German immigrants have been in America since the 1700s, but why did they come? They arrived in a time of great uncertainty, where the economy was weak, and their culture and language were under threat. Their participation in the labor movement was limited, and they were persecuted for their Confessional Lutheran beliefs. However, they had preserved much of their heritage.
Economic conditions
German immigrants came to America in the 1800s for a variety of reasons. Some migrated to seek economic opportunities. Others emigrated to escape intolerable conditions back home. In addition, some wealthy Germans wished to better themselves economically. Regardless of their reason for immigrating, their emigration was a testament to the strength of self-selection.
A large number of German immigrants crossed the Atlantic Ocean to start a new life in America. The United States offered a kinder, more welcoming environment than their native country. They arrived with an array of skills, including artisanship. However, genuine entrepreneurship proved rare.
The economic changes that took place in the United States during the nineteenth century led to a wave of business consolidation. Many immigrants were recruited to work in urban areas where they were not required to be American citizens.
This essay will explore the many aspects of German-American entrepreneurship in the mid-late nineteenth century. In particular, it will examine how transatlantic connections were of greatest significance.
As the United States grew and developed, its economy shifted from a largely agricultural and service economy to a manufacturing-driven industry. This led to a greater demand for industrial labor. Although the demand was high, the influx of workers was not matched with sufficient supply.
While German immigrants tended to be more concentrated in manufacturing, they also tended to be less likely to be employed in agriculture. That said, Germans did make significant contributions to the American economy.
In 1840, Germany was the second largest source of immigrants to the United States. More than three million arrived by the turn of the century. Most of the newcomers were Jewish. Their numbers grew from about 500 in 1825 to 40,000 in 1860.
During the first half of the twentieth century, the United States embarked on a tremendous industrial expansion. The American Automobile Era brought on an even larger scale.
As the twentieth century wore on, German immigration decreased. By the time of the Great Depression, Germans accounted for less than sixteen percent of all immigration.
Despite their small size, Germans made a substantial impact on the American economy. Their presence shaped Pennsylvania’s economic development.
Persecution of the Confessional Lutherans
In the nineteenth century, Confessional Lutherans were persecuted in Germany. This was due to the growing influence of Romanticism and rationalism. The Lutherans in Germany did not want to accept these two movements, so they sought a new church in America.
A number of immigrants were Catholic or a combination of Protestant and Catholic. However, there were a few Confessional German Lutherans in the early 19th century who sought religious freedom in the United States. These immigrants landed in Missouri. They became the forerunners of the Buffalo Synod, which would later merge with the Missouri Synod.
By the 1860s, a movement had developed to “Americanize” Lutheranism. Samuel Simon Schmucker was the leader of the movement. He introduced the Book of Concord, a compilation of various confessions of faith. It was compiled with the Augsburg Confession.
Another group of leaders, influenced by Hans Nielsen Hauge, stressed the importance of daily work and living as a divine calling. Elling Eielsen, a legalistic layman, followed this lead.
Some congregations, such as the Zion Church of Pastor Triebner, lasted only a year. Others, such as the Philadelphia Church of Pastor Krause, lasted three years.
Although the United States remained a liberal country, the growth of Protestant denominations had its roots in the American frontier conditions. Many Lutherans joined the Disciples of Christ, which emerged in 1832 as a revivalist group.
In the nineteenth century, German immigrants to the United States were not subject to the same level of anti-German feelings as they were in the First World War. After the war, congregational life resumed as normal.
The Saxon Lutheran immigration of 1838-39 was another migration of Confessional German Lutherans seeking religious freedom in the United States. These immigrants became the forerunners of the Missouri Synod.
By the end of the nineteenth century, the Lutheran community in the United States dominated as the center of Lutheran life. The Missouri Synod was formed in 1847.
The twentieth century saw an upsurge of religious activity in the United States. Although it was still predominantly Anglo-Saxon, there were some German and Nordic emigrants who formed churches in America, Australia, and South Africa.
Preservation of their language and culture
The Germans have contributed to American culture in many ways. They have created schools and colleges, built churches, fought in the American Revolution, helped form the nation, and cultivated their language. In fact, the majority of the 52 million Americans with a German ancestry are descendants of these immigrants.
The first significant groups of German immigrants arrived in the colonial period. These included members of the Evangelical Lutheran Churches in Germany. Others arrived in the 19th century.
Most Germans were Lutheran, although they also had a wide variety of beliefs. Some immigrants were farmers, while others moved to the industrialized Midwest.
During the 1800s, the largest settlements were in New York City, Milwaukee, St. Louis, and Baltimore. Other settlements included Austin, Texas, and San Antonio.
A large number of Germans were farmers, whose livelihood was threatened by failed harvests and land shortages. Many decided to emigrate to the United States in order to achieve prosperity.
Several Germans worked as foremen in railway construction. Some continued their occupations as independent craftsmen. Despite their economic hardship, Germans kept their own language and culture, often through social clubs.
Religious belief was very important to German-Americans. Many Protestants, especially Lutherans, formed small congregations. Catholics also had their own devotions. Some historians say that the Germans believed their culture was as rich as any Anglo-American tradition.
However, their German identity suffered during a peculiar set of events in the 19th and 20th centuries. Anti-immigration sentiment was prevalent in some U.S. cities, and some of their language was introduced into public elementary school curriculums.
In 1870, most public schools in the United States began to teach German. In addition, several German-language newspapers were published.
Although their German-American identity deteriorated over the years, the local Vereine in major German-American centers have maintained their cultural heritage. Today, a tiny percentage of German-born persons in the United States participate in these organizations.
Throughout the country, German-Americans have been attracted to a variety of food industries, brews, and brewing. Some may even dine together.
There are many notable figures who have benefited from the German immigrants, including composers, musicians, and artists.
Political participation in the labor movement
German immigrants in the 1800s had a strong influence on the labor movement in the United States. In the 1840s, nearly one million Germans escaped the economic hardship of the period by relocating to the United States. Most of these immigrants sought jobs in the Midwest, but others opted to settle in the cities. These settlers became a key part of the labor movement, and their influence is still felt today.
German immigrants were also a major force in the northern free soil movement, which challenged the spread of slavery. The Northern Free Soil Movement was a coalition of labor activists, clergy, and business leaders who sought to limit the working hours of industrial workers, and to protect children who worked in factories.
In the 1800s, a growing number of children moved away from farmland in favor of city life. Agricultural households were under pressure from economic and demographic factors, and the share of children leaving the family to work increased. Many male workers sought to create a household that protected women and children. Eventually, legislation governing the working hours of factory workers began to expand.
During the early 1840s, the Ten-Hour Movement began in New England, and swept across the country. It was a male working class movement that sought to expose the moral hollowness of employers. Using the arguments of economic, intellectual, and moral superiority, it called for a ten-hour work day and for the protection of children who worked in factories.
In the late 1800s, the movement achieved partial success. Pennsylvania passed a ten-hour day law, and New Hampshire enacted a state-wide law. Both states followed the lead of Massachusetts. However, the movement was weak. Some nativist political parties emerged, and hostility toward the German and Irish erupted in the mid-1800s.
By 1920, the contribution of German immigrants to the manufacturing sector was significant. They helped to shape the economy of the American manufacturing sector by supplying skilled labor. In the mid-1800s, the majority of the American manufacturing workforce was composed of workers who had arrived within the previous twenty years.