…inhabitants flock in here daily, most from Pensilvania and other parts of America, who are overstocked with people and some directly from Europe, they commonly seat themselves toward the west and have got near the mountains.  Governor Gabriel Johnson to the Board of Trade, Feb. 15th, 1750/1

At a time when settlers were being sought for the vast expanse of the North Carolina backcountry, events elsewhere were underway that would provide them in numbers beyond the expectations of the most optimistic.

Some of the motivating factors arose far away in Europe, the results of wars and issues not directly associated with the American colonies. Others arose from policies and events here at home, particularly in Pennsylvania, Maryland, and New Jersey. 

Migration from Europe

In the year 1746 I was in the Country that is now Anson, Orange and Rowan Countys, there was not then above one hundred fighting men… there is now at least three thousand for the most part Irish Protestants and Germans and dayley increasing. Governor Pro Tem Matthew Rowan to The Board of Trade, June 28th, 1753

The Scotch-Irish: The people we know as the Scotch-Irish¹ were perhaps as fit a group for settling on a frontier as might be found anywhere in the world.

Their origins lay in the lowlands of Scotland, where they were known as an industrious but desperately poor people, far different from the kilt-wearing highland Scot of popular image. They were devoutly Presbyterian, which placed them in an awkward position, as their Calvinism had been the subject of repeated attempts at repression by the British Monarchy.  

When the opportunity arose to settle in the Ulster province of Ireland, many of them seized it. There, only twenty miles across the Irish Sea from their Scottish homes, they hoped to find better lands in Ireland² and greater religious freedom. 

The migration to Ireland and the installation of the lowland Scots was highly successful in British eyes. The hard-working Scots improved the land and its production while pushing out the seemingly untamable Irish.  

Unfortunately their success led to their undoing. The English landowners demanded greater rents from their Scotch-Irish tenants, basing the increases on the improvements that the tenants had made themselves.  

Further, Scotch-Irish successes in wool and linen manufacture brought unwelcome competition to the English who demanded that Parliament restrict Irish trade.  

And the issue of Scotch-Irish Presbyterianism again raised its head. Parliament passed the “Test Act,” requiring that all office holders within Ireland declare their allegiance to the Church of England.  

Seeking relief from economic and religious pressures, the first wave of Scotch-Irish began to migrate to America about 1717, at first finding places in Pennsylvania and Maryland.

There were several subsequent waves in the Scotch-Irish exodus; the largest occurring about 1740 after several years of famine had ravaged Ireland.  

This third wave was further stimulated by the recruiting efforts of North Carolina’s Royal Governors Gabriel Johnston and Arthur Dobbs, both of whom had strong Irish ties. North Carolina’s attractions³ became well known to the Scotch-Irish. Many of them would land in Pennsylvania and Maryland, and upon finding little land available there, would push south into the Yadkin River Valley. They would bring with them bitter lessons learned from the Irish experience that would have a long lasting influence on their character. 

Rhineland Germans: For nearly a century a series of wars⁴ had occupied the Rhineland. Beyond the devastation brought upon the population there had been widespread forcible conscription and heavy taxation. 

Then in 1707, just as this series of wars came to an end, central Europe experienced the coldest winter in its history. There was widespread crop failure, which, coupled with the ravages of years of war, left large numbers of German refugees to spread throughout Western Europe. Many of them migrated into the Netherlands and from there to England. It’s been estimated that as many as 30,000 arrived in England in 1709 alone. 
 

Widely viewed as hard-working people with skills in agriculture and trades, some of these early refugees were relocated to America where they found farms along New York’s Hudson River. Others began to settle in Pennsylvania, perhaps in response to earlier visits to their homeland by William Penn, who had offered Pennsylvania land for settlement at 2 English pounds per 100 acres. 

Spurred by continuing unrest at home and continuing recruitment from the American colonies, Germans came from the Rhineland in steadily increasing streams. By the time of the opening of the Carolina backcountry for settlement in the mid 1740’s, the northern colonies could no longer absorb their growing numbers. They eagerly joined the stream of settlers heading for the Yadkin Valley. 

Moravians: The Moravians were a Pietist sect from Bohemia, Moravia, and Poland. As early as 1734 they had been granted land in the new colony of Georgia. While they were successful in establishing a Moravian community there, the pressures of war with Spain and life on a hostile frontier presented demands on them that they couldn’t rationalize with their pacifist principles. They were only able to resolve the issue by relocating to Pennsylvania. 

They were as successful in Pennsylvania as in Georgia but even though their situation was more to their liking, they were nonetheless somewhat resentful of continued “interference” from the Quaker government of the colony.  

In 1749, while seeking alternative locations for additional Moravian communities,⁵ Count Zinzendorf, the patron of the Moravian church, met with Lord Granville in London. After discussion of their needs, an agreement was reached that the Moravians would purchase 100,000 acres within the Granville Tract.  

