I've been trying for some time to get a better understanding of the #Gàidhlig speaking Scottish diaspora in the USA, historically. I've been fortunate to get ahold of this great book by Michael Newton:

https://www.amazon.co.uk/Were-Indians-Sure-Enough-Highlanders/dp/0971385807

Which I would recommend to anyone interested

My current understanding (again, I am no expert) is that the Scottish-origin Gaels in the USA were in specific areas:

North Carolina - where #Gàidhlig was a community language into the late 19th century, dying out in the 20th - their numbers included Flora MacDonald

The North Carolina Gaels seem to have lived around the Cape Fear area, but their community was weakened as a result of the Revolution when many went to Canada as Loyalists.

There was also a major Scottish Gaelic settlement in the Upstate New York area...

I think the Gaels in those parts also ended up resettling into Upper Canada as a result of the Revolution. However, in the city of New York itself there was a healthy community of #Gàidhlig speakers into the late 19th century and beyond

A really important focal point for Scottish Gaels in the North-East of the USA seems to have been Boston, but from what I gather, the Gaels there mostly came from Cape Breton island, including one poet whose name escapes me. She translated The Star Spangled Banner into #Gàidhlig

There's a kind of "double diaspora" thing going on with Cape Breton Gaels, as they would settle in Cape Breton & Nova Scotia, then move elsewhere - to Boston, to Upper Canada, to Newfoundland (Codroy Valley), and even as far afield as Waipu in New Zealand

There was also a movement from Quebec. Quebec formerly had a very large #Gàidhlig speaking population, and notably they were mostly Leòdhasaich (from Lewis). Dr. Margaret Bennett has written about them. The Quebec Gaels seem to have moved away to Boston, but also Seattle

There seems to be a link between the North-Western USA, and Pacific North-West, with #Gàidhlig - usually as Gaels from Upper Canada would head out there, notably working closely with the Native American tribes in places like Montana in the fur trade, such as the Salish

It was noted that #Gàidhlig was spoken to an extent by some tribes in the North-West and in adjacent areas in Canada (I think places like Washington, Montana, British Columbia?) by the Native peoples due to their close relationship with Gaelic-speaking fur traders.

Seattle though became a hub for #Gàidhlig speakers for a while. I can't remember much about that particular story other than the Gaels that went further and further west would settle there, and they thrived for some time in the 19th century.

There was also a settlement of #Gàidhlig speakers around the Great Lakes - particularly Michigan (Detroit) & Illinois, as Chicago had a large & influential Scottish Gaelic speaking population in the 19th century - with many Argyllshire people settling in Illinois outside the city

I wanted to say there was something going on in Ohio, but all I can recall is that the biggest #Manx speaking diaspora seems to have settled in Cleveland, where they taught Manx in some of their schools in the 19th century

As for the South apart from North Carolina, there appears to have been a substantial #Gàidhlig speaking settlement in Georgia. I don't know how long that lasted & how quickly they were assimilated, or if they were affected by the Revolution

We also have #Gàidhlig poetry composed by Gaels involved in the California Gold Rush, which attracted Scots from all over