.google.com/ngrams/graph?content=Scots-Irish%2CScots+Irish%2CScotch-Irish%2CScotch+Irish&year_start=1970&year_end=2019&corpus=en-2019&smoothing=3
> * If you add "Americans" to the search terms, it gets more chaotic, with
> "Scots-Irish Americans" dominant since the early 2010s (despite the
> influence of Wikipedia itself on usage), but with a big spike in "Scotch-"
> in the 1980s.
>
> https://books.google.com/ngrams/graph?content=Scots-Irish+Americans%2CScots+Irish+Americans%2CScotch-Irish+Americans%2CScotch+Irish+Americans&year_start=1970&year_end=2019&corpus=en-2019&smoothing=3
> * Switching to singular "American", the shapes change, with a big spike in
> "Scotch-" around 2010, "Scots-" rising since 1990 and now dominant by a
> thin margin, but with a hint of "Scotch-" rising again (the data stops at
> 2019).
>
> https://books.google.com/ngrams/graph?content=Scots-Irish+American%2CScots+Irish+American%2CScotch-Irish+American%2CScotch+Irish+American&year_start=1970&year_end=2019&corpus=en-2019&smoothing=3
> * With "Canadians", the "Scots-" spelling doesn't rate in Google Ngrams.
>
> https://books.google.com/ngrams/graph?content=Scots-Irish+Canadians%2CScots+Irish+Canadians%2CScotch-Irish+Canadians%2CScotch+Irish+Canadians&year_start=1970&year_end=2019&corpus=en-2019&smoothing=3
> * Same with singular "Canadian":
>
> https://books.google.com/ngrams/graph?content=Scots-Irish+Canadian%2CScots+Irish+Canadian%2CScotch-Irish+Canadian%2CScotch+Irish+Canadian&year_start=1970&year_end=2019&corpus=en-2019&smoothing=3
>
> I've been able to find some specific style advice and such on the matter,
> but *could use a lot more evidence like this*, probably some of it in
> paywalled material I can't full-text search.
>
> * *Garner's Modern English Usage* advises against "Scotch" in reference to
> people, as increasingly considered offensive; has done so since at least
> the previous edition.
> * American Society of Scots-Irish [
> https://www.facebook.com/scotsirishsociety/] - they obviously use "Scots-"
> * *FamilyTree *magazine (New Hampshire) [
>
> https://familytreemagazine.com/heritage/scots-irish/trace-your-scots-irish-roots/
> ],
> quote: 'For those not using the term Ulster Scots today, Scots-Irish has
> generally supplanted the use of “Scotch-Irish” in America.' This seems like
> a bold claim, but there is it.
> * University of Connecticut [
>
> https://today.uconn.edu/2023/03/professors-latest-project-considers-irish-influence-on-americas-racial-divide/
> ],
> quote: ' “Scots-Irish” is the American term for descendants of
> settler-colonial Presbyterians who left Ireland from the 18th century
> onwards'. The UConn page didn't use "Scotch-Irish" as an alternative.
> * *Mountain Xpress* (North Carolina) [
> https://mountainx.com/opinion/0802martin-php/], uses both spellings, but
> quote: 'I usually call them the “Scotch-Irish,” but the fashionable term
> these days is “Scots-Irish.” '  Another bold claim about transition, but
> based on what data?
> * *The Westward Sagas* (Texas) [
> https://westwardsagas.com/scots-or-scots-irish/], quote: 'In [early books
> in the series], there are numerous references to the Scotch-Irish. At book
> signings and speaking events, I am often asked the meaning of the word
> Scotch (pertaining to people). After being asked how one’s ancestors can be
> from a place called Scotch, which is the native whiskey of Scotland, I
> started calling my ancestors Scots-Irish.'  Rather anecdotal, but still of
> interest.
