On my maternal side of my family, we have the Germans. The largest flow of German immigration to America occurred between 1820 and World War I, during which time nearly six million Germans immigrated to the United States. From 1840 to 1880, they were the largest group of immigrants.
My German family, settled in the Ohio Valley, in the Dayton area. Pennsylvania has the largest population of German-Americans in the U.S. and is home to one of the group's original settlements, Germantown (Philadelphia), founded in 1683 and the birthplace of the American antislavery movement in 1688, as well as the revolutionary Battle of Germantown.
Some left the Old World in response to the many historical events in Europe over the last two centuries. Most Germans came to the United States seeking economic opportunities or religious or political freedom.
My family were Catholics - very strict Catholics and forbade the intermarriage with a non-catholic. My German grandfather was Catholic. My dutch-Irish grandmother was Protestant. They married, but his family members would not attend and years later, refused to acknowledge my uncle and my mother as part of their German family because my Grandmother refused to baptize them, in the Catholic Church. OUCH! Now that must have been the reason, to not inter-marry with Protestants. I can't help but think, how many came to America to escape religious persecution, yet once here, was intolerant of others who were non-Catholics.
Located northeast of downtown Dayton, Old North Dayton sits between the Great Miami and Mad rivers. Its main routes are Troy, Brandt, Valley, Stanley, Leo, and Chapel Streets. I have many from the Hasenstab branch, that actually lived on Troy, Valley, Leo, and Chapel Streets. It's a trip to google earth, and see how many homes are still standing today. There is a Hasenstab St. I am trying to find out the history of that. It still exists there today.
German immigrants were the first to settle in the neighborhood, then known as 'Texas' or 'Parma'. Around the turn of the century, central European immigrants, predominately Poles, Hungarians, Lithuanians, and Germans, moved in as laborers and gave the neighborhoods its unique ethnic flavor represented by ethnic Roman Catholic churches, and cultural festivals.
I don't hold it against any of them -it was their ethnic and religious culture at the time. I do believe it has made my search for the Hasenstab family even harder. A few years ago, a distant cousin from the Hasenstab line, contacted me. She did not know that my mother existed and when she asked an older cousin who was now in her 90's - she refused to talk about it. The cousin later broke off communication with me. What was THAT all about?
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This is very interesting since my dad's family came over around this time. My dad's father was from the Prussian area and that was a German province but my great grandmother appears to have been Polish. Now my grandmother...seems to be all Polish. We heard from the Krakow area but I saw something that seems to suggest the Austrian/Hungarian empire. I think your German roots are more from the Southern part since the Southern was Catholic and the northern was Lutheran( my mom was born inWittenberg, the birthplace for the Lutheran religion.) who knows with families because old thinking is hard to die off. If your cousin chose to believe her grandmother and not speak with you, you might be better off.
ReplyDeleteGee thanks for the tip - that my germans were likely from the southern parts because they were Catholic. I'll have to check.
DeleteMy husband's german side was from Prussia.
I have a little German and Dutch blood but am mostly Scots, and they came over after 1745, when they lost to the British.
ReplyDeleteIsn't it interesting how religion can still divide and cause bitterness even in today's enlightened times. I'm sure God winces when he sees us hurt each other in his name. I also think that people who do this are better off not in our lives. So glad your grandparents resisted pressure and married for love.
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Visiting from A to Z. Ironic how those who have to escape from intolerance end up doing it themselves - so many stories of that in history. There have been a couple of rifts in my husband's family (Catholic) due to intermarriages, including an aunt who was estranged from her son for years because he got married in his wife's Protestant church. The story of the distant cousin who broke off her contact with you had to be painful. Thank you for visiting my blog and for following me.
ReplyDeleteMy cousin is tracing our paternal roots and has found we qualify for DAR (Daughters of American Revolution). She has traced us to the earliest settlers in Massachusetts. It's fascinating.
ReplyDeleteI've tried to trace my Celtic roots - not so easy. LOL!
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DB McNicol, author & traveler
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visiting again from A to Z - your post today is so fascinating! Loved your comment on my post on groceries - about not buying before thanksgiving and Christmas -- I agree!!!
ReplyDeleteGenealogy i fascinating. My mother and oldest sister do a fair amount of genealogy research, for which I am grateful as it's quite interesting to learn of one's past. I am also of primarily German descent, from both sides of the family. :)
ReplyDeleteA to Z 2017: Magical and Medicinal Herbs