In 2005, the Census Bureau reported that 5.2 million Americans claim Scots-Irish (or Ulster-Scots) heritage. They are justly proud of their forebears' contibutions to our nation, not least the phrase “the pursuit of happiness,” coined by the Ulster philospher Francis Hutcheson. Many US Presidents claim this ancestry. Born in the Waxhaws area of the Carolina Piedmont, Andrew Jackson was the son of natives of Carrickfergus, Co. Antrim. Woodrow Wilson, who grew up in Augusta, Georgia, had partental grandparents from near Strabane, Co. Tyrone.

To connect the two days of the Symposium, we present at 7:00 PM on Friday evening a concert of Scots-Irish-influenced Bluegrass, featuring Atlanta-based Smokey's Farmland Band. These guys are exceptional musicians. Admission is free for those registered for the Symposium. The show's also open to the public: $10 at the door of the Coastal Georgia Center Auditorium.
Sybil Fickle and Marie Williams at Georgia Southern University are available to provide more details about the Symposium and answer questions you may have. They're also happy to process your registration.

When it comes to the Scots-Irish in America, most popular and scholarly attention has been focused on the Central Appalachians. A less-well-known but hugely important story is experiences on the “frontiers and fringes”: places like Maine and Georgia. To foster fuller understanding, the Center for Irish Studies, Georgia Southern University, is partnering with the Institute for Ulster-Scots Studies, a research unit of the University of Ulster.

On 11 and 12 September 2009, we present an open-to-all symposium at the Coastal Georgia Center, a conference venue (with ample free parking) next to Savannah's historic district.

In accessible, compelling terms, six major international scholars discuss their research into aspects of Scots-Irish life north and south of the core settlement zone. Each presenter has time to offer a detailed picture—and to answer questions from the floor.

Recognizing tight economic times, we offer great value: just $20 for single-day participation or $30 for the entire two-day event.
Of particular interest to Southerners, two speakers focus on Queensborough: a largely Presbyterian Scots-Irish community established in the 1760s and '70s on the Ogeechee between Savannah and Augusta. It was spearheaded by the colorful Indian trader George Galphin, an immigrant from Armagh city who worked for the Rae brothers of the Lagan Valley, Co. Antrim, and Augusta, Georgia.

Our Symbol
The red hand comes from the native Irish O'Neill family, and it's recognized as a symbol of Ulster by all traditions in that part of the world. The oak leaf of peace is associated with St. Columcille's medieval monastery at Doire (Derry). The Irish shamrock and Scottish thistle underscore the cultural richness of the Ulster-Scots.