Scotch-Irish Americans

==Notable people==
{{main list|List of Scotch-Irish Americans}}
{{more citations needed section|date=September 2020}}

===[[Presidents of the United States|U.S. presidents]]===

Many [[President of the United States|presidents of the United States]] have ancestral links to [[Ulster]], including three whose parents were born in Ulster.<ref name="Ulster-Scots Agency" /> Three presidents had at least one parent born in Ulster: [[Andrew Jackson]], [[James Buchanan]] and [[Chester Arthur]]. The Irish Protestant vote in the U.S. has not been studied as much as that of the Catholic Irish. In the 1820s and 1830s, Jackson supporters emphasized his Irish background, as did supporters of [[James Knox Polk]], but since the 1840s it has been uncommon for a Protestant politician in America to be identified as Irish, but rather as "Scotch-Irish".{{Original research inline|date=November 2010}} In Canada, by contrast, Irish Protestants remained a cohesive political force well into the 20th century, identified with the [[Conservative Party of Canada (historical)|then Conservative Party of Canada]] and especially with the [[Orange Institution]], although this is less evident in today's politics.

More than one-third of all U.S. presidents had substantial ancestral origins in the northern province of Ireland (Ulster). President Bill Clinton spoke proudly of that fact, and his own ancestral links with the province, during his two visits to Ulster. Like most U.S. citizens, most U.S. presidents are the result of a "[[melting pot]]" of ancestral origins.

Clinton is one of at least seventeen Chief Executives descended from emigrants to the United States from Ulster. While many of the presidents have typically Ulster-Scots surnames – Jackson, Johnson, McKinley, Wilson – others, such as Roosevelt and Cleveland, have links which are less obvious.

;[[Andrew Jackson]]
:7th president, 1829–1837: He was born in the predominantly Ulster-Scots [[Waxhaws]] area of [[South Carolina]] two years after his parents left [[Boneybefore]], near [[Carrickfergus]] in [[County Antrim]]. A [[Andrew Jackson Centre|heritage centre in the village]] pays tribute to the legacy of "Old Hickory". Andrew Jackson then moved to [[Tennessee]], where he began a prominent political and military career.<ref name="Ulster-Scots Agency">{{cite web|url=http://www.ulsterscotsagency.com/fs/doc/new_range_of_ulster-scots_booklets/US_and_USA_Presidents_BK3_AW_6.pdf|title=Ulster-Scots and the United States Presidents|publisher=[[Ulster-Scots Agency]]|access-date=12 July 2010}}</ref> ([[United States Senate|U.S. Senator]] from [[List of United States Senators from Tennessee|Tennessee]], 1797–1798 & 1823–1825; [[United States House of Representatives|U.S. House Representative]] from [[Tennessee's at-large congressional district]], 1796–1797; [[Tennessee Supreme Court]] Judge, 1798–1804; [[List of Governors of Florida|Military Governor of Florida]], 1821; [[United States Army|U.S. Army]] [[Major general (United States)|Major General]], 1814–1821; [[United States Volunteers|U.S. Volunteers]] [[Major general (United States)|Major General]], 1812–1814; [[Tennessee Military Department|Tennessee State Militia]] [[Major general (United States)|Major General]], 1802–1812; Tennessee State Militia [[Colonel (United States)|Colonel]], 1801–1802)
;[[James K. Polk]]
:11th president, 1845–1849: His ancestors were among the first Ulster-Scots settlers, emigrating from [[Coleraine]] in 1680 to become a powerful political family in [[Mecklenburg County, North Carolina|Mecklenburg County]], [[North Carolina]]. He moved to [[Tennessee]] and became its governor before winning the presidency.<ref name="Ulster-Scots Agency" /> ([[List of Speakers of the United States House of Representatives|13th]] [[Speaker of the United States House of Representatives|Speaker of the U.S. House of Representatives]], 1835–1839; [[List of Governors of Tennessee|9th]] [[Governor of Tennessee]], 1839–1841; U.S. House Representative from [[Tennessee's 6th congressional district]], 1825–1833; U.S. House Representative from [[Tennessee's 9th congressional district]], 1833–1839; [[Tennessee House of Representatives|Tennessee State Representative]], 1823–1825)
