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German Americans were drawn to colonial-era British America by its abundant land and religious freedom, and were pushed out of Germany by shortages of land and religious or political oppression. [13] Many arrived seeking religious or political freedom , others for economic opportunities greater than those in Europe, and others for the chance to ...
In this map of German colonies, yellow marks Klein-Venedig and red the Prussian colonies, some of them in the Caribbean. Klein-Venedig ("Little Venice"; also the etymology of the name "Venezuela") was the most significant part of the German colonization of the Americas between 1528 and 1546.
By the mid-18th century, approximately 10% of the colonial American population spoke German. [75] Germans were easily the largest non-British European minority in British North America, but their assimilation and Anglicisation varied greatly. [76]
The total trade between Germany and its colonies increased from 72 million marks in 1906 to 264 million marks in 1913. Due to this economic growth, the income from colonial taxes and duties increased sixfold. Instead of being dependent on financial support from Germany, the colonies became or were on track to become financially independent.
The majority of German settlers in the valley belonged to Anabaptist denominations, such as the Mennonites, the Dunkers (now known as the Brethren), and others. Smaller and later numbers of settlers were German Catholics or German Jews. Such German Americans were the earliest European settlers of the Shenandoah Valley, mostly in the northern ...
Germans were significant settlers in Minnesota, with communities established in cities like Minneapolis and St. Paul. By 1860, Minnesota had a notable German-American population, contributing to the state's development and growth. Between 1820 and 1930, 3.5 million British and 4.5 million Irish entered America.
The first religious services held in colonial America were Anglican services held in Jamestown, Virginia, according to the Book of Common Prayer. The practice of the religion of the Church of England in Jamestown predates that of the Pilgrim settlers who came on the Mayflower in 1620 and whose separatist faith motivated their move from Europe.
These men were both hunted by the British for being deserters and by many of the colonists as a foreign enemy. Throughout the Revolutionary War, Americans tried to entice Hessians to desert the British, emphasizing the large and prosperous German-American community in the Colonies.