Robert Burns In The US House Of Representatives

Scots Poet Robert Burns may have been dead for a couple of hundred years but that did not stop him earlier this year from making an impressive impact on the House of Representatives. In fact the impact caused them to pass a Resolution to confirm the link between the work of Robert Burns and the USA.

The resolution was submitted by Mike McIntyre (already well known for his Scottish ancestry) from North Carolina the US state with more people of Scottish descent living there than live in the entire country 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

Robert Burns was one of many who hoped that the American victory for independence would lead to similar revolutions right across Europe including of course the Scots claim for independence against the English rule.

President Abraham Lincoln

Shortly before his election President Abraham Lincoln attended a Burns Supper giving the burns Immortal Memory speech. This very personal speech is given at every Burns Night Supper each year to remind everyone why they are meeting to remember the Scottish Bard. It was reported that Lincoln was so moved enough by Robert Burns life and his poetry he tried with mixed success to give the address in an America version of the Scots Tongue (not and easy task for anyone to do even us born and living in Scotland would have to practice this).

 

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