;[[James Buchanan]]
:15th president, 1857–1861: Born in a log cabin (which has been relocated to his old school in [[Mercersburg, Pennsylvania]]), "Old Buck" cherished his origins: "My Ulster blood is a priceless heritage". His father was born in [[Ramelton]] in [[County Donegal]], Ireland. The Buchanans were originally from [[Stirlingshire]], [[Scotland]] where the ancestral home still stands.<ref name="Ulster-Scots Agency" /> ([[List of secretaries of state of the United States|17th]] [[United States Secretary of State|U.S. Secretary of State]], 1845–1849; U.S. Senator from [[List of United States Senators from Pennsylvania|Pennsylvania]], (1834–1845); U.S. House Representative from [[Pennsylvania's 3rd congressional district]], 1821–1823; U.S. House Representative from [[Pennsylvania's 4th congressional district]], 1823–1831; [[List of ambassadors of the United States to Russia|U.S. Minister to the Russian Empire]], 1832–1833; [[List of ambassadors of the United States to the United Kingdom|U.S. Minister to the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland]], 1853–1856; [[Pennsylvania House of Representatives|Pennsylvania State Representative]], 1814–1816)
;[[Andrew Johnson]]
:17th president, 1865–1869: His grandfather left [[Mounthill]], near [[Larne]] in [[County Antrim]] around 1750 and settled in [[North Carolina]]. Andrew worked there as a tailor and ran a successful business in [[Greeneville, Tennessee|Greeneville]], [[Tennessee]], before being elected vice president. He became president following [[Abraham Lincoln]]'s assassination. ([[List of vice presidents of the United States|16th]] [[vice president of the United States]], 1865; U.S. Senator from Tennessee, 1857–1862 & 1875; 15th Governor of Tennessee, 1853–1857; U.S. House Representative from [[Tennessee's 1st congressional district]], 1843–1853; [[Tennessee Senate|Tennessee State Senator]], 1841–1843; Tennessee State Representative, 1835–1837 & 1839–1841; [[Greeneville, Tennessee]] [[Mayor]], 1834–1838; Greeneville, Tennessee [[Alderman#United States|Alderman]], 1828–1830; Military Governor of Tennessee, 1862–1865; [[Union Army]] [[Brigadier general (United States)|Brigadier General]], 1862–1865)
;[[Ulysses S. Grant]]<ref>Thompson, Joseph E., "American Policy and Northern Ireland: A Saga of Peacebuilding", Praeger (March 30, 2001), p. 2, and Howe, Stephen, "Ireland and Empire: Colonial Legacies in Irish History and Culture", Oxford University Press, USA (March 14, 2002), p. 273.</ref>
:18th president, 1869–1877: The home of his maternal great-grandfather, John Simpson, at [[Dergenagh]], [[County Tyrone]], is the location for an exhibition on the eventful life of the victorious [[American Civil War|Civil War]] commander who served two terms as president. Grant visited his ancestral homeland in 1878. The home of John Simpson still stands in County Tyrone.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.discovernorthernireland.com/Grant-Ancestral-House-Dungannon-P2938 |title=Grant Ancestral House |publisher=Discovernorthernireland.com |access-date=2012-06-04}}</ref> (Acting [[United States Secretary of War|U.S. Secretary of War]], 1867–1868; [[Commanding General of the United States Army|Commanding General of the U.S. Army]], 1864–1869; U.S./Union Army [[Lieutenant general (United States)|Lieutenant General]], 1864–1866; Union Army [[Major general (United States)|Major General]], 1862–1864; Union Army [[Brigadier general (United States)|Brigadier General]], 1861–1862; Union Army [[Colonel (United States)|Colonel]], 1861; U.S. Army [[Captain (United States O-3)|Captain]], 1853–1854; U.S. Army [[Brevet (military)#United States|Brevet]] [[Captain (United States O-3)|Captain]], 1847–1848; U.S. Army [[Second lieutenant#United States|2nd Lieutenant]], 1843–1853)
