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August 17, 2002 - North Carolina's Scottish Counties
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About 1732 many Highland Scots came to North Carolina to start a new life. Following the defeat of Bonnie Prince Charlie and the massacre of his Highland Clans, at the Battle of Culloden in 1746, and their resulting subjugation by the conquering British, the Scottish immigration grew. Gabriel Johnson, a North Carolina governor and a Scot, offered low land prices and persuaded the legislature to exempt the Scots from taxes until they became established. The Scottish heroine who spirited Charles Stuart "over the sea to Skye" after the Culloden defeat, Flora MacDonald, also immigrated and settled in the neighboring area. Before immigrating from the Scottish Highlands, the immigrants had been required by their British masters to take an oath never again to oppose the British crown. So, with rare exception, the Scots in North Carolina remained loyal to Britain during the American Revolution. During the Civil War, General Sherman's troops entered North Carolina at Scotland County as they marched to Fayetteville, Averasborough, Bentonville and eventually the surrender signed at Hillsborough. This county was created by the North Carolina General Assembly in 1899 from a portion of neighboring Richmond County. It was named Scotland in honor of the Highlanders' far-away homeland. During the colonial period, neighboring Cumberland County had been named for William, Duke of Cumberland, leader of the victorious British troops at Culloden, to insult the new settlers.
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