Earlier this year the American House of Representatives passed a resolution recognising the close ties between the mutual inspiration between Scotland’s national poet Robert Burns and the Founding Fathers of America.
Congressman Mike McIntyre of North Carolina proposed and steered the resolution through the House of Representatives in February 2009. North Carolina is of course the US State where thousands of early Scottish settlers put down their roots and now boosts more people who pride themselves in their Scottish ancestry than there are Scots living in the whole of Scotland.
The Resolution also recognised that Robert Burns had truly inspired the Founding Fathers of America writing inspirational poems such as “Ode for General Washington’s Birthday” and “Ballard on the American War”.
“Scots Wha Hae”
Robert Burns went on to write the famous Scots Wha Hae song of independence having been inspired by the American War of Independence. Both Scotland and America were struggling to achieve their own independence again foreign rule by England
At the back of Robert Burns mind was his strong belief that the United States victory in achieving independence would trigger off a monster size wave of independence war happening right across Europe.
President Abraham Lincoln
Abraham Lincoln was one of many Americans who took part in Burns Night celebrations. Shortly before his election he not only attended but gave the famous immortal speech to remind every person there exactly why they are meeting to celebrate the birth and life of Robert Burns who was an inspiration to so many around the world. It is said by some that Abraham Lincoln attempted to give the address in the Scots accent with a mixed success given the difficulty of this even by those brought up in Scotland but having to speak the standard English for most of the day in our workplace communications.