Conceived in Liberty Volume 2 - Ludwig von Mises Institute

idled, and therefore few Ulstermen settled in New England. Instead, they
chose Pennsylvania, the great haven of religious freedom and of separation of
church and state. As for the other Middle Atlantic colonies, New York, with
its feudal land structure, was singularly unattractive to would-be farmers. Furthermore,
while there were many English Presbyterians on Long Island, the
persecution of the revered elder statesman of Presbyterianism, the Reverend
Francis Makemie, `an Ulster Scot, by Lord Cornbury, did not endear New
York to the Ulstermen. In late 1706, Lord Cornbury, royal governor of New
York, arrested and imprisoned Makemie for allegedly preaching without a
license. Though Makemie was eventually acquitted, he was compelled to pay
the costs of his prosecution and was imprisoned a long time before trial. Furthermore,
the ordeal hastened Makemie's death.
Delaware, to be sure, contained numerous English and Welsh Presbyterians,
but tiny Delaware was already pretty thoroughly settled, and there was little
good virgin land available. New Jersey was also heavily Presbyterian, but
these Presbyterians were either from England or from Scotland proper, including
Highlanders escaping after the Jacobite rebellion of 1745. Here again,
there was little need for indentured servants.