Palatine
(German) Immigration to Pennsylvania:
During the reign of Queen
Anne and in 1709, Britain passed a naturalization act that allowed any foreigner
who took an oath professing to be a Protestant and pledging allegiance to the
British government to be immediately naturalized and to have all privileges held
by English-born citizens for the cost of a shilling. The British Crown that was
previously under the Catholic King James II shifted allegiance with the
coronation of Queen Anne of England. Under Queen Anne (herself a relation of the
ruler of the Palatinate and a noted Protestant sympathizer) these offers brought
opportunities for a new life. At Queen Anne's direction, land speculators who
had obtained land patents in the American colonies, sent agents to the Palatines
(see maps) with
offers of forty acres of farmland, paid transportation to the colonies, and
maintenance. In addition to the goal of supporting these Protestants, resettling
emigrants to New York, north of New York City, would also provide a human buffer
against the French in Canada.
After time, and after the settlers had built houses, and made corn fields and
meadows, they found their liberties and privileges infringed, and, under several
pretenses, they were repeatedly deprived of parts of their land.
Many
of the early settlers grew tired of the unrest and the greater part of them left
their
New York
houses and fields, and went to settle in Pennsylvania. There they were exceedingly well received, got a considerable tract of land,
and were indulged in great privileges, which were given them forever. The
Germans, now wrote to their relations and friends, and advised them, if ever
they intended to come to
America, not to go to New York, where the government had shown itself so inequitable. This advice had such
influence that the Germans who afterwards went in great numbers to North
America, constantly avoided New York
and always went to Pennsylvania.
Life for the German immigrants was full of challenges, and the task of
taming the wilderness was a formidable one. Forest land had to be cleared,
ground had to be tilled, and crops suited to the environment had to be
cultivated. Although some Indians assisted the Palatines by providing guidance
and assistance, there were many different tribes in the area, and not all of
them were friendly. The French, along with Indian factions, were a constant
safety threat, and fortifications had to be built and maintained against these
dangers. Britain, although previously sympathetic to the Palatine cause,
eventually used them as if they were “human shields” to safeguard borders
against the French and Indians. In addition to human aggressors, there was a
need for constant vigilance in relation to wild animals that took their toll on
livestock and, sometimes, humans. Weather conditions were harsh and they could
no longer depend upon the crops they had once grown, or the trades they had
previously employed. In addition to the physical hardships, the Palatines also
had to learn a new language in order to maintain their independence and argue
their rights in the face of opposition. The Palatines, however, proved equal to
these challenges. They built their churches, established schools for their
children, developed the land, and encouraged further emigration of their friends
and families from Germany so that their communities could grow. Their
self-sufficiency, bravery, devotion to their Protestant religious beliefs,
unflinching persistence and will to survive exemplifies the true spirit of the
early Palatine settlers in America.
Source:
Melissa Witthoft, Putnam Valley, NY (1999)
Peter
Kalm's Travels in
America
, in 1747 and 1748, Vol I, pp. 270,271.