And here are the updated texts about Germans and Russians:
Germany
Sources include German Immigrants, 1820-1920
by Helen Frost.
The first German immigrants arrived in America during
colonial times; some of these Germans sought religious freedom. So, by the 1860s and 1870s, many Germans had
been in the U.S. for some time. Many
arrived in the 1850s and having settled in the Midwest, in states like Wisconsin
and Ohio. By the late 1800s, German
communities in the United States were well-established.
Some Germans immigrated because increased
industrialization and the use of machines made their jobs unnecessary. Many rural Germans moved to cities in search
of employment. Unfortunately, German
cities quickly became overcrowded and the availability of jobs there also
declined, forcing some people to return to their rural homes or to emigrate.
Also affecting emigration from the German states was an
increase in taxes, which caused financial stress for many. Also, as population increased, land in Germany
became scarcer and thus more expensive. Fewer people were able to afford land,
forcing many of them to look abroad for land where it was more plentiful and
less expensive.
Additionally, in 1848, people in many European countries,
including Germany, rebelled against monarchical (king-led) governments. The
leaders of these revolutions wanted new, republican (more democratic,
people-led) forms of government to replace the existing monarchies. However,
the revolutions failed and resulted in even stricter regulations being placed
upon the people. To avoid authoritarian governments and their restrictions,
many people fled Europe.
Once they had enough money to purchase boat tickets,
Germans had to decide what to take with them to America. People packed warm clothes and blankets,
family Bibles, and teakettles. Some took
small envelopes of dirt to remind them of their homeland. People often carried maps showing German
settlements in America. The maps showed
American roads, railroads, canals, and rivers that would guide new immigrants
to the settlements.
People living in Germany shared a common culture. They ate food such as pretzels, sausages,
sauerkraut, and gingerbread. They told
their children fairy tales written by the Brothers Grimm, such as “Hansel and
Gretel” and “Cinderella.” Skilled German
craftsmen made furniture, cuckoo clocks, and silverware. German families sang “Stille Nacht” (Silent
Night) and “O Tannenbaum” (O Christmas Tree) at Christmastime. They brought traditional foods with them to
the U.S. Hamburgers and frankfurters
were first eaten in Germany. Easter egg
hunts and Christmas tree decoration were German customs too.
Russia
Russia is the largest country in the
world, stretching across the northern part of Europe and Asia. In much of Russia, the winters are long and
cold, while the summers are warm and short.
The growing season is just a few months long. Russians must grow enough food in a short time
to last them through the winter.
In the late 1800s, about 85 percent of Russians were
peasant farmers. They lived in small
houses with thatched roofs made of straw.
They made soup with potatoes and other vegetables. Rye bread and beet soup, called borscht, was
a common Russian meal. During the long
winter, animals stayed in houses with the people. People kept horses to work in the fields and
they raised cows for milk, but they seldom could afford to raise animals for
meat.
Russian peasants spent most of their time working in the
fields. After the fieldwork, Russians
enjoyed spending time with their families.
During long winter evenings, they played flutes and balalaikas,
three-stringed musical instruments. They
also enjoyed singing, dancing, and storytelling. Women embroidered by stitching colorful
designs onto clothing.
For hundreds of years, a series of powerful leaders
called tsars ruled Russia. Peasant
farmers did not own their own land.
Instead, they were “serfs,” working for wealthy landowners who did not
pay them for their work. The serfs had
to give a large share of the food they grew to their landowner. This system made it difficult for them to
feed their large families. Children
worked in the fields along with their parents.
Most children did not go to school and never learned to read. In 1861, the tsar freed all serfs, so they
could move and also had the right to own land.
But land was very expensive. Many
peasants accepted free plots of land, but the plots were very small. Many families ran out of food and supplies
before the winter season ended.
Between 1880 and 1920, more than 10,000 Russians arrived
in the U.S. per year. Between 1901 and
1910, 1.6 million Russians came to the United States. Russian Jews sought freedom from religious
persecution, moving to New York and other coastal cities. Pogroms were major, repeated riots that
targeted Jews in Russia. In the 1880s,
Jews were blamed for the assassination of the tsar. Many historians, however, believe that Jews
were blamed only because other Russians were jealous of Jewish success in
business and careers. Though only a few
deaths were reported, thousands of Jewish homes were destroyed, Jews were
forced into poverty, and thousands of people were injured.
Sources include Russian Immigrants 1860-1915 by Helen Frost
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