Chapter V: German Emigration to Pennsylvania

German Quakers arrive.--They found Germantown.--Penn’s Return
to England.--Visits the Palatinate.--William III. Dies.--Queen
Anne ascends the Throne.--Her sympathies with the persecuted
Palatines.--Tide of Emigration from the Palatinate begins to flow
toward Pennsylvania.--Queen Anne’s Liberality.--Emigrants sold for
the Cost of their Passage.--Known as Redemptioners.--Terms of their
Sale.--German Hostility to Proprietors.

It has already been seen how all the conditions were ripe for a speedy settlement of Penn’s province. The same year in which Penn arrived, there was quite an accession to the few settlers who had preceded him. The next two years about fifty vessels arrived bringing settlers from England, a few from Holland, and German Quakers from the Palatinate, who founded Germantown.

After Penn returned to England from his first visit to his province, he visited Germany and there proclaimed to the persecuted Palatines, the great opportunities awaiting those who would emigrate to the land of promise in America. This was Penn’s third visit to the Palatines; his first visit having been made in 1671, when he was on a religious pilgrimage, preaching the tenets of the Quakers, whose society as a religious sect had been recently founded. He again visited Germany in 1677 on a similar mission making many converts, with whom he continued in communication subsequently to his visits. Penn was a proficient German scholar; spoke the German language fluently, and his preaching to the Germans, and his intercourse with them was in their own tongue, so that he had no difficulty in cultivating the most intimate personal relations with them. The German converts to Quakerism had learned to honor and trust Penn; so that when he came among them on his third visit to proclaim to them, and their kinsmen in the Palatinate, his province in Pennsylvania, where he had already established civil and religious liberty, they did not hesitate long to exchange their desolate homes in the land where their ancestors for more than a hundred years, had been the victims of the fiercest religious and political persecution, that was ever inflicted on any people in the world’s history. The offer of an asylum in Penn’s province came at an opportune time. The Palatines were longing for some spot on earth, where they could go and live in peace, freed from their cruel oppressors. Penn pointed to his province in America, as the solution of the problem which confronted them. He wanted colonists, and the Palatines wanted to leave their desolate and ruined homes, in the land of their birth. Under such circumstances the start of the emigration from the Palatinate to Pennsylvania was easy. The first emigration began while William III. was king of England. We have already learned how his sympathies went out to his suffering Protestant brethren in the Palatinate, when he came to their rescue, while they were struggling against the barbarities of the French king. He died in 1702, when Queen Anne succeeded him. Anne was a zealous Protestant, and inherited William’s sympathies for the persecuted Palatines. Her sympathies in this respect, were no doubt emphasized by the fact that her cousin, Frederick V. was at that time the ruling Prince Palatine. For these and other reasons the Palatines became the subjects of special consideration of the English sovereign. Queen Anne evinced the most tender regard for them, and when the tide of emigration from the Palatinate had set fairly in, the generous Queen assisted numerous Palatines to America, from her own bounty, some of whom no doubt came to Pennsylvania. The memory of Queen Anne deserves to be gratefully cherished by Pennsylvania Germans by reason of the generosity bestowed by her upon their persecuted kinsmen.

Other causes operated to stimulate the German emigration to Pennsylvania during the first half of the eighteenth century. Interested parties who had visited the colonies, returned to their homes in Europe, and gave the most glowing and exaggerated accounts of the newly found paradise, so that many who had been living in comfort at home, disposed of their effects, often at a sacrifice, and rushed to the nearest seaport, and embarked for America, frequently to regret it. Many who had no money to pay for their passage, were carried by masters of vessels, who depended for their compensation for transporting them across the ocean, on their chances of selling them, for the price of their passage to some purchaser for a term of years. Many Palatines, some Dutch, and a few of other nationalities found their way to America, and to Pennsylvania by those means. After such immigrants had redeemed their freedom by honest service, many frequently remained with their masters for a while longer, until they were able to set up for themselves. It was not an unusual occurence for the servant after he had served his term, to marry his master’s daughter. Some of these servants however would gain their freedom sometimes, by running away from their masters.

This species of servitude, and the selling of emigrants for their passage had not a few of the features about it, of involuntary chattel slavery, and it was characterized at the time as the “German Slave Trade.”

