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72-437: Lansingburgh has had a predominantly working class Irish Neighborhood since the late 1880s. In the 12182 zip code 71% of residents are Non-Hispanic White , 17% Non Hispanic Black or African American , 9% Hispanic or Latino and 3% other. Top Ancestries reported in the zip code 12182 are 22% Irish , 13% African American , 8% Italian , 7% French , 6% Puerto Rican and 3% Trinidadian . The Median Household Income for this zip

144-514: A semantic shift , in which deutsch was no longer principally a linguistic and cultural term, but was increasingly used to describe all things related to Germany and its inhabitants. This development did not go unnoticed among the Pennsylvania Dutch who, in the 19th and early 20th century, referred to themselves as Deitsche , while calling newer German immigrants Deitschlenner lit. 'Germany-ans'. The Pennsylvania Dutch live primarily in

216-546: A 2.39% increase from 2020. Additionally, researchers found that the White fertility rate increased from 1.551 in 2020 to 1.598 in 2021, the first substantial rise since 2014. Although the exact reason of why the number of births rose in 2021 is unknown, a study showed that the uptick in births came among college-educated women and native-born Americans. Despite the increase, it is still below the replacement level of 2.100. According to an analysis released in 2023 by William H. Frey ,

288-550: A German entrepreneur and artist, had settled in upstate New York and in May 1794, he was able to obtain sixty-four acres in Markham Township, near the current city of Toronto . Berczy arrived with approximately one hundred and ninety German families from Pennsylvania and settled here. Others later moved to other locations in the general area, including a hamlet they founded, German Mills, Ontario , named for its grist mill; that community

360-508: A colony of aliens , who will shortly be so numerous as to Germanize us instead of us Anglifying them, and will never adopt our language or customs, any more than they can acquire our complexion. The Germans who immigrated to the United States saw themselves as related though distinct from later (post-1830) waves of German-speaking immigrants. The Pennsylvania Dutch referred to themselves as Deitsche and would refer to Germans who arrived after

432-487: A combination of traditional European ones. Today, the majority of White Americans are Protestants , although there are also large groups of Catholics and Jews throughout the population. Many Europeans often Anglicized their names and over time most Europeans adopted English as their primary language and intermarried with other white groups. Non-Hispanic Whites are the largest racial and ethnic group in America , being

504-660: A love of real freedom to the preserving and hence making of our country. In the town halls in Dutch cities liberty bells were hung, and from the "Liberty Bell" placed in Philadelphia by Pennsylvania Dutchmen, on July 4th 1776, freedom was proclaimed "throughout all the land and to all the inhabitants thereof." These Palatine Dutchmen gave us some of our bravest men in the war of the American Revolution, notably Nicholas Herkimer . Many Hessian prisoners, German mercenaries fighting for

576-674: A minority. Also, because this does not apply to Latino origin (one is either Latino or not, but cannot be both Latino and non-Latino), the offspring of Latinos and non-Latinos are usually counted as Latino. In 2017, the Pew Research Center reported that high intermarriage rates and declining Latin American immigration has led to 11% of US adults with Latino ancestry (5.0 million people) to no longer identify as Latino. First-generation immigrants from Latin America identify themselves as "Latino" at

648-543: A month. Although historically, White Christians made up the majority of the American population , the number of White Christians has now plateaued at about 44% of the country's population. Pennsylvania Dutch The Pennsylvania Dutch ( Pennsylvania German : Pennsylvanisch Deitsche ), also referred to as Pennsylvania Germans , are an ethnic group in Pennsylvania (U.S.), Ontario (Canada) and other regions of

720-573: A platoon of Pennsylvania Dutch soldiers on patrol in Germany was once spared from being machine-gunned by Nazi soldiers who listened to them approaching. The Germans heard them speaking Pennsylvania Dutch amongst each other and assumed that they were natives of the Palatinate. An early group, mainly from the Roxborough -Germantown area of Pennsylvania, emigrated to then colonial Nova Scotia in 1766 and founded

