History To-Go: Scots

North Carolina can trace Scottish settlers all the way back to the late 1600s, however the first large group of Highland Scots came to settle on the Cape Fear River near Cross Creek in 1739. This group was called the Argyll Colony. Around 20,000 more Scots came to the area from the 1760s to the 1780s, with most settling in areas that are now known as Cumberland, Harnett, Hoke, and Moore counties. Many of these Scots worked as farmers or made and sold tar, pitch, and turpentine. They spoke the Gaelic language, and many continued to speak it frequently until the mid-1800s. Today, people in North Carolina still celebrate Scottish history and tradition by hosting the Highland Games. Highland games started as ways to test strength and fitness in Scotland hundreds of years ago, and today the games include tossing weights, bagpipe playing, traditional dancing, and more. Many people and streets in the area today have Scottish names, and Scotland County was named in honor of all of the Scottish settlers in the area.

March's "History To-Go" box features Scots! You can come by the museum starting Tuesday, March 6, 2023 to pick up a box (limit 2 per family). Limited supplies, so come early!  You can select the links below to access the box contents if you cannot get to the museum to pick yours up!

Thanks to funding from the Museum of the Cape Fear Historical Complex Foundation Inc, and the Arts Council of Fayetteville we are offering FREE "History To-Go", take home craft kits. 

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