I am reading this book "Born Fighting: How the Scots-Irish Shaped America" by James Webb and it is an excellent read. It goes back in history, starting with Roman days progressing all the way to modern day America and shows how the Scottish/Irish culture developed and how their values helped shape America.
I was just reading the renaissance section, with "BraveHeart" and noticed the Dunlap crest is in the area in which Braveheart was located. Also it shows how the Scottish migrated to Ulster Ireland (Belfast today) and it is these Calvinist and Presbyterian Scottish/Irish that were the bulk of peoples that moved to America and fought in the Revolution. I also noticed that the Burke family married many a maiden from Ulster.
The book is great. I know all of you would enjoy it. It also shows how Andrew Jackson's value system was shaped very much by his cultural history as Scots-Irish. The Scots-Irish were much more populist then the English-whose society was more feudalism based. With the Scottish religions they had local elected priests (as opposed to appointed like the Anglican church) and town leaders who shared the values of their communities as opposed to Landowners that decided the rules of the land. James Webb shows how this value system came with them to America and of course America has politics on a very local level--house of representative, state vs. federal, etc. The English were more of federalists--monarchy etc. While the Scots-Irish would have been state rights. James Webb is a great writer and it is fascinating to see how values developed in 1000 AD have stayed and helped shape the minds and values of present day.
Check it out!
2 comments:
As I walk each day, I listen to a book. Right now, my book is Count of Monte Cristo. I have read it before, but I wanted to "read" it again. Am loving it. I will look into this book, Nai. Love the suggestion. I am very interested in the Scots-Irish theme...I love Leon Uris' Trinity years ago....although a novel, it helped me to understand the IRA movement and the fight for independence over the years.
Thanks for the suggestion.
I will give one in return The Zookeepers Wife....given as a gift by a dear friend. Read it over spring break....loved it!
Sounds like a facinating book. Thanks for the suggestion- it's always nice to have a book recommendation from someone you think highly of. Thanks, Nai!
Wendy
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