Reading the Wikipedia page on Fayetteville, North Carolina, the article mentions that many of the early settlers in the area were Gaelic-speaking Highlander Scots. It also claims that they primarily remained loyal to Great Britain and the King during the American Revolution, referencing how "Flora MacDonald (1722–1790), a Scots Highland woman known for aiding Bonnie Prince Charlie after his Highlander army's defeat at Culloden in 1746, lived in North Carolina for about five years. She was a staunch Loyalist and aided her husband to raise the local Scots to fight for the King against the Revolution." If I'm not mistaken, many Highlanders back in Scotland were experiencing oppression from and dissatisfaction with the royal government, which had brutally put down the 1745 rising and had begun the Highland Clearances. Why were Highlanders settled in this part of North Carolina (and perhaps in the colonies in general) so supportive of the loyalist cause?
Hi u/Kintpuash-of-Kush! In case you're still interesting in knowing more about this topic, I'm going to link a question I recently answered: "Can historians link the American Revolution to the battle of Culloden?" , where I discuss the loyalty of the Scottish colonists and their motivations. Here are some highlights that might answer your question:
Why fight for the very government that obliterated your estate, destroyed your towns, banned your culture, and killed your family? Literature of the time, especially Gaelic poetry, indicates military service on behalf of the crown as an atonement for previous sins, namely the support of the Pretender, and a way to regain esteem within society. A song celebrating the return of Frasers Highlanders affirm a desire to get the king's favor through service. (bolded are translations that were originally in Scottish Gaelic)
We will wish the King who is on the Throne a long life,
He is of the royal stock of MacAlpine who was in Scotland of old.
He has shown great favor to the Highland warriors
As a result of the victory on the slaughter-field of Quebec.A similar ode composed in honor of the Black Watch while they prepared for battle in the F&I exalts Highland soldiers for their sense of tradition, and pushes them to "prove" themselves to King George in the fight.
The King’s reward and the gratitude of the land,
And fame will be yours forever,
For protecting your land from the despoiler’s greed
And proving the Gael’s great worthiness;
Your excellent conduct will convince King George to return our uniform,
The cheerful ancient uniform
Since the age of Adam and Eve;
And if he gives to us our prestige, weapons, and clothing now, as was our custom,
We will be the best arrows in his quiver,
We will be Scotland’s payment to him.The survivors of Culloden saw the necessity of giving up on Charles and learning to love George if it meant getting back to being treated humanely. This sentiment is repeated over and over in Gaelic poetry of the time and in 1774 Simon Fraser is granted a return of his family estate nearly a decade before other forfeited estates were returned. A poem celebrating the return of the estate mentions the respect he won from King George through military service after the horrors of Culloden.
Because Simon and his Highlanders were just one regiment that fought the King faithfully in the years between the '45 and the Revolution. Many soldiers who fought in the F&I were given land grants following their service and a significant landbridge of Highland immigrants was formed. Immigrants that were hard pressed to be convinced to fight against the crown now and risk losing land and opportunity they had earned through decades of loyal military service and sacrifice. As the Revolution began more poetry celebrating what they thought was an impending victory over American rebels. Duncan Lothian penned a premature celebration of British victory in 1777 specifically mentioning the Scottish role in British success. The rally cry of Highland regiments at the Battle of Moore's Creek in 1776 was said to be "King George and Broadswords". Loyalist Iain mac Mhurchaidh composed a song in 1780 trying to warn his fellow countrymen of the error he feared they were making and spoke of the aftermath of Culloden as a sure example of the punishment that would be meted out if the Americans lost.
Is it any wonder why these prisoners, shipped from their home and stuck in a new land, would be wary of trying to fight the British crown again after fighting so hard for any respect? The success of the American Revolution was a longshot to begin with and a risk not work taking, assuming the punishment for losing would be the same as it was in 1745.
So was the military service, massive social transformation, and being on the losing side of another revolution worth it? Probably. Loyalists didn't have it easy in the colonies. But the reputation and image of Scots in Britain radically changed in the final years of the American Revolution and immediately after. The Act of Proscription was repealed in 1782 and estates were given back to Jacobite families starting in 1784, two of the largest victories for the Scottish.