Scott Alexander discusses a genetic study that largely confirms historical American migration patterns described in 'Albion's Seed', noting both its confirmations and areas of confusion. Longer summary

Scott Alexander reviews a genetic study that analyzes the population structure of North America, relating it to David Fischer's book 'Albion's Seed' and the concept of American Nations. The study used 770,000 genomes to create clusters that largely confirm historical migration patterns described in these works. Scott notes how the genetic clusters match with New Englander and Pennsylvania Quaker migrations, and their westward spread. He expresses confusion about the Southern/Appalachian region's genetic divisions and disappointment that the study doesn't confirm some theories about West Coast populations. Overall, Scott sees this as an elegant example of hard science confirming historical speculation. Shorter summary

Scott reviews 'Albion's Seed' by David Fischer, exploring how four British cultural groups that settled colonial America shaped regional cultures and may still influence modern US political divisions. Longer summary

This post reviews David Fischer's book 'Albion's Seed', which examines four distinct British cultural groups that settled different regions of colonial America: the Puritans in New England, the Cavaliers in Virginia, the Quakers in Pennsylvania, and the Borderers in Appalachia. Scott explores how these groups' distinct values and practices shaped American regional cultures and may still influence modern political divisions. He discusses interesting facts about each group and speculates on how their legacies might relate to current 'Blue Tribe' and 'Red Tribe' cultural divides in the US. The post ends by wrestling with the implications of deep-rooted cultural differences for democracy and national unity. Shorter summary