ISBN : 9782296136298
THE EMIGRATION OF SCOTTISH MINERS TO AMERICA IN THE 19TH CENTURY
Introduction Between 1750 and 1914, over two million Scots left their native country. Between 1881 and 1910, around 340,000 Scots2 emigrated to America. Scholars like T.M. Devine3 have explored their motives and have stressed the role not only of economic pressure but also of threats to status. Scottish miners were particularly concerned because in the 19th century they had to deal with the increasing immigration of Irish labourers and the pressure of their employers who had to satisfy an increasing demand for coal and who gradually called miners' skilled status into question. In this context, emigration appeared a satisfactory solution to many. The role of Scottish skilled workers who settled in America during the 19th century has been somehow neglected by social historians who have worked on the history of Scottish migrations. Indeed their research has largely focused on the condition of crofters and pauper emigrants. The argument of...