The Irish Plantation

The term Irish Plantation basically refers to the emigration, some voluntary and some forced, of Scottish people to Ireland, when the counties of Northern Ireland were ceded to the English crown after the Irish defeat in a war. It was the intention of the English crown to "protestantize" Northern Ireland in order to maintain control.

Historical information can be obtained from many websites. Here are some of them.

http://www.irelandseye.com/aarticles/history/events/conflict/bttc1.shtm

www.scotchirish.net

 

   The counties of Northern Ireland, known as Ulster,

My own ancestors came to Pennsylvania, settling in the counties of Chester and Lancaster. There were many circumstances in the late 18th century and early 19th centuries which would have motivated their emigration—famine, changes in the economy, and persecution of Presbyterians in Northern Ireland. Pennsylvania had long had a reputation for religious tolerance, so that made it a likely choice.

 

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