Despite Wales relatively small size as a country it seems to have had a particular influence on the creation and history of the USA. The Welsh have played a disproportionately big part in American life. Many of the Welsh men and women who emigrated to America to start a new life had emigrated there from Wales to seek a new life away from the economic and cultural oppression that was being carried out by the central London government on the nations of Britain. This was a problem faced by Wales as well the other Celtic countries of Scotland and Ireland.
It should therefore be of no major surprise that almost 50% of the Signatories of American Independence were Welsh, 20% of the pilgrim fathers were Welsh as was the captain of the Mayflower itself. There have been at least 9 American presidents of Welsh descent including three of arguably the most iconic and influential American presidents; Thomas Jefferson, Jefferson Davis and Abraham Lincoln. Thomas Jefferson who became good friends with fellow Welsh American president John Adams was the principle author of the revolutionary declaration of American independence whilst Jefferson Davis is famously the only Confedarist president. Abraham Lincoln is perhaps the most famous and most iconic of all American presidents; Lincoln was very proud of his Welsh heritage as illustrated by the imported Welsh tablet stone he made sure was built in to the Washington monument and donated by the Welsh citizens of New York which reads; Fy iaith,fy ngwlad, fy nghenedl Cymru Cymru am byth (My language,my land, my nation of Wales Wales forever)
The man who financed the American war of independence against central English rule was Welshman Robert Morris; Pennsylvania and Rhode island was also founded by Welshmen. It was also Welshmen who established Americas main Universities and colleges; Yale, Princeton, Brown, William and Mary, Virginia, John Hopkins, Andover and Bryn Mawr being prime examples.
The Welsh society of Philadelphia is the oldest ethnic organisation of its kind in America. There is even strong evidence to suggest America itself is called after a Welshman Richard ap Meryk, Anglicised to Richard Amerike (or Ameryk) (c. 14451503) who was the principal owner of John Cabots ship Matthew during his voyage of exploration to North America in 1497. It has been speculated that America is derived from his name, owing to his sponsorship of the voyages to Newfoundland, rather than from Amerigo Vespucci, the explorer and map-maker.
Today there are over 11 million people in the USA with Welsh surnames. It is also very notable that there are a disproportionally large number of African Americans with Welsh surnames, brought about largely by freed slaves taking on local Welsh Methodist / baptist preachers and local leaders surnames, and later through intermarriage but also, alas, in some cases from Welsh slave masters.
Aside from the unchangeable but addressable history of what happened to the native Indians of America and the whole African slavery trade which occurred at the hands of white European settlers in general, the Welsh settlers of north America have made and are making a substantial and significant positive influence on the cultural and civic development of American society and government in general; the true values of individual liberty and freedom from tyranny hopefully being core principles that can be grasped and secured for future generations.