792-471: A senior fellow at the Brookings Institution, only 47 percent of American children are non-Hispanic white. In 2014, the religious majority among Whites were Christians at 70%, more specifically, Protestants at 48%. However, there are also large groups of Catholics and Jews. Furthermore, 34% of White Americans go to religious services weekly, and an additional 32% go to religious services once or twice

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864-725: A variety of Rhine Franconian , with the Palatine German dialects being most closely related. Geographically, Pennsylvania Dutch are largely found in the Pennsylvania Dutch Country and Ohio Amish Country . The main division among Pennsylvania Dutch is that between sectarians (those belonging to the Old Order Mennonite , Amish or related groups) and nonsectarians, sometimes colloquially referred to as ″Church Dutch″ or ″ Fancy Dutch ″. Notable Americans of Pennsylvania Dutch descent include Henry J. Heinz , founder of

936-492: A very high rate (97%), which slowly falls in each succeeding generation (in the second generation, to 92%; in the third, to 77%; and in the fourth, to 50%). 4. Attrition . Minority populations are younger than non-Latino Whites. The national median age in 2011 was 37.3 years, with non-Latino Whites having the oldest median age (42.3); by contrast, Latinos had the youngest median age (27.6). Non-Latino Blacks (32.9) and non-Latino Asians (35.9) also are younger than whites. In 2013,

1008-652: Is 31,321. 35.5% of the population is living below the poverty line. As of 2015, the Lansingburgh Central School District has an 87% graduation rate for the Senior High School. This is higher than most other local urban school districts. 65% of students in the district are economically disadvantaged. The district is 67% Non-Hispanic White, 17% Black, 10% Hispanic, 5% Multi-Racial and 1% Asian. Lansingburgh has its own school district as well as post office, but police, fire, and public works are part of

1080-703: Is corroborated with evidence, such as one of the oldest German newspapers in Pennsylvania being the High-Dutch Pennsylvania Journal in 1743. An alternative interpretation commonly found among laypeople and scholars alike is that the Dutch in Pennsylvania Dutch is an anglicization or "corruption" ( folk-etymological re-interpretation) of the Pennsylvania German autonym deitsch , which in

1152-650: Is more integrated into broader American society and is more likely to adopt modern conveniences and technologies. While they may still preserve some Pennsylvania Dutch traditions and language, English is predominantly used in daily life and religious practices. The Church Dutch exhibit a higher degree of assimilation into American culture, while still retaining elements of their Pennsylvania Dutch heritage. The primary differences between these groups lie in their religious practices, lifestyle, language use, and cultural integration. The Plain Dutch are more conservative and focused on maintaining their distinct cultural identity, whereas

1224-775: Is mostly spoken by Old Order Mennonites . From 1800 to the 1830s, some Mennonites in Upstate New York and Pennsylvania moved north to Canada, primarily to the area that would become Cambridge , Kitchener / Waterloo and St. Jacobs / Elmira in Waterloo County, Ontario, plus the Listowel area adjacent to the northwest. Settlement started in 1800 by Joseph Schoerg and Samuel Betzner Jr. (brothers-in-law), Mennonites, from Franklin County, Pennsylvania . Other settlers followed mostly from Pennsylvania typically by Conestoga wagons . Many of

1296-620: Is now called Thornhill, Ontario , in the township that is now part of York Region . In Canada , an 1851 census shows many Black people and Mennonites lived near each other in a number of places and exchanged labor; the Dutch would also hire Black laborers. There were also accounts of Black families providing childcare assistance for their Dutch neighbors. These Pennsylvania Dutch were usually Plain Dutch Mennonites or Fancy Dutch Lutherans. The Black-Mennonite relationship in Canada soon evolved to

1368-449: Is widely spoken among them, both in daily life and religious settings. The Plain Dutch adhere strictly to their religious and community norms, emphasizing a strong cultural and religious identity with minimal integration into mainstream American culture. The Church Dutch, in contrast, belong to more mainstream Protestant denominations such as Lutheran, Reformed, United Church of Christ, and some Methodist and Baptist congregations. This group

1440-416: The 1920s . Many of the newcomers were Catholics of Irish, Italian, and Polish descent which lead to a nativist backlash. Some Americans worried about the growing Catholic population and wanted to maintain the United States as an Anglo Saxon Protestant nation. Over the course of the 19th century, European mass emigration to the United States and high birthrates grew the white population. After

