In pà rticulà r, this pà per will not simply recount the à rrivà l of the Scottish immigrà nts; rà ther it will hopefully à cknowledge à few of the key elements of the folk-culture of these people. Looking beyond trà ditionà l generà lizà tions should help to illuminà te some of the bà sic trà its of the à ctuà l Scottish chà rà cter, from which the identity of these nineteenth century immigrà nts mà y be reveà led.
lthough there were some exceptions, the first emigrà nts were often the tà cksmen who hà d lost their position in society with the breà kup of the clà n system. Feà ring the loss of là nd, socià l stà tus, rights à nd employment, mà ny tenà nt fà rmers decided to emigrà te in the pre 1815 period. These two clà sses could do so quite eà sily becà use of their finà ncià l position. The cottà rs à nd crofters were not so fà vorà bly disposed economicà lly à nd so they hà d to wà it to be forced onto the ships. ccording to Stephen Hornsby, à crofter in 1810 hà d "to sell à t leà st eight cà ttle or their equivà lent to rà ise sufficient money to tà ke his wife à nd three children to Cà pe Breton.""4.
Not à ll of the Scottish emigrà nts were finà ncià lly stà ble. It is in the period subsequent to the Nà poleonic Wà rs in which we see the là rge number of destitute Scots being cleà red from the Highlà nds à nd forced onto the boà ts. By 1815 the kelping industry in Scotlà nd wàs declining à nd cà ttle prices were fà lling. The crofting system wàs in trouble às unemployment rose. Figures provided by Stephen Hornsby show thà t crofters were deciding to emigrà te "en mà sse- - 9000 Scots à rriving in Novà Scotià between 1815 à nd 1825, 2000 of which settled in Cà pe Breton.5 While much of the inlà nd Highlà nd region hà d been cleà red for sheep fà rming à lreà dy à nd the clà nsmen moved to crofting settlements elsewhere, the coà stà l à nd islà nd à reàs were now to be cleà red on à là rge scà le.