There were agents in Rotterdam, Amsterdam, and probably other European seaports, who made it a business to entice people to go to America, with the promise of having their passage paid, and employment given them on their arrival. Those immigrants were known officially as “Redemptioners,” and their term of service depended on the value of their services, in the particular occupation in which they were employed. A skillful workman usually gained his freedom in three years, while others were compelled to serve six or seven years. Children continued in this involuntary service usually until 21 years of age.

The Rev. H. M. Muhlenberg in the “Hallischen Nachrichten,” gives an account of the manner in which this traffic was conducted. A vessel that had been long expected, arrived in the harbor of Philadelphia in mid-winter, and after it had anchored in the stream, one after another of the intending purchasers went on board, and examined the list of human freight, and the terms upon which each soul could be bought, which list was furnished the master of the vessel at the port in Holland whence he sailed. The list set forth the price of each emigrant’s passage, and other incidental expenses in bringing him here.

In the earlier days the price of passage, for each adult was from 6 to 10 Louis d’or, (a French gold coin worth 20 shillings); but at the time of which Muhlenberg wrote, the price had advanced to 14 and 17 Louis d’or, for each person. Before the vessel could anchor in front of the city, it was visited by a doctor to ascertain whether there was any contagious disease on board, after which the immigrants were all marched to the Land Office, where they were made to take the oath of allegiance to the King of Great Britain. They were then taken back to the ship, where they were kept under restraint, until publication could be made of the arrival of the vessel, and the number of passengers that were for sale to pay for their passage and other charges. When the time for the sale arrived, the purchasers were on hand. The latter went among the newcomers, looked them carefully over, and when one was found that suited the purchaser, he took him to the seller, paid the charges, and then took him to the Government office, where he bound himself in writing to serve for a specified term.

The young people of both sexes, were the first to go; old people, and those physically defective were difficult to dispose of. If however they had healthy children, their passage was added to that of the children. The latter found ready purchasers, but had to serve long terms by reason of the additional cost. The parents were then set at liberty. If any of the newcomers had friends to pay for their passage, they also were give their freedom.

It sometimes happened that a master had no longer use for a servant purchased by him, or that he was unsuitable for the needs of the master, in which case the redemptioner was advertised for sale for the remainder of the original term of service.

In the “Pennsylvania Staatsbote” of Aug. 4, 1766, appeared the following: “A German female servant is for sale. She has five years to serve.” In the Pennsylvania Gazette in June, 1762 appeared the following advertisement: “To be sold. A likely servant woman, having three years to serve. She is a good spinner.”

In the Pennsylvania Staatsbote of December 14, 1773 is found: “To be sold. A Dutch apprentice lad, who has five years and three months to serve; he has been brought up to the tailor’s business. Can work well.”

Occasionally these servants were put up at public auction, and knocked down to the highest bidder. In Christoph Sauer’s newspaper, published at Germantown of date of February 10, 1754 appeared the following advertisement: “Rosina Dorothea Kost, _nee_ Kaufmann, born in Waldenberg, who arrived at Patapsco, November 12, 1753, desires to let her brother-in-law, one Spohr of Conestoga know through the medium of this paper of her sale at public vendue.”

Rosina evidently hoped that her brother-in-law would come forward, and redeem her, if the foregoing notice should be brought to his attention. It is hoped that he may have done so.

The sale of children of old and decrepid parents, often worked great wrongs. It not infrequently separated children from their parents, who never saw them again, because they became scattered among strangers, and people of different nationality from themselves, speaking a different language. For a people in whom the sentiment of the home, and family is as strong as it is with the Germans, this was an almost unbearable cruelty.

The system of selling immigrants for the cost of their passage, only came to an end after a vigorous protest was made against it, in which some of the religious sects led, notably the Mennonites. They scattered the intelligence of the horrors of the “German Slave Trade,” throughout the European seaport towns, whence most of the emigrants sailed for the American colonies. The Palatine elector, Karl Theodore, also drove the unscrupulous agents of the masters of vessels, who were engaged in recruiting emigrants, out of the Palatinate.

The owners of vessels found the business of transporting emigrants to the colonies in America, to be sold for their passage a profitable one, but for the unfortunate victims of the system it must have possessed little romance. The fate of the so-called redemptioners did not differ very materially from that of any other system of involuntary serfdom, except that the term of their servitude was limited, and was self-imposed.