1512-614: The 27th Infantry Division broke through the Hindenburg Line in 1917. Before World War II, the Nazi Party sought to gain the loyalty of the German-American community, and established pro-Nazi German-American Bunden , emphasizing German-American immigrant ties to the "Fatherland". The Nazi propaganda effort failed in the Pennsylvania Dutch community, as the Pennsylvania Dutch felt no sense of loyalty to Germany. During World War II,

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1584-512: The Alsace–Lorraine region of France . The Pennsylvania Dutch are either monolingual English speakers or bilingual speakers of both English and the Pennsylvania Dutch language, which is also commonly referred to as Pennsylvania German. Linguistically it consists of a mix of German dialects which have been significantly influenced by English, primarily in terms of vocabulary. Based on dialect features, Pennsylvania Dutch can be classified as

1656-604: The Battle of Springfield . The Marechausee also provided security for Washington's headquarters during the Battle of Yorktown , acted as his security detail, and was one of the last units deactivated after the Revolutionary War. The Marechaussee Corps was often not well received by the Continental Army, due in part to their defined duties but also due to the fact that some members of the corps spoke little or no English. Six of

1728-716: The Delaware Valley and in the Pennsylvania Dutch Country, a large area that includes South Central Pennsylvania , in the area stretching in an arc from Bethlehem and Allentown in the Lehigh Valley westward through Reading , Lebanon , and Lancaster to York and Chambersburg . Smaller enclaves include Pennsylvania Dutch-speaking areas in New York , Delaware , Maryland , Ohio , West Virginia , North Carolina , Indiana , Illinois , Wisconsin , Virginia , and

1800-687: The Heinz food conglomerate, U.S. President Dwight D. Eisenhower , and the family of businessman Elon Musk . Differing explanations exist on why the Pennsylvania Dutch are referred to as Dutch , which typically refers to the inhabitants of the Netherlands or the Dutch language . Several authors and etymological publications consider the word Dutch in Pennsylvania Dutch , which in medieval times could also be used to refer to speakers of various German dialects, to be an archaism specific to 19th-century American English, particularly in its colloquial form. This

1872-591: The Township of Monckton , site of present-day Moncton, New Brunswick . The extensive Steeves clan descends from this group. After the American Revolution, John Graves Simcoe , lieutenant governor of Upper Canada, invited Americans, including Mennonites and German Baptist Brethren, to settle in British North American territory and offered tracts of land to immigrant groups. This resulted in communities of Pennsylvania Dutch speakers emigrating to Canada, many to

1944-620: The United States and Canada , most predominantly in the US Mid-Atlantic region. They largely originate from the Palatinate region of Germany , and settled in Pennsylvania during the 17th, 18th, and 19th centuries. While most were from the Palatinate region of Germany, a lesser number were from other German-speaking areas of Germany and Europe, including Baden-Württemberg , Hesse , Saxony , and Rhineland in Germany, Switzerland , and

2016-511: The United States census as "white" and not Hispanic . According to the United States Census Bureau yearly estimates, as of July 1, 2023, Non-Hispanic whites make up about 58.4% of the U.S. population . The United States Census Bureau defines white to include European Americans , Middle Eastern Americans , and North African Americans . Americans of European ancestry are divided into various ethnic groups. More than half of

2088-418: The majority of America's population at 58.4%. Although the percentage has been declining in the last few decades, from 89.5% in 1950 to 59.3% in 2022. According to generational data from the 2020 census, the racial diversity of each age group is increasing. White non-Hispanics make up 77% of the population over the age of 75, 67% of the population between the ages of 55 and 64, 55% of the population between

2160-527: The south and southwest , as many Americans of Isleño , Basque , or other colonial Spanish heritage do not necessarily identify as "Hispanic or Latino" on the census, or are interchangeable with the "non-Hispanic White" category, as they lack any ties to Latin America, or recent ties to Spain. Population growth since the early 19th century to the end of the 20th century is attributed to sustained high birth rates alongside relatively low death rates among settlers and natives alike. Population growth has slowed in

