With the approval of President Kenny McNeil and Editor Vicki Corporon, our upcoming edition of The Galley will be a special commemorative issue:
THE GALLEY
America’s 250th Anniversary Special Edition
The Scottish Story of America
A Time Capsule from Clan Macneil USA
Instead of general submissions, we are commissioning specific articles that fit a single connected theme: 250 years of Scottish and Scots-Irish influence on the American story, from before the founding through the present day.
That means we need writers. Now.
The Deadline Is August 15
Every fact in this issue will be checked, and any piece needing revision has to go back to its author and return before Vicki’s production deadline. That is why the date sits where it does.
If you are reading this the week it published, you have roughly two weeks. Several of these pieces are short enough to write in an evening.
Before You Write: Claim Your Topic
Please tell Alissa which piece you want before you start.
It takes one email, and it lets her keep track of what is claimed and what is still open so she can go back to the membership for the gaps. It also means nobody is surprised at the end.
Email Alissa Nolan at clanmacneilusagenealogy@gmail.com.
Tell her which article or sidebar you want. She will confirm it is yours.
Feature Articles
If you enjoy research and history writing, these are the pieces we need. Do not be put off by an unfamiliar topic. Several of these are well served by a curious writer with good sources and no prior expertise.
The Scotland They Left
Scotland Before America – What Scotland actually looked like before 1776. The Union, the Jacobite risings, the Enlightenment, emigration, and the clan system.
The Scottish Enlightenment – One of the two flagship articles of the issue. Education, liberty, philosophy, the universities, Jefferson, books, and libraries.
Five Scottish Thinkers Every American Should Know – Short biographical profiles, written for sidebar treatment.
The Revolution
Scotland and the American Revolution – The overall story, and it is not a simple one. Patriots and Loyalists both. Highland regiments. Clan Macneil during the Revolution.
Did You Know? Revolutionary Sidebars – Scottish signers, Scottish officers, Scottish physicians, Scottish merchants.
Building America
The Scots-Irish – Who they were, and why the distinction from Lowland and Highland Scots actually matters.
From Frontier Cabins to Cities – Settlement and westward expansion.
Scottish Influence on Education – Universities, common schools, and the idea of learning as a civic obligation.
Engineering America – Bridges, railroads, industry, shipbuilding.
Banking America – Financial systems and commerce.
Medicine and Science – Scottish physicians, medical schools, and research.
Military Service – Representative rather than exhaustive. Scottish and Scots-Irish service across every American war.
Public Service – Government, the judiciary, and diplomacy.
Conservation – John Muir and the national parks.
Scottish Place Names Across America – A sidebar feature, possibly with a map.
The Legacy
The Scottish Legacy Continues – The clan today. Scottish Americans now.
Scottish Foods – A sidebar on Scottish contributions to the American table. Fried chicken has a longer Scottish story than most people expect.
Scottish Culture in America – Music, dance, poetry, and storytelling.
The Article We Most Want Someone to Write
The Scottish Idea of America
This one is not a history article. It is a philosophy article, and it is the piece Alissa considers the most important in the issue.
It asks questions like: Why were so many Scottish immigrants drawn to the American experiment? Why did Scottish educational traditions flourish here? How did Presbyterian governance shape ideas about representative government? Why did Scottish communities so consistently invest in schools, churches, civic institutions, and local government?
To be clear about what this article is not: it is not a claim that Scots invented America. They did not, and we should not overstate the case. The question is why Scottish intellectual traditions found such fertile ground in the new republic, and how they became one thread among many in the American story.
If that question has been sitting in the back of your mind for years, this is your issue.
Short Features
Not everyone wants to write a feature article. These pieces are short, specific, and genuinely needed.
Did You Know? Three to five features, 75 to 150 words each. One surprising or little-known fact about Scottish or Scots-Irish influence in America. A historical detail, a Scottish place name, an invention, a military connection, or a cultural tradition.
