Irish Presbyterians and the Shaping of Western Pennsylvania, 1770–1830 is a historical study examining the religious culture of Irish immigrants in the early years of America. Despite fractious relations among competing sects, many immigrants shared a vision of a renewed Ireland in which their versions of Presbyterianism could flourish free from the domination of landlords and established church. In the process, they created the institutional foundations for western Pennsylvanian Presbyterian churches. Rural Presbyterian Irish church elders emphasized community and ethnoreligious group solidarity in supervising congregants’ morality. Improved transportation and the greater reach of the market eliminated near-subsistence local economies and hastened the demise of religious traditions brought from Ireland. Gilmore contends that ritual and daily religious practice, as understood and carried out by migrant generations, were abandoned or altered by American-born generations in the context of major economic change.

A definitive account of nearly every aspect of Western Pennsylvanian life and development up until the War of 1812. The book opens with a narrative of the formative years of the region. Succeeding chapters deal with the development of agriculture, industry, education, religion, social customs, and law and order --all based upon the results of the work of the Western Pennsylvania Historical Survey. Among the more than one hundred illustrations are contemporary pictures, maps, plans of forts, portraits, architectural photographs and more.

This historic book may have numerous typos and missing text. Purchasers can usually download a free scanned copy of the original book (without typos) from the publisher. Not indexed. Not illustrated. 1848 edition. Excerpt: ... might have spared. Many a tall harvest have I seen growing upon the ground; but never did I look upon its waving luxuriance without thinking of the severe trials, the patient fortitude, the high courage which characterized the early settlers. '* The prisoners were surrendered by the Indians to the British in Canada. The beauty and misfortune of the Misses H attracted attention; and an English officer--perhaps moved by beauty in distress to love her for the dangers she had passed--wooed and won the fair and gentle Marian. After the peace of '83 the rest of the captives were delivered up, and returned to their country." [NO. XXVIII.] WASHINGTON COUNTY. . . .Washington county was erected by an act passed March 28, 1781, and was then bounded as follows: " Beginning at the junction of the Monongahela and Ohio rivers; thence up the Monongahela river aforesaid, to the line run by Mason and Dixon; thence by the said line dye west, to the end thereof; and from thence the same course, to the end of five degrees west longitude, computed from the river Delaware; thence by a meridian line extended north, until the same intersect the Ohio river; and thence by the same to the place of beginning; (the said lines, from the end of Mason and Dixon's line to the Ohio river, to be understood as to be hereafter ascertained by commissioners now appointed, or to be appointed for that purpose)." The limits of this county were reduced by erecting Allegheny in 1788, subsequently by adding another portion of this county to Allegheny, in 1789, and erecting Greene in 1796, and Beaver in 1800, and by altering the lines between Washington and Greene in 1802. By the act erecting this county, James Edgar, Hugh Scott, Van Swearingham, Daniel Lite and John Armstrong, were...