Immigration info

As many of you know, I am a huge history buff. I always have been and I probably always will be. This is why I love Sonlight curriculum that I use with Megan. She is really enjoying it too!

Anyway, we have been working our way through American history this year and we are up to roughly the time right after Lewis and Clark (1806).  We were talking about immigration this week and how this was America's highest import at this time. (This was actually the name of the chapter, "America's greatest import: people."

They mentioned that the two main groups that came to America during this time were the Irish and the German.  Now we all know why the Irish came over, it was the potato famine (potatos got a "blight" as our book said), but it was also much more than that.  The Irish were being ruled by the English at this time and these poor Irish peasants (potato farmers) had to give all their good potatoes to their English landlors and could keep only what they needed. As the "blight" got worse over five years, the peasants' health got worse because they had to give all their food away. They were starving and disease-ridden. On top of this, the English were Protestant and the Irish were Catholic and they didn't like each other.  Isn't it funny that the Irish came to America not only because they were hungry and sick, but for religious freedom?? But the problem was that once they got to America, the Protestants here didn't like them either! They had a hard time finding jobs and seemed to stick together, but they still made a huge influence on our society.  They worked hard and became very active in politics.

The other main group were the Germans. In all my years of studying, I could never pinpoint one reason the Germans came over.  My ancestors are from Germany, but why did they leave Germany? Were they hungry, disease-ridden, persecuted? What was it? I found out yesterday! In 1816, there was a huge flood on the lower Rhein River and washed away barns, livestock, and flooded fruit trees.  The people lost their way of making money, again, they were hungry and depressed.  Many people from this region immigrated to America.  Again in 1829-1830, there was a really bad winter and everything froze pretty bad. Again, people lost more and immigration picked up. Finally in 1848, there was a revolution in Germany that failed (They wanted to get rid of their king and have a republic and a Constitution like us).  The leaders of the revolution came to America and had a huge impact here.   From here on out, it was just a craze to come to America.  My ancestors came around the 1870's and they were from northern Germany. My theory is that they were allured here by the vast farmland of the midwest.  Germans would pass down their land, but since there is limited land, you could get a lot more in the United States. I know more Germans immigranted in the early 1900's too due to the politics in the country, but we will study that more next year.

Interesting, huh? Ok, to me anyway. :)