Who Settled the Philadelphia Backcountry? Germans, Scots-Irish, English & Others

The "backcountry" — inland from the Delaware River settlements — filled rapidly in the 18th century. Distinct ethnic groups carved out communities:

1. Germans (Largest Group)

• Arrival: 1683 (Germantown) → peak 1720s–1770s.
• Numbers: ~100,000 by 1775 (1/3 of PA population).
• Origins: Palatinate, Württemberg, Baden, Switzerland (Anabaptists).
• Motives: Religious freedom (Mennonite, Amish, Lutheran, Reformed), land, escape wars/taxes.
• Settlement: Lebanon, Lancaster, Berks, Northampton, Lehigh valleys. Distinctive bank barns, hex signs, Pennsylvania Dutch dialect.

2. Scots-Irish (Ulster Scots) — Second Largest

• Arrival: 1710s onward via Philadelphia, New Castle.
• Numbers: ~50,000 by 1775.
• Origins: Lowland Scots → Ulster (N. Ireland) 1600s → America.
• Motives: Rack-renting, linen trade collapse, Anglican discrimination, land hunger.
• Settlement: Cumberland Valley (Carlisle), York, Adams, Franklin counties. Pushed frontier. Presbyterian. Fierce independence, militia tradition.

3. English (Quaker & Anglican)

• Numbers: ~25,000 by 1775.
• Quakers: Early, clustered near Philadelphia, Chester, Bucks. Dominated politics early.
• Anglicans: Later, more dispersed. Some former indentured servants.

4. Smaller Groups

• French Huguenots: Narberth, Pequea (Lancaster).
• Swiss (Amish/Mennonite): Often grouped with Germans.
• Dutch: Few, mostly traders.
• Welsh: "Welsh Tract" (Merion, Radnor, Haverford) — early Quakers.
• Africans (enslaved & free): Present from early 1700s; ~6,000 in PA by 1775.

Interaction & Legacy

Germans and Scots-Irish intermarried, traded, fought together (Revolution), but kept cultural distinctness. The backcountry became PA's breadbasket, arsenal, and political counterweight to Philadelphia Quaker elite. Their descendants populate the state today.