>
> Other US-based evidence (just of usage, not of advice or declarations about
> usage):
>
> ** *AmeriCeltic Foundation (California) [
> https://americeltic.net/scots-irish/]
> ** *Immigration and Ethnic History Society (Minnesota) [
> https://iehs.org/judy-ridner-teaching-scots-irish/]
> ** *Historic Rural Hill Cultural Center (N. Carolina) [
> https://ruralhill.net/heritage/#1]
> ** Citizen Time* (NC) [
>
> https://www.citizen-times.com/story/news/local/2017/01/08/visiting-our-past-scots-irish-faced-fearful-frontier/96248656/
> ]
> ** *Genealogical Publishing Company (Maryland) [
>
> https://genealogical.com/2021/01/11/the-origins-of-the-scots-irish-how-to-find-those-families/
> ]
> ** *Broadway Books (NY) [
>
> https://www.abebooks.com/9780767916882/Born-Fighting-Scots-Irish-Shaped-America-0767916883/plp
> ]
> ** *Scottish Tartans Museum and Heritage Center (NC) [
>
> https://scottishtartansgiftshop.com/shop/books/research-reference/the-scots-irish-in-the-virginias-and-carolinas/
> this seems to be their own book, since I can't find it anywhere else]
> ** *Ancestry.com (Utah) [
> https://www.ancestry.com/historicalinsights/scots-irish-immigration-1700s]
> ** **The Register-Herald* (Ohio) [
>
> https://www.registerherald.com/2017/03/17/were-all-likely-a-little-scots-irish/
> ]
> ** *SCIWAY.net (S. Carolina portal) [
> https://www.sciway.net/hist/people/scotch-irish-sc.html]
> ** *Village of Foxburg (Pennsylvania) [
> https://gofoxburg.com/history/the-scots-irish/]
> ** *CelticClothing.com (PA) [
> https://celticclothing.com/who-are-the-scots-irish/]
> ** **FamilySearch* (UT) [https://www.familysearch.org/en/wiki/Scots_Irish]
> ** *Carolana.com (SC) [
> https://www.carolana.com/SC/Royal_Colony/sc_royal_colony_scots_irish.html]
> ** *Fairfax County (Virginia) [
> https://research.fairfaxcounty.gov/genealogy/scots-irish]
> ** *City University of New York – Brooklyn [
>
> http://userhome.brooklyn.cuny.edu/anthro/jbeatty/Scotia/issue66/issue66a.html
> ]
> ** *Indiana University – Purdue University Indianapolis [
>
> https://scholarworks.iupui.edu/server/api/core/bitstreams/63620d26-3075-45d9-9828-e9d661f42ba0/content
> ]
> - they have "Scots-Irish" but not "Scotch-Irish" as a keyword, even
> ** **The Atlantic* (Washington DC)  [
>
> https://www.theatlantic.com/politics/archive/2009/10/the-scots-irish-vote/27853/
> ]
> ** *Princeton University Press (NJ) [
>
> https://press.princeton.edu/books/paperback/9780691074627/the-people-with-no-name
> ]
> ** *New England Historical Society (Massachusetts) [
>
> https://newenglandhistoricalsociety.com/how-scots-irish-came-america-and-what-they-brought-with-them/
> ]
> ** *Temple University Press (PA) [
> https://tupress.temple.edu/books/the-scots-irish-of-early-pennsylvania]
> ** **Ancestral Findings* (Florida) [
> https://ancestralfindings.com/scots-irish-research/]
> ** **Electric Scotland* (Arizona and Ontario) [
> https://electricscotland.com/history/america/scots_irish.htm]
> ** *US National Park Service (DC) [
>
> https://www.nps.gov/teachers/classrooms/the-scots-irish-in-the-carolina-backcountry.htm
> ]
> ** *Mid-Continent Public Library (Missouri) [
> https://www.mymcpl.org/blogs/wee-bit-scots-beaganin-little-bit-irish]
> ** **The Encyclopedia of Greater Philadelphia* (PA) [
> https://philadelphiaencyclopedia.org/essays/scots-irish/]  -lists both
> spellings, prefers "Scots-Irish"
> ** *Blue Ridge National Heritage Area (NC) [
>
> https://www.blueridgeheritage.com/heritage/historic/cultural-heritage/scots-irish-heritage/
> ]
> ** *Lees McRae College (NC) [
>
> https://www.lmc.edu/about/news-center/articles/2022/in-the-mountains-the-scots-irish-heritage-in-appalachia.htm
> ]
> ** **Find My Past* (US–UK–Ireland; not sure where the home office is) [
