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What do an Academy Award-winning actress, the first man on the Moon, and a legendary country music singer all have in common? They can all claim Scottish-American heritage. Indeed, there are an estimated 25 million people in the US who are of Scottish descent. A few can trace their lineage as far back as the early 1600s, when the Mayflower made landfall in the New World.
Yes, some of America's most famous figures from the worlds of politics, industry, and entertainment hail from the Highlands. What's more, the Scottish have played an important role in American development since European colonization began in the late 15th century. But how many Americans with Scottish ancestry can you name?
Click through and find out who owes their heritage to Scotland.
The first known Scottish immigrant, Robert Sproat, sailed to America on the Mayflower in 1620.
The first permanent English settlement in the Americas, Jamestown was named for the Scottish monarch King James VI.
Born and raised in Arbigland, Scotland, American naval officer John Paul Jones was famed for his actions against the British during the American Revolutionary War.
Statesman and Founding Father Alexander Hamilton's own father was Scottish, the fourth son of Alexander Hamilton, the laird of Grange, Ayrshire. Alexander Hamilton served as the first United States secretary of the treasury from 1789 to 1795.
William Alexander was a Scottish-American major general during the American Revolutionary War. Though born in the Province of New York, he was considered the male heir to the Scottish title of Earl of Stirling through Scottish lineage. He distinguished himself early in the conflict by leading a group of volunteers in the capture of an armed British naval transport.
One of the 56 members of the Continental Congress of 1776 who signed the Declaration of Independence, James Wilson of Pennsylvania was a native of Scotland, having been born in Fife.
Similarly, John Witherspoon of New Jersey, another signatory of the Declaration of Independence, originally came from Beith in North Ayrshire.
American author Washington Irving, best known for 'Rip Van Winkle' (1819) and 'The Legend of Sleepy Hollow' (1820), had a Scottish father who hailed from Quholm on Shapinsay in the Orkney Islands.
Steel magnate Andrew Carnegie was born in Dunfermline. He became one of the richest Americans in history. Carnegie Hall in New York City is one of several public buildings in the United States named after him.
Born in Arlington, Massachusetts, Samuel Wilson could claim Scottish ancestry through his grandfather Robert Wilson, who was from Greenock. Wilson's name is purportedly the source of the personification of the United States known as "Uncle Sam."
Credited with patenting the first practical telephone, Alexander Graham Bell, who was born in Edinburgh, also co-founded the American Telephone and Telegraph Company (AT&T), in 1885.
Several US presidents are of Scottish or Scots-Irish descent. Just a few, however, can claim near-direct heritage. The maternal grandparents of Woodrow Wilson, for example, were both Scottish.
Harley-Davidson is one of the most iconic motorcycle manufacturers in the world. The Davidson brothers—Arthur, Walter, and William—were the sons of William C. Davidson, who was born and grew up in Angus, Scotland. Their mother was also of Scottish descent. Pictured is Walter Davidson, the first president of the Harley-Davidson Motor Company.
John Muir, often called the "Father of the National Parks," was born in Dunbar, East Lothian. The naturalist and author was an early advocate for the preservation of wilderness in the United States of America.
Joseph Albert Campbell's lineage can be traced back to early 17th-century Scottish settlers. He was the founder of Campbell Soup Company. The classic red-and-white can design has become an American cultural icon.
General Douglas MacArthur's grandfather was Arthur MacArthur, a Scottish-born American lawyer and political. General MacArthur saw action in the First World War and became one of the most celebrated military leaders of the Second World War.
Alan Shepard, the second person and first American in space, was one of many famous descendants of Mayflower passenger Richard Warren. He was related to Scottish emigrants from Berneray in the Outer Hebrides, through the Shepard line.
The first man on the Moon, Neil Armstrong was a descendant of Clan Armstrong. In fact, Armstrong wore a kilt in a parade through his ancestral home of Langholm in the Scottish Borders in 1972.
In 1981, the "Man in Black" traced his Scottish surname to 11th-century Fife after meeting with the then-laird of Falkland, Major Michael Crichton-Stuart. Cash Loch and other locations in Fife, Scotland, bear the name of the legendary singer's family.
Jay Leno, the former host of 'The Tonight Show,' claims Scottish heritage through his mother, who was born in Greenock in the west central Lowlands.
Greenock is also the birthplace of the mother of Academy Award-winning actress Julianne Moore.
Dumbarton-born musician David Byrne found fame as a founding member and principal singer-songwriter of Talking Heads—one of the most influential new wave bands on the 1970s and '80s.
The mother of David Duchovny was born in Aberdeen. Duchovny is best known for his role as FBI agent Fox Mulder on the television series 'The X-Files' (1993–2002, 2016–2018).
While a few Scots have played American football professionally, the only one to make an impact in the NFL is Greenock-born kicker Lawrence Tynes. He helped the New York Giants win two Super Bowls.
The mother of Donald Trump, who served as the 45th president of the United States from 2017 to 2021, was born in the Outer Hebrides of Scotland. The former president owns Trump International Golf Links in Aberdeenshire. He is pictured at the Old Course in St Andrews, one of the oldest golf clubs in the world.
Scottish-themed festivals are commonplace across the United States. The Association of Scottish Games and Festivals lists 23 states where festivities are organized and hosted.
Every year, Americans have the opportunity to celebrate their Scottish heritage on National Tartan Day. The event falls annually on April 6, the date on which the Declaration of Arbroath was signed in 1320. America's own Declaration of Independence was modeled on the Arbroath document.
The day is marked across the nation, but it's in New York City where the spectacular Tunes of Glory takes place when hundreds of kilted pipers march up Sixth Avenue.
Sources: (History) (The Scotsman) ('Inventing American Tradition: From the Mayflower to Cinco de Mayo') (The National) (Association of Scottish Games and Festivals) (National Records of Scotland)
See also: 30 signs you have a British soul
How Scottish is the United States?
Click through and find out who owes their heritage to Scotland.
LIFESTYLE Heritage
What do an Academy Award-winning actress, the first man on the Moon, and a legendary country music singer all have in common? They can all claim Scottish-American heritage. Indeed, there are an estimated 25 million people in the US who are of Scottish descent. A few can trace their lineage as far back as the early 1600s, when the Mayflower made landfall in the New World.
Yes, some of America's most famous figures from the worlds of politics, industry, and entertainment hail from the Highlands. What's more, the Scottish have played an important role in American development since European colonization began in the late 15th century. But how many Americans with Scottish ancestry can you name?
Click through and find out who owes their heritage to Scotland.