Descendants of American heroes Davy Crockett and Kit Carson were here. So were people with family links to 16 of the 41 US presidents as well as to writers Mark Twain and Edgar Allen Poe.
They had come to attend the official opening in Derry yesterday of the world's first Institute of Ulster-Scots Studies.
An estimated 20 million Americans claim membership of the Ulster-Scots diaspora.
The institute, based at the Magee Campus of the University of Ulster, will be a centre of excellence for the study of the Ulster-Scots language, heritage and culture.
Most of the Ulster-Scots who emigrated to America in the 17th century settled in the southern Appalachian regions of Georgia, Tennessee and North Carolina and links have been set up between the University of Ulster and universities in the southern states to promote researches into the culture in both areas.
The institute's director, Prof John Wilson, said the Ulster-Scots culture had been neglected for too long.
"We all know the folk myths about the impact of the Ulster-Scots in helping to pioneer and build such great nations as the US, Australia and Canada and about the connections with the Alamo through Davy Crockett. It's also believed that incoming President George Bush's ancestors may have come from Co Antrim."
Lord Laird of Artigarvan, chairman of the Ulster-Scots Agency, said the institute would provide a local and international research facility for the growing numbers of people interested in the agency and its subject.
"For such a small community, we contributed so much to the development of North America and of Europe.
"We have been a little bit lost over the last number of years, but we are now picking ourselves up and we are looking for the recognition we believe we deserve.
"We are a forward-looking, totally inclusive culture. We pay no attention to religion or to politics. We believe we have a very exciting and enjoyable culture and history and we want people to come along and enjoy it with us."