> https://www.findmypast.com/blog/history/the-scotch-irish-in-america]
> ** *KISS 95.1 FM radio (NC) [
>
> https://kiss951.com/2023/08/27/man-finally-meets-his-mom-after-being-stolen-from-her-at-birth-42-years-ago/
> ]
> ** **West Virginia Blue Book* [
>
> https://www.google.com/books/edition/West_Virginia_Blue_Book/OLYGAQAAIAAJ?hl=en&gbpv=1&dq=%22Scots-Irish%22+in+America&pg=PA551&printsec=frontcover
> ]
> - dating back to 1926
> ** **Washington Monthly* (DC) [
> https://washingtonmonthly.com/2023/08/27/the-appalachian-trail/]
> ** **Irish America* (NY) [
>
> https://www.irishamerica.com/2018/01/300-years-of-scots-irish-immigration-to-u-s/
> ]
> ** *Polk County (FL) [
>
> https://www.polk-county.net/events/event-details/2023/05/27/history-center/genealogy-speaker-series-scots-irish-immigration-to-south-carolina-in-the-18th-century-by-jeffrey-castle
> ]
> ** *Kentucky Genealogy Society [
> https://kygs.org/scots-irish-appalachia-overview/]
> ** *Appalachia State University (NC) [
>
> https://collections.library.appstate.edu/research-aids/scots-irish-settlement-southern-appalachia
> ]
> - uses both spellings, prefers "Scots-Irish"
> ** *University of Tennessee Press [
> https://www.bibliovault.org/BV.book.epl?ISBN=9781572337541]
> ** **Chattanooga Times Free Press* (TN) [
>
> https://www.timesfreepress.com/news/2012/mar/18/scots-irish-roots-run-deep-in-the-south/
> ]
> ** *NameCensus.com (exact location unknown, but it's all US Census data) [
> https://namecensus.com/blog/scots-irish-in-america/]
> ** **Visit Staunton* portal (VA) [
>
> https://visitstaunton.com/journey-back-in-time-to-stauntons-scots-irish-history/
> ]
> ** **WikiTree* (NY) [https://www.wikitree.com/wiki/Space:Scots-Irish]
> ** Pittsburgh Quarterly* (PA) [
> https://pittsburghquarterly.com/articles/the-culture-of-the-scots-irish/]
>
> This is just a smattering from the first page of search results.
>
> You can of course do a Google search on "Scotch-Irish American" and find
> lots of usage of that term; the fact that it is still in some use is not
> disputed by anyone. What stands out to me, though, is the large proportion
> of books using that term in their titles that date from the 1980s and
> earlier:
>
> * [
>
> https://www.abebooks.com/Scotch-Irish-Americans-Peoples-North-America-Brownstein/31458080977/bd
> ]
> * [
>
> https://archive.org/details/scotchirish00boltrich][https://www.thriftbooks.com/w/scotch-irish-a-social-history_james-g-leyburn/260279/item/5054067/
> ]
> * [
>
> https://www.irishfamilyhistorycentre.com/product/henry-jones-ford-the-scotch-irish-in-america-1915/
> ]
> * [
> https://www.google.com/books/edition/The_Scotch_Irish/GnaAAAAAIAAJ?hl=en]
> * and many others (back to at least the Edwardian era).
>
> There are some later books that favor "Scotch-", but these are pushing the
> definition of "recent":
>
> * Like this one from 1998 [
> https://uncpress.org/book/9780865262799/from-ulster-to-carolina/]
> * And another from 1993 [
>
> https://www.abebooks.com/9780819180711/Social-History-Scotch-Irish-Jackson-Carlton-0819180718/plp
> ]
> * And one from 2000 [
>
> https://www.abebooks.com/9780786406142/Scotch-Irish-North-Ireland-Making-America-0786406143/plp
> ]
>
> PS: If you're not a Wikipedian already, I would not advocate going over
> there to join in such discussions, pro or con, since WP isn't a forum for
> public debate, and the discussions are really about how such usage evidence
> interacts with a bunch of WP policies and guidelines that one would need to
> understand in considerable detail.
>
> --
> Stanton McCandlish
> McCandlish Consulting
> 1355 80th Ave
> Oakland CA 94621-2459 USA
>
> +1 415 234 3992
>
> https://www.linkedin.com/in/SMcCandlish
>
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>

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