Question: Why did North Carolina attract Highland Scots?
Answer: North Carolina attracted Highland Scots mainly through Gov. Gabriel Johnston, a fellow Scotsman who, in 1739, invited 360 settlers and granted them a 10-year tax exemption. Facing rising rents, defeat at Culloden in 1746, and the Highland Clearances that displaced them for sheep farming, many chose North Carolina for its economic opportunities and political incentives.
