In the era of Elizabeth I and James I, which region was chosen by the English government as a settlement area for Scottish and English Protestants?

Ulster, the northern province of Ireland, became a focal point for English and Scottish settlement during the reigns of Elizabeth I and James I in the 16th and 17th centuries. This was largely due to the Flight of the Earls in 1607, when Gaelic Irish chieftains fled the region, leaving vast tracts of land available. The English government saw this as an opportunity to "plant" loyal Protestant settlers, mainly from Scotland and England, in Ulster to solidify English control and reduce the risk of rebellion. This initiative, known as the Plantation of Ulster, aimed to create a more compliant and Protestant population. While other regions like East London, Cardiff, and Edinburgh were important areas during this period, they weren't specifically targeted for large-scale government-sponsored settlement of Protestants from other parts of Britain in the same way Ulster was. The Plantation of Ulster had a lasting impact on the region's demographics and culture, contributing to the complex history of Northern Ireland.