Faith & Freedom : The Scots-Irish in America

by Billy Kennedy

Faith and Freedom were the consuming watchwords of the Scots-Irish Presbyterians who settled on the American frontier in the 18th century. The noble, high-minded ideals of one of the most influential ethnic strains in American life became the cornerstone of the United States as a nation and was indelibly enshrined in its libertarian all-inclusive Constitution. Northern Ireland journalist and author Billy Kennedy, in the fifth of the highly popular chronicles on the Scots-Irish diaspora from Ulster to America, considerably widens out the inspiring story of how a highly determined and very courageous God-fearing people stamped their distinctive character on the various facets of American society. The latest journey extends back 200 years in time when the Scots-Irish pioneers were moving the American frontier to its outer limits; setting up townships that became great centers of population, founding log cabin churches that were to spiral the message of the gospel, and establishing schools, which were to expand into some of the foremost educational institutions in the United States. From Pennsylvania, New Hampshire, and Maryland on America's eastern seaboard, the immigrants from Ulster moved in a westerly direction, some stopping to settle the Shenandoah Valley of Virginia and the Carolinas; others heading into Tennessee, Kentucky, Georgia, and Missouri, and their sons and daughters settling Texas, Mississippi, and Alabama in the south; Kansas, Oklahoma, and California in the west. This book vividly records the human stories of plain ordinary people whose outstanding level of achievement had to be measured against the great pain and suffering that their families endured to survive during the early formative years of settlement on the American frontier. The legend "Fortune Favors the Brave (Fortuna Audaces Iuvat)"--accurately capsules the raison d'etre of the Ulster-Scots in America. In the words of President Theodore "They were bold and hardy people who pushed beyond the settled regions of America and plunged into the wilderness as the white advance. The Scots-Irish were the first and last set of immigrants to do this." Their contribution will forever be marked on the pages of American history!

Genres: History

192 pages, Paperback

First published October 1, 1999

About the author

Billy Kennedy is assistant editor of the Ulster/Belfast News Letter, Northern Ireland's leading morning newspaper and the oldest English language newspaper, having been founded in 1737. Although born in Belfast in 1943, he has spent almost his entire life living in Co. Armagh. He comes of Scots-Irish Presbyterian roots and has a deep fascination for his forebears of that tradition who moved to America in such large numbers during the 18th century.

He is an authority on American country music and culture and has interviewed for the News Letter Nashville personalities such as Garth Brooks, George Jones, Willie Nelson, Charley Pride, Ricky Skaggs, and Reba McEntire.

He has edited and compiled books on cultural traditions in Ireland, including two on the history of Orangeism in Ireland. -- paraphrased from The Scots-Irish in the Hills of Tennessee

Reviews

[Dianna · Rating 2 out of 5]

I got a copy of this book because I have done geneological research and my ancestors are from the area he writes about.

The book was kind of biased and I found a few mistakes in it. It's style is the same as much of the other writing I have found that describes the settlers, which seems to me to be contrived. For example, he talks about the "savage" Native Americans and all the atrocity they perpetrated on the white settlers. Well, excuse me, but I think if a bunch of foreigners were trying to steal my land and wasting my food, etc... I would be a little upset too.

[Sherri Holliday-Sklar · Rating 2 out of 5]

This book is narrowly scoped - written by a Scots - Irishman for people interested in Scots - Irish history in America. It contains some interesting information but is not the most readable book. Some of what is written feels like a stretch -- e.g. how may U.S. Presidents have some connection to Scots - Irish families.