German ImmigrationA Family History Project Ruth Brown

German Immigration• Comparing my ancestors’ reasons for

immigration and seeing how their stories fit in a global context in 1738, 1882 and 1927

Family Tree

Ruth Emily Brown

Cynthia Joan

Berggren

Joan Elsa Wayman

Helen Theresa Davis

Henry Wayman

Alfred Laurie

Berggren

David Alllan Brown

Barbara Helen Cline

Helen M Schluter

Helena M Eppinger

Richard Louis

Schluter

Allan Eugene Cline

Nellie Rose

Stoner

John William Cline

Margaret J Landes

Martin Cline

Rebecca Myers

Christian Cline

Sarah Sally

Hartman

Joseph Cline

Lizzie Altaffer

George Klein Jr

Dorothy Rebman

George Klein Sr

William Wheatly Brown Jr

George Klein• B: 9 Oct 1715 in

Zweibrucken, Germany

• M: 25 Apr 1737 to Dorothy Rebman in Ulmet, Germany

• Arrival: 9 Sept 1738 in Philadelphia, PA.

• D: 2 Jan 1783 in

Tulpehocken, PA.

Immigration in Colonial Times• Destructive wars• Religious persecution• Tyrants • Favorable reports about new land• Plentiful means of transportation• Wanderlust

Global Context• Many emigrated for religious freedom• George Klein left Germany for religious freedom• Most immigrants were Lutheran• George Klein converted to Brethren in 1739 and

was eventually elected to the ministry• Around 1790, 8.6 percent of the population was

German. “They …were spread throughout New York, New Jersey, Maryland, Virginia and South Carolina.” – German Originality

• George Klein settled in Amwell, NJ and eventually moved to Bernville, PA.

Family Tree

Ruth Emily Brown

Cynthia Joan

Berggren

Joan Elsa Wayman

Helen Theresa Davis

Henry Wayman

Alfred Laurie

Berggren

David Alllan Brown

Barbara Helen Cline

Helen M Schluter

Helena M Eppinger

Richard Louis

Schluter

Allan Eugene Cline

Nellie Rose

Stoner

John William Cline

Margaret J Landes

Martin Cline

Rebecca Myers

Christian Cline

Sarah Sally

Hartman

Joseph Cline

Lizzie Altaffer

George Klein Jr

Dorothy Rebman

George Klein Sr

William Wheatly Brown Jr

Richard Schluter• B: 7 Mar 1878 in

Hamburg Germany

• Arrival: 1882 in Colorado

• M: 14 Dec 1909

• D: 16 Feb 1962 in Purcell, Colorado

Immigration in 19th Century• Religious freedom• Economic hardship in Germany• Political warfare• Easy access of land in U.S.• German community was already established in U.S.• Steamships and ocean liners• In 1882, 250,000 Germans immigrated to the U.S.• “Most of them lived in the "German triangle," whose

three points were Cincinnati, Milwaukee, and St. Louis and also in the area from Michigan to South Dakota and down to Nebraska.” – German Originality  

Immigration in 19th Century• “Demand for immigrant labor shot up with two

major developments: the settlement of the American Midwest after the inauguration of the Erie Canal in 1825 and the related rise of the port of New York, and the first stirrings of industrial development in the United States, particularly in textile production….” – American Archive

• Most immigrants were educated whereas immigrants from the 18th century were mostly farmers and skilled workers

Global context• Not much is known about Richard Schluter• Based on historical context, it is most likely that

Richard immigrated to the U.S. in order to escape economic hardship in Germany.

• He immigrated in 1882 with about 250,000 other Germans.

• Settled in Colorado – not exactly in “German Triangle”

Family Tree

Ruth Emily Brown

Cynthia Joan

Berggren

Joan Elsa Wayman

Helen Theresa Davis

Henry Wayman

Alfred Laurie

Berggren

David Alllan Brown

Barbara Helen Cline

Helen M Schluter

Helena M Eppinger

Richard Louis

Schluter

Allan Eugene Cline

Nellie Rose

Stoner

John William Cline

Margaret J Landes

Martin Cline

Rebecca Myers

Christian Cline

Sarah Sally

Hartman

Joseph Cline

Lizzie Altaffer

George Klein Jr

Dorothy Rebman

George Klein Sr

William Wheatly Brown Jr

Henry Wayman• B: 27 Oct 1907 in

Germany

• Arrival: 18 Apr 1927 in New York, New York

• D: 9 Mar 1965 in Los Angeles, CA.

Henry Wayman Naturalization• Name: Hinrich Wahmann• Age: 20• Birth Date: 27 October

1907• Birth Location: Germany• Arrival Year: 1927• Issue Date: 8 February

1928• White, fair complexion,

5ft 9in, 160ibs, blonde, blue eyes

Immigration in 20th Century• Early 1900s, German economy was improving,

providing more jobs• Those who immigrated were young and usually

did not plan on permanently settling in the states.• WWI prevented German immigration• During Nazi reign, many oppressed Germans

escaped• After WWII The International Refugee Organization

(IRO) helped about 550,000 displaced persons immigrate to the states. “Many of them made up the last wave of emigrants from German ports. They were former compulsory workers, prisoners of war or non-German refugees.”

Global context• Henry Wayman was young and single when he

immigrated to the U.S. as were many others• He settled in California• Began working as a florist• Eventually ran his own auto repair shop

555 W Anaheim St Los Angeles, CA 90744

Primary Sources• “555 W Anaheim St Los Angeles, CA 90744.” Photograph.

Googlemaps (accessed March 27, 2012). • 15th Census, Population, 1930. Washington, D.C.: National Archives

and Records Administration, 2002. Ancestry.com. Web. 29 Mar. 2012.

• Brown, Barbara. Interview. April 9, 2012. • “Deutschland.” Photograph.Ancestry.com (accessed March 27,

2012). • Kline, Lois. “George Klein’s Grave.” Photograph. FindAGrave.com

(accessed March 26, 2012).• Map of the Federal Republic of Germany. Map. Mapquest.

http://go.hrw.com/atlas/norm_htm/germany.htm (accessed March 27, 2012).

• “Naturalization Records.” Washington, D.C.: National Archives and records Administration. Ancestry.com. Web. 29 Mar. 2012.

• “Schluter.” Photograph. From Home Collection.

Secondary Resources• Bittinger, Lucy. The Germans in Colonia Times. New

York, Russell & Russell, 1968.• Faust, Albert. The German Element in the United States.

Vol. 1. Boston: The Riverside Press Cambridge, 1909.• Faust, Albert. The German Element in the United States.

Vol. 2. Boston: The Riverside Press Cambridge, 1909.• German Information Center USA, 2007. Web. 29 Mar.

2012. http://germanoriginality.com/heritage/1900s.php• Hays, D. “An Interesting Family Sketch.” The Gospel

Messenger (1908): 1-3.• Klein, Paul G. Cline-Kline Family. Dayton, Virginia:

Shenandoah Press, 1971.