germany immigration 1880-1920

why they journeyed The German immigrants left because of the rules they had to follow in Germany. They did not like that, so they thought if they came to America, they could find a better life, a life where they could have their own beliefs and not follow the ways of the Roman Catholic Church. They also left due to economic hardship. It wasn’t just those two reasons, it was also due to political reasons. The Germans went through a lot before they journeyed to America.

WHERE DID GERMANS STAY When most people think of German immigrants, states like Pennsylvania or Wisconsin come to mind – not Massachusetts or New Hampshire. It’s true that German immigrants, although one of the largest immigrant groups in history, have always remained a minority in New England. Yet, the massive and influential German immigrant left no part of the country untouched. From their first permanent settlement in Germantown in 1683 through the boom years of the 1880s, Germans have impacted the history of our country – even in New England. Germans also settled in New Braunfels, New York City, Baltimore, Cincinnati, St. louis, and Milwaukee.

how was the journey to america The journey to America was the same for everyone… TERRIBLE. They had to sail on packed ships with many who had diseases. With their already weak immune systems due to starvation, many died on their journey. It was very sad because of the many deaths, but that was the risk they were willing to take when journeying to America.

how were they treated They were all treated like aliens. They even called them aliens. They would not call them him, her, she, he. Most people who went through Ellis Island had to change their name if they did not know how to pronounce or spell their own name. Most did not, so most got an English version of their name or sometimes a totally different name. To us, maybe, they were not living a wonderful life. They were treated terribly, and without respect. They were treated like they were people who said something terrible about our country. They weren't treated with the respect and kindness that anyone should be treated with. Instead, they were treated with rudeness and uglyness. Nonetheless, the immigrants saw their life as golden compared to what they had experienced in the old country.

why did they stay They stayed at their new world because they were very poor and couldn't afford to go back to Germany, especially if they had a big family. Also, Some were extremely weak, so sailing on a long journey would certainly mean a death sentence. Life was better or the same as the old country so sailing back home was not a risk they wanted to take. Maybe it wasn't a rich person's life, but it was better than where thet came. That's why they stayed in America.

what did they contribute They contributed many things when the Germans emmigrated to America. They brought their livelihood and their food. Most Germans were farmers, so they came to America and started working as farmers. They kept some of their German culture, but not all. They brought foods such as pies, strudels like apple strudels,Kasespatzle, Eintopf, Eintopf and Kartoffelpuffer. Germans may not have brought a lot, but what they did was influential to America.

life before moving Life in Germany was not fair at all. Germans had to follow the Roman Catholics beliefs and had to follow the democratic life. They hated life in Germany because it wasn’t fair not even one little bit . They all had to be the same person, basically . Also, the German Jews were not allowed in all places only in places that had a sign saying Jews allowed. If the sign said no Jews allowed and a Jew went in, that Jew would have cops called on them . Also during world war 2 the German Jews had to wear a golden star . So, they left. The Nazi invasion later on also contributed to the Jew emmigrating to the U.S.

resources -http://www.ushistory.org/us/25f.asp Germans www.maggieblanck.com/Goehle/Germans.html -http://www.ushistory.org/us/25f.asp Germans http://immigrationtounitedstates.org/666-jewish-immigrants.html

resources http://www.understandingyourancestors.com/ia/germanimmigration. aspx http://ic.galegroup.com/ic/uhic/ReferenceDetailsPage/ReferenceDeta ilsWindow?zid=a1bdd01f59dacbddab4e6bea68b2a54e&action=2&d ocumentId=GALE%7CCX3436800018&userGroupName=gray02935& jsid=f6ef0c62ec142c368bfc2a12c90b49eah