;[[Chester A. Arthur]]
:21st president, 1881–1885: His succession to the Presidency after the death of Garfield was the start of a quarter-century in which the White House was occupied by men of Ulster-Scots origins. His family left [[Dreen]], near [[Cullybackey]], [[County Antrim]], in 1815. There is now an interpretive centre, alongside the Arthur Ancestral Home, devoted to his life and times.<ref name="Ulster-Scots Agency" /> (20th vice president of the United States, 1881; [[Collector of the Port of New York|New York Port Collector]], 1871–1878; [[New York Guard]] [[Quartermaster general|Quartermaster General]], 1862–1863; New York Guard [[Office of Inspector General (United States)|Inspector General]], 1862; New York Guard [[Chief engineer|Engineer-in-Chief]], 1861–1863)
;[[Grover Cleveland]]
:22nd and 24th president, 1885–1889 and 1893–1897: Born in [[New Jersey]], he was the maternal grandson of merchant Abner Neal, who emigrated from [[County Antrim]] in the 1790s. He is the only president to have served non-consecutive terms.<ref name="Ulster-Scots Agency" /> ([[List of Governors of New York|28th]] [[Governor of New York]], 1883–1885; [[List of mayors of Buffalo, New York|34th Mayor of Buffalo, New York]], 1882; [[Erie County Sheriff's Office (New York)|Erie County, New York Sheriff]], 1871–1873)
;[[Benjamin Harrison]]
:23rd president, 1889–1893: His mother, Elizabeth Irwin, had Ulster-Scots roots through her two great-grandfathers, James Irwin and William McDowell. Harrison was born in [[Ohio]] and served as a brigadier general in the [[Union Army]] before embarking on a career in [[Indiana]] politics which led to the White House.<ref name="Ulster-Scots Agency" /> (U.S. Senator from [[List of United States Senators from Indiana|Indiana]], 1881–1887; Union Army Brevet [[Brigadier general (United States)|Brigadier General]], 1865; Union Army [[Colonel (United States)|Colonel]], 1862–1865; Union Army [[Captain (United States O-3)|Captain]], 1862)
;[[William McKinley]]
:25th president, 1897–1901: Born in [[Ohio]], the descendant of a farmer from Conagher, near [[Ballymoney]], [[County Antrim]], he was proud of his ancestry and addressed one of the national Scotch-Irish congresses held in the late 19th century. His second term as president was cut short by an assassin's bullet.<ref name="Ulster-Scots Agency" /> ([[List of Governors of Ohio|39th Governor of Ohio]], 1892–1896; U.S. House Representative from [[Ohio's 18th congressional district]], 1887–1891; U.S. House Representative from [[Ohio's 20th congressional district]], 1885–1887; U.S. House Representative from Ohio's 18th congressional district, 1883–1884; U.S. House Representative from [[Ohio's 17th congressional district]], 1881–1883; U.S. House Representative from [[Ohio's 16th congressional district]], 1879–1881; U.S. House Representative from Ohio's 17th congressional district, 1877–1879; Union Army Brevet [[Brigadier general (United States)|Brigadier General]], 1865; Union Army [[Colonel (United States)|Colonel]], 1862–1865; Union Army [[Captain (United States O-3)|Captain]], 1862)
;[[Theodore Roosevelt]]