While the system of selling emigrants for the cost of their passage was profitable for ship-owners, the cupidity of the latter often got the better of their business judgment, by overcrowding their vessels to such an extent, that many passengers died on the voyage in consequence of sickness, and disease breaking out among them, as a result of bad food, and worse sanitary conditions. It has been said of one small vessel that left a Dutch port, with 400 passengers, that arrived at Philadelphia with only 50 of them alive. An ocean voyage in those days was an undertaking to be dreaded under the most favorable conditions possible; but the emigrant ships were horrible to make the long and tedious voyage in. One chronicler denominated them as “destroying angels,” and judging from the mortalities on them, they were properly designated. The emigrants were packed in between decks, where they were deprived of all pure air, so that after a long voyage of many weeks and often of many months, their quarters became a scene of filth, horror, and lamentations. It has been stated that in the year 1738 not less than 2000 passengers died while crossing the ocean.

Those who sailed ships in those days were cruel taskmasters. An emigrant was of very little account, beyond the price for which he could be sold if brought alive to some port in the colonies. Beyond that the masters of ships had no interest in them. Those who were able to pay for their passage in advance, received even less consideration from those who sailed ships, than those whose passage depended on their sale upon their arrival in America, because no further pecuniary advantage could be derived from the former, while the compensation for transporting the latter across the ocean, depended upon bringing them alive and well into some American port, while it did not matter to the ship-owners, whether or not the former arrived alive or not. As a matter of fact, the ship-owners were in pocket, if the emigrant who paid for his passage in advance, died early during the voyage.

In 1765 the Provincial Assembly was appealed to, for the purpose of interesting it in providing legislation, which would result in mitigating the horrors of a sea voyage in an emigrant ship. There was slight improvement after that, but it was not until as late as 1818, when the Legislature of Pennsylvania enacted more stringent laws regulating the importation of German and other emigrants, that any practical improvement was brought about.

With regard to the so-called redemptioners, they were not less esteemed than their more fortunate countrymen, who were able to pay for their passage to America, and with very few exceptions, they became useful and substantial citizens; and many of their descendants in these days are filling honorable stations in every walk of life.

* * * * *

We have seen on what liberal terms colonists were invited to the province of Pennsylvania by its founder; but those liberal terms were afterwards restricted, when a change of proprietors came. William Penn died July 30, 1718, and his three sons, Thomas, Richard, and John succeeded him as his heirs, and assumed control of affairs. After that the lands were surveyed, and settlers were expected to pay liberally for the land upon which they had settled, but the newcomers were ignorant of the new conditions, and relied on the earlier promises, so that upon their arrival, they paid little attention to the new mode of procedure to obtain land, but merely went in search of some favorable location; settled thereon, and proceeded to make the necessary improvements. Their disregard of the new regulations to obtain land, brought them in collision with the agents of the proprietory government.

The kindly regard which Penn had for his early German colonists, was now succeeded by the indignation of the agents of the new proprietors. James Logan the Colonial Secretary, wrote in 1725 concerning the great influx of German emigrants, and their unscrupulousness about complying with the rules of the Land Office, in the following ill-tempered strain: “They come here in crowds, and as bold indigent strangers from Germany, where many of them have been soldiers. All these go on the best vacant lands, and seize upon them as common spoil.” Logan complained that they rarely approached him on their arrival for the purpose of purchasing land, and when their right to occupy it was challenged, they sought to justify their action, by stating that it had been published in Europe, that colonists were wanted, and that they had been solicited to come; and came in pursuance of those representations, without bringing with them the means with which to pay for any land.

The new proprietors who succeeded the benevolent and pacific Penn, were governed by wholly different motives, from those that controlled him. Instead of seeking the welfare of their fellow men, the first consideration with them was the promotion of their own personal interests. It may be said however to their credit, that they did not molest, or try to dispossess any of the newcomers, who had settled on land in violation of the regulations of the land office. More pacific counsels prevailed, and by skillful diplomacy on the part of the proprietors they succeeded after a few years, to get a settlement out of the newcomers for the land occupied by them, after they had accumulated enough money for that purpose.

The great tide of German immigration to Pennsylvania continued for many years. A few came near the close of the seventeenth century, but with the early years of the eighteenth it began in earnest, and continued for three quarters of a century. By the time of the Revolution their numerical strength, made them a powerful factor in determining Pennsylvania on the side of independence.

