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Whereas, such famous Texas
heroes of Scottish descent as Sam Houston, David Crockett, and Jim Bowie
are all representative of the bravery, character, and fortitude that
enabled Texas to win its independence against overwhelming odds. When
their strong Scottish sense of fairness had been violated, these men rose
up and inspired others to join them with such vigor that their stories are
known throughout the world today as examples of extreme sacrifice for
freedom and unchallenged merit in battle;
Whereas, Scottish roles
have continued to contribute American military heroes with such
well-remembered names as Lee, Grant, Jackson, MacArthur, Patton, Bradley
and more recent heroes in space - Armstrong and Ross;
Whereas, it was not just
the famous Texans of Scottish descent, but the hundreds of Scottish
pioneers and settlers who came to Texas with the intent and determination
to remain and build their homes and families who have made a noteworthy
contribution to the great heritage of Texas;
Whereas, Scottish pioneers
began arriving and influencing American culture since our earliest
colonial days and have made a deeply lasting impression on our political
and religious freedoms and attitudes;
Whereas, twenty-five of the
fity-six signers of the Declaration of Independence were of Scottish
descent;
Whereas, a number of
America's earliest presidents were also of Scottish blood, including John
and Samuel Adams, Andrew Jackson, James Polk, James Buchanan, Andrew
Johnson, Ulysses S. Grant, William Henry Harrison, Grover Cleveland,
Chester A. Arthur, William McKinley, Woodrow Wilson, Benjamin Harrison;
with names of Kennedy, Johnson, Carter, Graham, Austin, Abercrombie,
Clark, Colledge, Conley, Daniels and Wallace, (all listed on the Scottish
roles), continuing to influence American politics in more recent times;
Whereas, rural American
culture is rich in the spoken, literary, and musical influences of the
Scottish immigrants in America as evidenced by the names Foster, Harper,
Collier, Forbes, Webster, Hawthorn, Carnegie, Fox, Carmichael, Cash,
Daniels, Haggart, Bennett, Chaplin, Cotton, McGuffey, Crabbe, Day,
Crawford, Hepburn, Cooper and Wayne - all found on the Scottish roles;
Whereas, an impressive
number of American pioneers and inventors, including Betsy Ross, Sam
Houston, David Crockett, Jim Bowie, Daniel Boone, Kit Carson, John
Chisholm (Chisholm Trail), Richard King (Ranches), Cyrus McCormick, Robert
Fulton, Jefferson Davis, Thomas Edison, Alexander Graham Bell, Samuel
Morse, Horace Greeley, John Muir and Andrew McNally were all of Scottish
descent; and the names Goodyear, MacIntosh, Mack, Underwood, Rollo,
Winchester, Pinkerton, Pettigrew, Hamilton, Warwick, Cutler, hastings, are
also found on the Scottish roles;
Whereas President Theordore
Roosevelt, in referring to the backwoodsmen of our country's earliest
days, wrote that they were "American by birth, and of mixed race; but
the dominant strain in their blood was that of the Scotch-Irish" (a
term referring to Scots who came to America from Ireland);
Whereas, Texas is further
reminded of the Scottish influence with the names of Austin, Beaumont,
Dallas, Denton, Edinburg, Houston, Livingston, MacDade, Paris, Rusk,
Shepherd, and Willis from the Scottish roles; and it is noted that one out
of twelve Americans today, as descendents of American pioneers, can trace
some Scottish ancestry.
Further, Governor George W.
Bush has issued by proclamation that November 30, 2000 should be
designated as "Day of the Scots" and that he "urges all
Texans to recognize with appreciation the great achievements of
Scottish-Texans and their contributions to the economic, social and
cultural vitality of the Lone Star State."
We ask that you join us in celebrating the
Texas Day of the Scots.
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