:26th president, 1901–1909: His mother, [[Mittie Bulloch]], had Ulster Scots ancestors who emigrated from [[Glenoe]], [[County Antrim]], in May 1729. Roosevelt praised "Irish Presbyterians" as "a bold and hardy race".<ref>Theodore Roosevelt, ''The Winning Of The West'', Volume 1, Kessinger Publishing, 2004, p. 77</ref> However, he is also the man who said: "But a hyphenated American is not an American at all. This is just as true of the man who puts "native"* before the hyphen as of the man who puts German or Irish or English or French before the hyphen."<ref>{{cite web |url=http://home.comcast.net/~nhprman/trhyphenated.htm |title=Theodore Roosevelt's "Hyphenated Americanism" Speech, 1915 |access-date=2010-07-12 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090125114220/http://home.comcast.net/~nhprman/trhyphenated.htm |archive-date=2009-01-25 }}</ref> (*Roosevelt was referring to "[[Nativism (politics)|nativists]]", not [[Native Americans in the United States|American Indians]], in this context) (25th vice president of the United States, 1901; 33rd Governor of New York, 1899–1900; [[Assistant Secretary of the Navy]], 1897–1898; [[New York City Police Commissioner|New York City Police Commissioners Board president]], 1895–1897; [[New York State Assembly]] [[Minority leader|Minority Leader]], 1883; New York State Assembly Member, 1882–1884)
;[[William Howard Taft]]
:27th president, 1909–1913: First known ancestor of the [[Taft family]] in the United States, [[Robert Taft Sr.]], was born in [[County Louth]] circa 1640 (where his father, Richard Robert Taft, also died in 1700), before migrating to [[Braintree, Massachusetts]] in 1675, and settling in [[Mendon, Massachusetts]] in 1680. ([[Chief Justice of the United States#List of Chief Justices|10th Chief Justice of the United States]], 1921–1930; [[United States Secretary of War|42nd U.S. Secretary of War]], 1904–1908; [[List of colonial governors of Cuba|1st Provisional Governor of Cuba]], 1906; [[Governor-General of the Philippines|1st Governor-General of the Philippines]], 1901–1903; [[United States Court of Appeals for the Sixth Circuit|U.S. 6th Circuit Court of Appeals]] Judge, 1892–1900; [[Solicitor General of the United States|6th U.S. Solicitor General]], 1890–1892)
;[[Woodrow Wilson]]
:28th president, 1913–1921: Of Ulster-Scots descent on both sides of the family, his roots were very strong and dear to him. He was grandson of a printer from [[Dergalt]], near [[Strabane]], [[County Tyrone]], whose former home is open to visitors.<ref name="Ulster-Scots Agency" /> ([[List of Governors of New Jersey|34th]] [[Governor of New Jersey]], 1911–1913; [[President of Princeton University|Princeton University president]], 1902–1910)
;[[Harry S. Truman]]
:33rd president, 1945–1953: Of Ulster-Scots descent on both sides of the family.<ref name="Ulster-Scots Agency" /> (34th vice president of the United States, 1945; U.S. Senator from [[List of United States Senators from Missouri|Missouri]], 1935–1945; [[List of county executives of Jackson County, Missouri|Jackson County, Missouri Presiding Judge]], 1927–1935; [[United States Army Reserve|U.S. Army Reserve]] [[Colonel (United States)|Colonel]], 1932–1953; U.S. Army Reserve [[Lieutenant colonel (United States)|Lieutenant Colonel]], 1925–1932; U.S. Army Reserve [[Major (United States)|Major]], 1920–1925; U.S. Army Major, 1919; U.S. Army [[Captain (United States O-3)|Captain]], 1918–1919; U.S. Army [[First lieutenant#United States)|1st Lieutenant]], 1917–1918; [[Missouri National Guard]] [[Corporal#United States|Corporal]], 1905–1911)
;[[Lyndon B. Johnson]]
:36th president, 1963–1969: Of Ulster-Scots ancestry with patrilineal descent traced to [[Dumfriesshire]], [[Scotland]] in 1590.<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://gw.geneanet.org/tdowling?lang=en&p=john&n=johnson&oc=35|title=John Johnson|website=Geneanet|access-date=1 July 2017}}</ref> (37th vice president of the United States, 1961–1963; [[Party leaders of the United States Senate|U.S. Senate Majority Leader]], 1955–1961; U.S. Senate Minority Leader, 1953–1955; U.S. Senate Majority Whip, 1951–1953; U.S. Senator from [[List of United States Senators from Texas|Texas]], 1949–1961; U.S. House Representative from [[Texas's 10th congressional district]], 1937–1949; [[United States Naval Reserve|U.S. Naval Reserve]] [[Commander (United States)|Commander]], 1940–1964)
