Why did germans immigrate to america?

The first German immigrants came to America to avoid the Thirty Years' war in Germany, which started in 1618 A.D. due to religious conflict between Protestants and Catholics. It is estimated that somewhere between 65,000 to 100,000 German-speakers emigrated into the United States during the colonial era. read more

The Germans had little choice — few other places besides the United States allowed German immigration. Unlike the Irish, many Germans had enough money to journey to the Midwest in search of farmland and work. The largest settlements of Germans were in New York City, Baltimore, Cincinnati, St. Louis and Milwaukee. With the vast numbers of German and Irish coming to America, hostility to them erupted. Part of the reason for the opposition was religious. read more

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. read more

This wave of immigration affected almost every city and almost every person in America. From 1820 to 1870, over seven and a half million immigrants came to the United States — more than the entire population of the country in 1810. read more