🗺️ Transatlantic Migration

About the Transatlantic Migration

Between 1717 and 1775, approximately 100,000-150,000 Ulster Scots (Scotch-Irish) crossed the Atlantic Ocean to colonial America. This massive migration was one of the largest population movements of the 18th century and fundamentally shaped American colonial society.

The McCreary family was part of this great exodus, with the first documented McCreary arrivals appearing in Pennsylvania records in 1718, just one year after the migration began.

Why They Left Ulster

Multiple factors drove this massive emigration:

• Rack-Renting - Landlords dramatically increased rents when leases expired
• Religious Discrimination - Test Acts denied Presbyterians full civil rights
• Economic Hardship - Trade restrictions hurt Ulster's linen industry
• Failed Harvests - Droughts and famines (especially 1740-1741)
• Limited Land - Growing population with no new land available

Three Major Waves

First Wave (1717-1718) - About 5,000 people fled rack-renting and religious persecution. These pioneers established the pattern for later emigrants.

Second Wave (1725-1729) - Severe droughts and poor harvests drove thousands more to America. Extended families and entire communities migrated together.

Third Wave (1740-1741) - The devastating famine known as Blian an Áir (the Year of Slaughter) killed up to 400,000 in Ireland and triggered the largest wave of emigration.

The Voyage

The Atlantic crossing was dangerous and difficult:

• Duration: 6-8 weeks in good conditions, longer in storms
• Cost: £3-5 per adult (about 6 months' wages for a laborer)
• Conditions: Crowded ships, poor food, limited water
• Mortality: 10-20% died during passage in bad years

Main Ports of Entry

Philadelphia, Pennsylvania was the primary destination, receiving the vast majority of Ulster Scots. The city offered:

• Religious tolerance for Presbyterians
• Affordable land in the Pennsylvania interior
• Existing Scotch-Irish communities
• Gateway to the southern frontier

New Castle, Delaware served as a secondary port near Philadelphia, handling overflow when ships were too numerous.