Over the past few months, I (Ethan) have been digging into my family’s ancestry. In what feels like a short time, I’ve uncovered an astounding amount of information and stories of resilience, faith, and grit that have given me a profound sense of connection to the past. I want to share some of that history—not just because it’s fascinating, but because it speaks directly to the spirit behind what we’re doing at Steadfast Cigars.
If you’ve seen the iconic film Braveheart (and if you haven’t, you’re missing one of the greatest films of this generation), you’ll remember William Wallace. Wallace, a peasant turned warrior, led his people in a desperate fight for freedom against the tyrannical English. He was betrayed by Scottish nobles and ultimately executed by the English. After Wallace’s death, a nobleman named Robert the Bruce picked up his mantle and led the Scots to final victory over England at the Battle of Bannockburn in 1314.
According to family records, my lineage traces back to this era. My ancestors were noted as having received written acknowledgments from Robert the Bruce himself for their support during the Wars of Scottish Independence. That’s no small thing.
But this Scottish victory didn’t bring lasting peace. The Anglo-Scottish border remained a place of near-constant strife for centuries. My family lived in Dumfries-shire, a region along this border that was raided and burned repeatedly well into the 1500s. Life there was marked by poverty, instability, and relentless resistance.
In the mid-1500s, the Protestant Reformation found fertile soil in Scotland. John Knox, fresh from exile in England, brought the fire of Reformed theology back to his homeland. Knox’s bold preaching led to the conversion of a large portion of Scotland to Presbyterianism, especially in the hard-bitten border regions. These new believers, the Covenanters, now found themselves defying both the English armies and the Catholic authorities.
Over time, the land became infertile, and many Scots, including my ancestors, migrated to Northern Ireland seeking religious freedom and better farmland. They settled as part of the Ulster Plantation, a colonization effort that didn’t bring peace either.
Ireland, still largely Catholic, became a new battleground. Tensions peaked during the Siege of Londonderry in 1689. Catholic forces loyal to King James II, supported by the Jacobites, laid siege to the Protestant stronghold of Londonderry. In a continued act of defiance, a group of young Presbyterian men famously slammed the city gates shut before the king’s army could enter. Enraged, King James II appeared to lead the siege himself.
Around 30,000 people were trapped inside the city. For 105 grueling days, over 8,000 died from starvation, disease, and fighting. But the people of Londonderry refused to surrender. They launched raids against the besieging forces, fighting not just to survive but to overcome. When the blockade finally broke and supplies reached Londonderry, the King and his forces withdrew, unable to break the will of the defenders. This event became a symbol of Protestant resistance, solidifying the Scots-Irish identity—a people who are neither Scotch nor Irish, being rejected by both but forged by hardship, rebellion, and faith.
In the early 1700s, waves of Scots-Irish crossed the Atlantic, seeking freedom in the American colonies. By the mid-1700s, they made up nearly a third of the colonial population. But even in America, they were often marginalized by English elites and Catholics and pushed into the rugged, isolated frontiers of the Appalachian Mountains.
Yet again, they carved out lives in hard soil. These were tough, independent, faith-filled people who would go on to form the backbone of the American Revolution. The Scots-Irish made up a disproportionately large number of fighters in the Continental Army. Their presence and ferocious fighting was a final “no” to being ruled by English tyrants.
After the Revolution, many Scots-Irish families migrated southward and became small-scale farmers. When the Civil War broke out, many of them sided with the Confederacy—not for slavery (as only 5% of farmers owned slaves, and that 5% was not the poor share-cropping Scots-Irish), but in resistance to distant, aristocratic powers. The North’s tariffs and trade restrictions devastated southern agriculture, especially for the small farming class. To the Scots-Irish, it felt like tyranny all over again, this time with blue coats instead of red ones.
After the Civil War, many of these families moved west, becoming pioneers. They filled the rugged territories of Texas, Oklahoma, Arizona, California, and Oregon. Their legacy lives on in blue-collar communities across the American frontier—men who still refuse to be ruled by distant powers.
So, what does any of this have to do with cigars?
Everything.
Steadfast Cigars was founded by men like these. I may be Scots-Irish by blood, but Brian and Terry embody that same spirit in the way they live, work, and fight. We’re a cattle rancher, a logger, and a forester. We work hard with our hands. We sweat. We fight for what matters. We wanted to create a cigar brand that reflects those same values and is loved by these same people.
Our cigars are built to honor the Lord and hard-working men. Men who still carry the fire of those Scots-Irish ancestors. Men who stand firm in the face of hardship. Men who only bow to God. Men who lead well.
When you light up a Steadfast cigar, you’re not just tasting tobacco. You’re tasting the grit of the borderlands, the smoke of burning homesteads, the warmth of a fire kindled by men who refused to be ruled by tyrants. The rich, peppery bite of the Maduro leaf nods to the bite of the cold Scottish winds, while the earthy undertones echo the hard soil they worked with their hands. Our cigars carry the ring of the Scots-Irish legacy: defying tyrants, grounded in faith, and built for those who hold the line.
But it’s not just about honoring the past. It’s about raising a new generation of giants who won’t cower—but will stand strong, pick up their fathers’ banners, and carry them further than we ever could.
This isn’t just about a fine smoke. It’s about remembering where we come from—and standing for something bigger than ourselves.
Steadfast Cigars
Hold the Line.
Soli Deo Gloria.
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