Authorities differ with regard to the number of Germans in Pennsylvania prior to the Revolution. The late Prof. Haldeman, in his “Pennsylvanisch Deitsch,” places their number in 1763 at 280,000. The natural increase for the next ten years without any increase by immigration,--which however still continued during that period,--would make their numbers in excess of 300,000 immediately prior to the Revolution. Against these figures we have the estimate of C. D. Ebeling, a German geographer who contributed the accounts of America, in “Busching’s Erdbeschreibung,” who makes their number in 1790 only 144,660. While the figures given by Prof. Haldeman may be too high, those by Ebeling are manifestly too low. It is quite likely that the true figures are somewhere between the two. The population of Pennsylvania in 1752 has been fixed at 190,000, of which 90,000 or nearly one-half were estimated to have been Germans. Adding to those the natural increase, and the number of Germans arriving during the succeeding 25 years, as gathered from the reports of masters of vessels, it would seem as if the statement was warranted, that the number of Germans in Pennsylvania immediately preceding the Revolution numbered not less than 200,000. Governor Thomas the proprietary Governor places them in 1747 at 120,000.

During the period of the largest emigration from the Palatinate, which was from about 1730, to 1750, a period of twenty years, the ships crossing the Atlantic, “plied between Rotterdam and Philadelphia with almost the regularity of a ferry.”

Rotterdam was the chief port from which the emigrants embarked, and the shipping and other resources, to transport the people across the Atlantic were overtaxed to such an extent, that those under whose direction the business was conducted, sought to discourage emigration by various expedients, among which was the circulation of the most horrible accounts about the hardships and sufferings of the emigrants on the voyage across the ocean. The following is a specimen of the distressing tales circulated to turn back the tide of Palatines, heading for the land of promise in Pennsylvania:

“We learn from New York that a ship from Rotterdam, going to Philadelphia, with one hundred and fifty Palatines on board wandered twenty weeks at sea. When they finally arrived at port they were nearly all dead. The rest were forced to subsist on rats and vermin, and were all sick and weak.”

Even this horrible tale of suffering at sea, had no effect to deter people from undertaking the voyage, so they continued to come as fast as ever. It may be stated that the foregoing tale was only a slight exaggeration of the real truth, of the hardships of an ocean voyage on an emigrant ship in those days.

Notwithstanding the apprehension felt at one time, about the danger of the large German immigration in Pennsylvania to British ascendency in the colony, Lieutenant Governor Thomas in 1738, when appealed to, regarding some restrictions against the continued large German immigration, opposed any such measure, and gave the following substantial reasons for refusing to give his sanction to any scheme looking to a restriction of immigration:

“This Province has been for some years the Asylum of the distressed
Protestants of the Palatinate, and other parts of Germany, and I
believe it may with truth be said, that the present flourishing
condition of it is in a great measure owing to the industry of those
People; and should any discouragement direct them from coming hither,
it may well be apprehended that the value of your Lands will fall,
and your advance to wealth be much slower.”

This appeal of the Governor, to the cupidity of the English members of the provincial council had the desired effect, and no further efforts were made to put any restriction on the immigration of German Palatines.

The German settlers occupied all the counties south and east of the Blue Mountain, except Chester and the lower end of Bucks; Delaware not being then organized. Philadelphia contained very many of them, and constituted an important element in commercial and political concerns. In later years they spread to the counties beyond the Blue Mountain, where their descendants still live.

The German Palatines were excellent judges of the soil. They came from a fertile region in their native land, the soil of which was in many respects similar to that of the limestone valleys of Pennsylvania. The chief occupation of the ancient Upper Rhine provinces was in those days, and still remains that of farming. In the valleys of the Rhine and Neckar, the cereals of oats, rye, wheat, etc., are still grown abundantly, while the hillsides are covered with vineyards.

When the Palatines came to Pennsylvania they instinctively seized on the fertile lands in the limestone valleys, leaving the less fertile, hilly, and mountainous regions to others that came after them. The lands settled upon by the Germans were heavily timbered, and it required severe toil to shape them into farms, but they preferred them to the more open and sparsely timbered lands, because the latter were less fertile, though susceptible to be made into farms at much less expense of labor, and of money.

The wisdom of the Germans in the selection of lands is seen at this day, in the magnificent farms occupied by their descendants everywhere in the fertile valleys of Southeastern Pennsylvania. It is not believed that there is a region of country anywhere on the globe of equal extent, that possesses greater agricultural wealth; such well-tilled fields; palatial farm houses; immense barns; picturesque and varied scenery, and a more contented pastoral life, as is the inheritance of the Pennsylvania German farmers.