Hopeful Journeys: German Immigration, Settlement, and Political Culture in Colonial America, 1717-1775 (Early American Studies) [Paperback]

Aaron Spencer Fogleman (Author)

Book Description

ISBN-10: 0812215486 | ISBN-13: 978-0812215489 | Publication Date: February 1, 1996

In 1700, some 250,000 white and black inhabitants populated the thirteen American colonies, with the vast majority of whites either born in England or descended from English immigrants. By 1776, the non-Native American population had increased tenfold, and non-English Europeans and Africans dominated new immigration. Of all the European immigrant groups, the Germans may have been the largest.

Aaron Spencer Fogleman has written the first comprehensive history of this eighteenth-century German settlement of North America. Utilizing a vast body of published and archival sources, many of them never before made accessible outside of Germany, Fogleman emphasizes the importance of German immigration to colonial America, the European context of the Germans' emigration, and the importance of networks to their success in America

Editorial Reviews

Review

"A major contribution to our understanding of the re-peopling of America in the eighteenth century."—American Historical Review

"A book that is accessible to both layman and specialist alike."—Journal of American History

"The first comprehensive history of the settlement of Germans in the 1700s and how they influenced the economy, politics, and ways of life in the New World."—Pennsylvania

About the Author

Aaron Spencer Fogleman is Professor of History at Northern Illinois University. He is the author of Jesus Is Female: Moravians and Radical Religion in Early America, also published by the University of Pennsylvania Press.

Product Details

• Paperback: 272 pages
• Publisher: University of Pennsylvania Press (February 1, 1996)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0812215486
• ISBN-13: 978-0812215489
• Product Dimensions: 8.9 x 6 x 0.7 inches
• Shipping Weight: 12 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.3 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (3 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #398,411 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

37 of 38 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars A scholarly analysis of German immigration during the 1700's, December 13, 1998

By A Customer

This review is from: Hopeful Journeys: German Immigration, Settlement, and Political Culture in Colonial America, 1717-1775 (Early American Studies) (Paperback)

Aaron Fogleman presents new research to help in understanding some characteristics of the German migration to the new world during the 1700's. His language is somewhat stilted, or others might describe it as scholarly, somewhat like a graduate school thesis. But there is lots of good information between it's covers. One of the most interesting themes in the book is tracking the immigrants from one particular region located between Heidelberg and Heilbronn, along the Neckar River. This detailed information helps one to see exactly what was involved in the decision to go to the New World, in the trip getting there, and in beginning a new life in Pennsylvania. The author also treats the German political scene in colonial Pennsylvania.

The book is heavily foot-noted, with an extensive bibliography and index. A good source book for further studies of the Pennsylvania Dutch culture.

9 of 10 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Thought-provoking, May 5, 2008

By 

Edward G. Lengel "lighthorse68" (Charlottesville, VA USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Hopeful Journeys: German Immigration, Settlement, and Political Culture in Colonial America, 1717-1775 (Early American Studies) (Paperback)

This book is fascinating for anyone descended, as I am, from the German immigrants who entered the country in the first half of the eighteenth century. The author provides an intelligent, well-researched analysis of the reasons for emigration from the Palatinate (he focuses on a region just southeast of Heidelberg) and the means by which these men and women managed to survive in the New World--especially southeast Pennsylvania, but also North Carolina. Population pressure and struggles with the Palatinate princes were crucial in inducing emigration; and cultural cohesiveness and community identity helped the Germans to survive.

The writing is at times difficult--the author is addicted to split infinitives, for example--but this remains a useful introduction to the subject for anyone interested in American history or--especially--for those exploring their immigrant roots.

7 of 9 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars German Ancestry, August 22, 2009

By 

Cyndi Wilkins "Cyndi" (Colorado) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Hopeful Journeys: German Immigration, Settlement, and Political Culture in Colonial America, 1717-1775 (Early American Studies) (Paperback)

My ancestor is mentioned in this book. I have spent years researching him and could only trace him back to when he came to America. This book talks about his life in Germany. Now I know where I came from. Love it!