Presidential Facts Three to five features, 75 to 150 words each. An interesting connection between a United States President and Scotland or Scots-Irish heritage. Ancestry, Scottish advisers and influences, Scottish inventions during a presidency, or any other connection worth knowing.
From the Family Tree One featured story, 300 to 600 words.
Share the story of a Scottish or Scots-Irish ancestor whose life reflects the broader American experience. We are not looking for a genealogy report. We are looking for a story.
Your ancestor does not have to be famous. Ordinary men and women often left extraordinary legacies. An immigrant, a soldier, a pioneer, a teacher, a minister, a community leader, or simply a memorable family character. Include photographs or copies of historical documents wherever you can.
Call for Young Voices: America Through Young Eyes
We want this issue to hold something from the youngest generation of our clan family.
Children and grandchildren of Clan Macneil USA members, under age 18, are invited to help us build a time capsule for the future. We are accepting original artwork, short essays of 100 to 300 words, poems, and short stories or reflections.
A few prompts, if they help:
- What does America mean to you?
- What do you love most about America?
- What do you hope America will be like when it celebrates its 300th birthday?
- What makes your family or heritage special?
- If children 50 or 100 years from now read your message, what would you want them to know about America today?
With each submission, please include:
- The child’s first name, or first name and last initial if preferred
- Age
- State or country
- Parent or guardian permission to publish in The Galley
Send young voices submissions to Alissa at clanmacneilusagenealogy@gmail.com by August 15, 2026.
Selected entries will appear in the commemorative issue. Which means, as with every issue of this magazine, a child’s drawing or poem will enter the permanent collection of the Library of Congress.
That is not a small thing to hand a nine-year-old.
Submission Guidelines
These apply to every contribution in the issue.
- Articles should relate to Scottish or Scots-Irish contributions to America, from the founding era through the present day.
- Family stories are welcome when they illustrate the Scottish-American experience.
- Use reliable historical sources. No internet myths, no unsupported family traditions. This issue will be checked.
- Include your sources with your submission. This is not optional.
- Provide the byline exactly as you want it to appear in print.
- Photos must be high resolution, with photographer name, date, and subject location, plus confirmation that you own the image. A suggested caption is welcome but optional.
- Images are welcome if you own them or they are in the public domain. Identify the source whenever possible.
- The editorial team may edit for length, clarity, style, historical accuracy, and consistency, while preserving your voice.
Why This Issue Matters
The Galley has been accepted by the Library of Congress. The Library acquires only a small share of what is published, and acceptance signals that a publication carries cultural or historical value. Every issue we produce enters that permanent collection.
The magazine was also a top performer in the Family Tree Newsletter Contest, sponsored by the Odom Genealogy Library from 1995 to 2004, taking first place in the Magazine category and the Grand Prize across all categories for four consecutive years, then winning the Master’s Class Division in 2002, 2003, and 2004.
A nation turns 250 once. What we publish this year will still be sitting on a shelf in Washington when the country turns 300.
Please write something.
How to Contribute
- Choose your article or sidebar from the lists above.
- Email Alissa at clanmacneilusagenealogy@gmail.com to claim it. Do this before you start writing.
- Send your finished piece and your sources to the same address by August 15, 2026. Text as a Word document or in the body of an email. Photos as separate high-resolution attachments.
If you would like to contribute but none of these topics is a fit, write to Alissa anyway and say so. We would rather hear from you than not.
If you need to send your contribution by mail, contact Editor Vicki Corporon to make arrangements.
The Clan Macneil Association of America is a non-profit organization with a mission to preserve and promote the heritage and culture of the Macneil Clan. The association serves as a resource for individuals of Macneil descent and those interested in Scottish heritage, providing opportunities for members to connect with like-minded individuals. To advance its mission, the association sponsors events, publishes The Galley, and maintains a website.
Note for officers: If you write a “From the Desk of” column for this issue, please frame it from the perspective of America’s 250th.