In 1752, Moravian Bishop August Spangenberg and a party of 5 others came to North Carolina to look for suitable land. After a lengthy search that took them from the coastal areas to the mountains, they decided on a tract in present day Forsyth County. In August of 1753 the sale was concluded. For 157 square miles of land, the Moravians would pay 500 pounds sterling down payment and an annual “quitrent” of 148 pounds, 9 shillings, and 2 ½ pence. They called their tract “Wachovia.”    

Other European Immigrants: The Scotch-Irish, Germans, and the multi-national Moravians made up the majority of the first settlers of the Yadkin Valley; but there were also English Quakers and Baptists, Dutch, Welsh, and French Huguenots who came in smaller number. Like the larger groups they tended to settle in small communities of the same nationality or origin. 

Migration from the Northern Colonies  

The initial wave of settlers in the Yadkin Valley was made up primarily of Scotch-Irish, Welsh, and English who had already been established in colonies to the north. Germans and Dutch followed close behind. They came for reasons as varied as their own cultures.  

The migration that began with the opening of the backcountry in the 1740s is often attributed to the low price of land in North Carolina. Doubtless, that was a factor… North Carolina land could be had for a fraction of the cost in Pennsylvania. In 1753, 100 acres of land in the Granville District could be had for 5 shillings. In comparison, a 50-acre farm in Pennsylvania, if it were available, would have cost 17 pounds, 10 shillings… 70 times as much! 

If there’s no good land available for sale, prospective settlers are forced to look elsewhere. In Pennsylvania, Maryland, Delaware, and New Jersey, the lands open to settlement had been limited due to colonial policies that restricted the opening of new lands⁶ and inter-colonial disputes over territorial ownership and colonial boundaries.⁷ Most available land in the north had been taken up largely by an earlier wave of migration from Europe comprised of Ulster Scots (the “Scotch-Irish”) and Rhineland Germans. At a time when there was a growing demand for land by immigrants from Europe, there was little available except in North Carolina. 

Much of the already settled land in the colonies to the north had been farmed intensively for several generations without benefit of the then-unknown practices of crop rotation and fertilization. Much of these previously fertile lands lay depleted or “farmed out.” Faced with this adversity, northern colonists were attracted by tales of great tracts of fertile land that were said to be available in the Carolina river valleys. It was said that three crops of corn could be planted in the long growing season. There was even a rumor that the mild climate of Carolina and its fertile soil combined to allow livestock to find their own fodder all year round.⁸    

With the onset of King George’s War in 1744, residents of the northern frontier became intensely aware of their exposure to attack from Native American allies of the French. As the threat of attacks loomed, in 1746 a levy of troops was called from Pennsylvania, Maryland, New Jersey, and Virginia to support the British assault on Canada. Many noted that no troops from Carolina were called and that there was no hostile presence on the Carolina borders as both the Catawba and Cherokee enjoyed peaceful relations with the colonists. The opening of Lord Granville’s land office at just this time was coincidental but the timing was perfect. Many would head south seeking a more peaceful place to settle.    

There were conflicts over land ownership throughout the colonies. Poor record keeping, poorly defined borders, and unscrupulous speculators all contributed to the problem. In many cases argument over land titles and improvements resulted in settlers being forced from land they had held and improved or to pay for it a second time. Two of these cases resulted in sizable groups moving to the Yadkin Valley.   

Colonel Daniel Coxe had become a proprietor of New Jersey through inheritance from his father who had purchased large numbers of shares in the colony. His father was physician to the Court of Queen Anne of England. His position in the Court made him quite influential politically. He was also imminently successful at land speculation.  

Prior to Col. Coxe’s inheritance, in 1694 his father had sold lands around Hopewell, New Jersey to other proprietors who in turn had sold tracts to a number of settlers. Somewhat later, Dr. Coxe noted that those other proprietors had failed to fully register the sale. In 1707, after the other proprietors relinquished their claim to the Crown, Dr. Coxe saw an opportunity to reclaim the Hopewell lands for himself, citing the incomplete transaction. His claims were denied due to a temporary decrease in his political influence. But the issue didn’t die. 

Hopewell grew and prospered into a small town. In 1731, Col. Coxe as heir to his father reinstated claims to the area based on the uncompleted record of sale. This time the Colonel’s influence was stronger than his father’s. His claim was accepted.  Col. Coxe promptly informed the residents of Hopewell that they would have to re-purchase their lands or be evicted. His demands were met with resentment.  

Most of the Hopewell settlers refused to pay again for lands they had already purchased. But, the law was on Coxe’s side. Settlers who wouldn’t pay were charged as debtors. Some were forcibly evicted. Violence erupted in several instances. The end result was a community migration. Many looked to the Yadkin Valley. Among the many who would come south were Benjamin Merrill, Jonathan Hunt, and Benjamin Rounsaville. 

Lord Fairfax had been granted all the lands in Virginia between the Potomac and Rappahannock Rivers. The mouths of both rivers were well known, but the exact location of their headwaters was as yet undetermined so the extent of his property was not completely known.   

