Here are just a few of the many ways that the immigrant Scots left their mark on America:

Place Names

Many locations in America were nostalgically named after Scottish places. There are eight Aberdeens, eight Edinburghs, seven Glasgows and eight locations, simply known as Scotland, in the United States today. Other place names in America were given Scottish surnames. The common Scottish surname suffix Mac or Mc can be seen at the start of many area names; in North Carolina alone there are 130 such places.

Sports and Leisure

Scottish immigrants introduced the popular sports of golf and curling to America. Modern track and field events were influenced by massive Scottish athletic tournaments. Whisky is the national drink of Scotland and it has many adherents in America as well.

Scots brought their folk traditions of music and dance, which became merged in the melting pot with the traditions of other immigrants. In the late nineteenth century and throughout the twentieth century, new fashions - bagpipe band, Highland Games, and Highland dancing - were imported into America and have become popular events and art forms.

Religion

Most Scots who came to America were Presbyterian, Episcopal, or Catholic. Scots tended to adhere to the same faith when they immigrated, and founded many influential churches in America.

The establishment of the Episcopal Church in America relied upon the Scottish Episcopal church for its apostolic succession, as the Anglican bishops would not consecrate a bishop who would not pledge allegiance to the King. The American version of the Book of Common Prayer was also influenced by these Scottish bishops, and in honor of their contributions, a St. Andrew's Cross appears in the corner of the flag of the American Episcopal Church.

The Presbyterian Church in America also benefited from the many immigrant Scots who carried their faith into America.Religious leaders such as James MacGregor and Alexander MacLeod were particularly vociferous proponents of the abolition of slavery, employing religious tenets to argue their points.

Education

The Reformation stressed the need for literacy so that every Christian could have direct contact with God's word in the Bible. Because the Scottish Presbyterian Church took this so seriously, Lowland Scots became a highly literate people. These Scots played a crucial role in the early development of the New World. Both Thomas Jefferson and John Rutledge were tutored by Scottish immigrants.

Scots arriving in the New World soon established universities, colleges and other educational establishments such as Princeton University, which was initially named the College of New Jersey, when founded in 1746.

Medicine

During the mid-17th century Scottish centers of learning excelled in the fields of education and science. Many Scottish graduates came to America and many Americans traveled to Scotland to gain an education in medicine. In 1775 there were 3,500 people practicing medicine in the US, though only 350 or 400 actually held a medical degree. Most of these had been educated in Scotland.

The greatest Scottish contribution to American medicine was the belief that it was not simply the body but the mind that must be healed. Drawing upon their knowledge of philosophy and the humanities they expounded the need to be humane when treating patients. Scots were crucial in establishing separate medical teaching institutions; previously all medical education had been taught within the confines of medical establishments.

Exploration

Many of the men involved in the fur trade during the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries were Scottish. They employed their skills in the outdoors in navigating difficult terrain unknown to Europeans, and their linguistic skills in learning the languages of Native American peoples. They often married into Native American nations, and documented the customs and folklore of tribes which would have otherwise disappeared with the domination of European society throughout America.

Scottish-American Societies

There are many societies in America, such as the St Andrew's Society - named after the patron saint of Scotland, that attempt to promote particular aspects of Scottish culture and heritage. Several of these Clubs and societies, celebrating Scottish ancestry, were originally established in the 18th century to assist struggling Scots in the new land. Today, throughout America and Canada there are over 300 St Andrew's Societies, Caledonian Clubs and other Scottish societies.