DeDanaan

Filed by Aine MacDermot

1767 George, Viscount Townsend, Lord Lieutenant of Ireland in attempting to assert the authority of the English Crown more stringently, stimulates a growth in the “Patriot’s Party” throughout his term (1767-1772) as well as political activity among Irish Catholics. He imposes on the colonies new taxes on glass, lead, tea, paper, and painter’s colors.

Sir Henry Moore was Governor of New York.

Doctor Andrew Turnbull, from Scotland, established a colony in Florida below San Augustine called New Smyrna.

1768 The first Methodist church in the United States is founded in New York City by Philip Emery of Ballingane, Ireland. Emery was the leader of a group of Methodists who founded the Wesley Chapel.

The Friendly Sons of Saint Patrick, a fraternal organization of Irish-born officers in the British Army in America was organized in New York.
There were 35 Ulster Irish settlements in South Carolina and five in Georgia as reported by the Presbyterian Church. All were missions of the Presbyteries of New York and Philadelphia.

Copper and lead discovered in Wales.

1769 Scotsman James Watt invented the steam engine.

1770 The Boston Massacre occurred on March 5, one of those killed was Irishman Patrick Carr. The incident escalated to violence when two regiments of British troops stationed at Boston were called out to help control the crowd. They fired into a street crowd that was shouting insults and developing into a mob.

In Scotland, Andrew Meikle invented the threshing machine.

1771 The Bogland Act provides relief to Catholics.

The Marquis of Donegal, an absentee landlord, raised the rent of his Presbyterian farmers. When they would not pay, he put the farms up for bidding. When Catholic families won such bids and took over the farms that were previously held by Presbyterians, problems arose. Organizations representing one side or the other molded after the Whiteboys or Oakboys began to appear. There was the Protestant Steel Boys who focused their wrath on the absentee landlords that allowed such bidding wars to be held. The Peep O’Day Boys was an organization of Protestant groups. This group pooled resources to insure the bidding on a Protestant farm was not won by a Catholic. They also terrorized Catholics who would bid on Protestant farms. This organization led to what is called today the Orangemen. The Catholics countered with their own organizations such as the Catholic Defenders.

About 4,000 of the Marquis of Donegal’s tenants left for America. Many of these Irish left Ireland as indentured servants to an American merchant or craftsman needing labor who would pay their passage. Thomas Jefferson explained the system:

“So desirous are the poor people of Europe to get to America, where they may better their conditions that, being unable to pay their passage, they will agree to serve two or three years on their arrival there, rather than not go. During the time of service they are better fed, better clothed, and have lighter labour than while in Europe. Continuing to work for hire for a few years longer, they buy a farm, marry, and enjoy the sweets of a domestic society of their own.”

What was to become the first daily newspaper in the United States began publication as a weekly paper, it was the Pennsylvania Packet owned by John Dunlap from County Tyrone. The paper went daily in 1784.

Dunlap’s presses printed the first copies of the Declaration of Independence in 1776.

The Society of Gwyneddigion is founded in Wales to preserve things Welsh.

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