;[[Richard Nixon]]
:37th president, 1969–1974: The Nixon ancestors left Ulster in the mid-18th century; the Quaker Milhous family ties were with [[County Antrim]] and [[County Kildare]].<ref name="Ulster-Scots Agency" /> (36th vice president of the United States, 1953–1961; U.S. Senator from [[List of United States Senators from California|California]], 1950–1953; U.S. House Representative from [[California's 12th congressional district]], 1947–1950; U.S. Naval Reserve [[Commander (United States)|Commander]], 1953–1966; U.S. Naval Reserve [[Lieutenant commander (United States)|Lieutenant Commander]], 1945–1953; U.S. Naval Reserve [[Lieutenant (navy)|Lieutenant]], 1943–1945; U.S. Naval Reserve [[Lieutenant (junior grade)|Lieutenant J.G.]], 1942–1943)
;[[Jimmy Carter]]
:39th president, 1977–1981: Some of Carter's paternal ancestors originated from County Antrim, County Londonderry and County Armagh and some of his maternal ancestors originated from County Londonderry, County Down, and County Donegal.<ref>{{cite book|title=Ancestors of Jimmy and Rosalynn Carter|author=Jeff Carter|page=74}}</ref><ref>{{cite book|title=Cultures of the world: selections from the ten-volume encyclopedia of world cultures|author=Melvin Ember, Carol R. Ember|page=1129}}</ref> ([[List of Governors of Georgia|76th Governor of Georgia]], 1971–1975; [[Georgia State Senate|Georgia State Senator]], 1963–1967; U.S. Navy Reserve [[Lieutenant (junior grade)|Lieutenant J.G.]], 1953–1961; U.S. Navy [[Lieutenant (junior grade)|Lieutenant J.G.]], 1949–1953; U.S. Navy [[Ensign (rank)|Ensign]], 1946–1949)
;[[George H. W. Bush]]
:41st president, 1989–1993: Of Ulster-Scots ancestry.<ref name="Ulster-Scots Society of America">{{Cite web|title=About the Ulster-Scots|url=http://www.ulsterscotssociety.com/about_the-roots.html}}</ref> (43rd vice president of the United States, 1981–1989; [[Director of Central Intelligence]], 1976–1977; [[List of ambassadors of the United States to China#List of Chiefs of the U.S. Liaison Office in Beijing|2nd U.S. Beijing Liaison Office Chief]], 1974–1975; [[United States Ambassador to the United Nations|10th U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations]], 1971–1973; U.S. House Representative from [[Texas's 7th congressional district]], 1967–1971; U.S. Navy [[Lieutenant (junior grade)|Lieutenant J.G.]], 1942–1945)
;[[Bill Clinton]]
:42nd president, 1993–2001: Of Ulster-Scots ancestry.<ref name="Ulster-Scots Society of America"/> ([[List of Governors of Arkansas|40th & 42nd Governor of Arkansas]], 1979–1981 & 1983–1992; [[Arkansas Attorney General|50th Arkansas Attorney General]], 1977–1979)
;[[George W. Bush]]
:43rd president, 2001–2009: Of Ulster-Scots ancestry.<ref name="Ulster-Scots Society of America"/> ([[List of Governors of Texas|46th]] [[Governor of Texas]], 1995–2000); [[Texas Air National Guard]] [[First Lieutenant (United States)|First Lieutenant]], 1968–1974)
;[[Barack Obama]]
:44th president, 2009–2017: Of Scots-Irish ancestry on mother's side.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/the-fix/wp/2016/07/28/our-first-black-president-just-played-up-his-scots-irish-heritage-and-it-has-everything-to-do-with-trump/?noredirect=on|title=Our first black president plays up his Scots-Irish heritage — and it has everything to do with Trump|last1=Stead Sellers|first1=Frances|date=July 28, 2016|newspaper=[[The Washington Post]]|access-date=July 1, 2018|last2=Blake|first2=Aaron}}</ref><ref>{{cite magazine|last1=Drabold|first1=Will|last2=Villa|first2=Lissandra|title=Read President Obama's Speech at the Democratic Convention|magazine=[[Time (magazine)|Time]]|url=http://time.com/4426150/dnc-barack-obama-transcript/|date=July 27, 2016|access-date=July 1, 2018}}</ref> (U.S. Senator from [[List of United States Senators from Illinois|Illinois]], 2005–2008; [[Illinois Senate|Illinois State Senator]], 1997–2004)