In colonial times, the Irish population in America was second in
number only to the English. Many early Irish immigrants were of
sturdy, Scotch-Irish stock. Pushed out of Ireland by religious
conflicts, lack of political autonomy and dire economic
conditions, these immigrants were pulled to America by the
promise of land ownership and greater religious freedom. Most
Scotch-Irish immigrants were educated, skilled workers. Even
those who financed their emigration by becoming indentured
servants were well equipped to lead successful, independent
lives when their period of servitude ended. They were readily
assimilated into the life of the new nation. The Scotch-Irish
settled in the middle colonies, especially in Pennsylvania where
the city of Philadelphia was a major port of debarkation. Over
subsequent decades, the Scotch-Irish migrated south following
the Great Philadelphia Road, the main route used for settling
the interior southern colonies. Traveling down Virginias
Shenandoah Valley, then south into the Nor