After several surveys and a great deal of political wrangling, the headwaters of both rivers were determined in a manner that gave Lord Fairfax far more land than anyone had anticipated, including tracts in the area around present day Winchester, Va. Some of these tracts had already been settled. Like the people of Hopewell, Virginia, the settlers found their titles in question. They were also being asked to pay for lands they had already purchased.  

Among those affected was Morgan Bryan. Bryan was a Irishman who had originally lived in Pennsylvania in a Quaker community, although he himself was not a Quaker.  Bryan had become a major partner in a deal with the Colony of Virginia: for a grant of 100,000 acres, Bryan would settle 100 families on the land. In the early 1740’s he personally led people from the back counties of Pennsylvania and Maryland to complete his agreement. However, Lord Fairfax’s final survey in 1746 gave Fairfax title to much of Bryan’s grant. Unable to contest Lord Fairfax’s claims, Morgan Bryan led his family and many of the disenfranchised settlers into the Yadkin Valley. 

Religious toleration is not the same as religious acceptance. While both the Maryland colony and the Pennsylvania colony had been established on a premise of religious tolerance, members of other groups sometimes found themselves ostracized or restricted from assuming leading roles in society if they were not practitioners of the mainstream religion.⁹   

As a group, the Scotch-Irish seem to have been more sensitive to this than others, although their view may have been shaped by generations of conflict with the Catholic Church and the Church of England.¹⁰ 

The first African-American slaves were brought to the American colonies in 1622. Although frowned upon by some religious groups, by the 1740’s and 50’s slavery existed throughout the colonies, supported by laws that viewed a slave as property and protected their ownership accordingly. When a slave’s master chose to relocate there was no alternative: the slave must follow.  

While slaves were seldom mentioned in official records except as property, that status has resulted in there being tax records of their ownership and numbers to testify to their existence along with the first settlers in the Yadkin Valley.  

The Rowan County Tax records show that in 1759 3.8% of the taxable population listed slaves as property. By 1767, the estimated population of Rowan county had grown to 13,516 only 719 (5.3%) were African-Americans.¹¹  

While those numbers indicate that the slave population was much lower than in the counties to the east, their presence cannot be ignored among the earliest non-Native-American settlers in the Yadkin Valley.  

Copyright J. M. Daniel, 2006
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Notes: 

1.  Those wishing to learn more about the Scotch-Irish and their migration to America are referred to “The Scotch-Irish”, James. G. Leyburn, University of North Carolina Press, Chapel Hill, 1962 

2.  There are estimates that as many as 40 thousand lowland Scots immigrated to Ireland in the first 30 years of re-settlement. That number would double by 1740. 

3.  The following quotes from mid 18th century correspondence dealing with land in the backcountry of North Carolina indicate that our present-day wine industry had been foreseen years ago:
 ”.. wines may be had higher up in the Country among the Hills near the Mountains, where there is a great variety of native Grapes, which yield rich wines, which only want proper Vine Dressers to improve them.” 
            Governor Arthur Dobbs of North Carolina, 1755 
“The whole back Country…is Covered with pretty good wild grapes, and Vines transplanted from Europe, or other parts of the World, thrive surprisingly, but there are but few; it would be worth while to plant Vine Yards there, for, besides the Immense benefit they would be to the Country, and the Planter, Government has promised a reward of five hundred pounds to the first who shall make a Hogshead of Good Wine.”  John Collet to an unknown recipient- 1769 

4.  Notably the Thirty Years War, the War of the Treaty of Augsburg, and the War of Spanish Succession 

5. Two Moravian communities in Wetteravia in Germany were being abandoned rather than have their populations forced to join the state church. A new site was needed and the American experiment had been generally successful.  

6.  The Pennsylvania Proprietorship refused to open land unless it had been acquired by treaty from the Native Americans. Their motivation may have been to keep the price of land high. In 1755 the Pennsylvania Council noted: “... Have not thousands likewise left us to settle in Carolina? Has not the exorbitant price at which the proprietors hold their lands and their neglect of Indian purchasing in order to keep up that price, driven these people from us? … But they are gone and gone forever and numbers are going after them.” 

7.  The mutual boundary between Maryland and Pennsylvania had been in dispute since 1735. The boundary would not be settled until the famous Mason-Dixon line was run in 1763. Mason and Dixon would also locate the boundaries of Delaware. Until these lines were determined land ownership in the sizable disputed areas could not be obtained nor transferred.  

8.  Moravian Bishop Spangenberg listed this exaggeration as one of the main reasons for the migration to Carolina.  

9.  This same issue certainly influenced the Moravian decision to plant a community in North Carolina. The Moravians made plain their desire to avoid mixing with outsiders and their dislike of “interference” from Pennsylvania Quakers. 

10.  Others who may have been influenced to migrate by a lack of religious acceptance in other colonies include Squire Boone who had been “read out” of the Quaker Meeting for allowing a daughter to marry a non-Quaker and Morgan Bryan who, although not a Quaker, had lived in a Quaker community for a number of years. Both these men would eventually migrate to the Yadkin Valley and take on leading roles in the settlement of the backcountry.  

11.  Lewis, Artisans in the North Carolina Backcountry, pg. 47.