2232-577: The white population are German , Irish , English , Italian , French and Polish Americans. Many Americans are also the product of other European groups that migrated to parts of the US in the 19th and 20th centuries, as the bulk of immigrants from various countries in Northern, Central, Eastern, and Southeastern Europe, as well as the Caucasus region, migrated to the United States. The Non-Hispanic White population

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2304-457: The 1960s, 20% in the 1970s, 11% in the 1980s, 14% in the 1990s, and 13% in the 2000s. In 2009, approximately 90% of all immigrants came from non-European countries. The United States does receive a small number of non-Latino White immigrants, mainly from countries such as Canada, Poland, Russia, and the UK. 2. Intermarriage . The United States is seeing an unprecedented increase in intermarriage between

2376-465: The 2000 Census, people were allowed to check more than one race in addition to choosing "Latino". There was strong opposition to this from some civil rights activists who feared that this would reduce the size of various racial minorities. The government responded by counting those who are white and of one minority race or ethnicity as minorities for the purposes of civil-rights monitoring and enforcement. Hence one could be 1/8th Black and still be counted as

2448-611: The 21st century. There has also been periodic massive immigration from European and West Asian countries, especially Germany , Ireland , Italy , Greece , the Netherlands , France , as well as Poland , Russia , Lithuania , Norway , Sweden , Finland , the Czech Republic , the countries that were a part of the former Ottoman Empire ( Turkey , Lebanon , and Syria ), Portugal , Serbia , Croatia , Hungary , Ukraine , Armenia , and Iran . Significant migration of Jews of European, North African, and Middle Eastern descent into

2520-601: The American Revolution, white Americans settled the entire nation west of Appalachian Mountains, ultimately displacing the Natives and populating the entire country by the late 19th century. All immigration to the United States declined markedly between the mid-1920s until the 1960s due to a combination of immigration laws, the Great Depression , and World War II . Waves of Jewish, Syrian, and Lebanese immigration also occurred around this time. Since 1965 white migration to

2592-616: The American colonies. The availability of fertile land was a significant draw for the immigrants, who were mainly farmers and craftsmen, for whom the chance to own and cultivate their own farms was highly appealing. Positive reports from early settlers as well as active recruitment by William Penn encouraged friends and family to join them, fostering tightly knit communities. About three fourths of all Germans in Pennsylvania were subject to several years of indentured servitude contracts. These indentured servants, known as redemptioners , were made to work on plantations or perform other work to pay off

2664-479: The British, were held in camps at the interior city of Lancaster, home to a large German community known as the Pennsylvania Dutch. Hessian prisoners were subsequently treated well, with some volunteering for extra work assignments, helping to replace local men serving in the Continental Army. Due to shared German heritage and abundance of land, many Hessian soldiers stayed and settled in the Pennsylvania Dutch Country after

2736-578: The Canadian province of Ontario . The Pennsylvania Dutch, primarily German-speaking immigrants from Germany (particularly the Palatinate region ), Switzerland, and Alsace, moved to the USA seeking better opportunities and a safer, more tolerant environment. Many, including Amish and Mennonites, faced religious persecution in Europe. Pennsylvania, established by William Penn as a haven for religious minorities, promised

2808-466: The Census Bureau reported that for the first time, due to the more advanced age profile of the non-Latino White population, non-Latino Whites died at a faster rate than non-Latino White births. In 2011, for the first time in American history , Non-Hispanic Whites accounted for fewer than half of the births in the country, accounting for 49.6% of total births. This increased to 51.5% in 2021, regaining

2880-630: The Church Dutch are more assimilated and open to modern influences. In time the Fancy Dutch came to control much of the best agricultural lands, ran many newspapers and maintained their German-inspired architecture when founding new towns in Pennsylvania. There is little evidence specifically of Black Pennsylvania Dutch speakers during the early 19th century; following the Civil War, some Black Southerners who had moved to Pennsylvania developed close ties with

2952-648: The City of Troy. Herman Melville lived in what is now known as the Herman Melville House from 1838 to 1847. It currently serves as headquarters of the Lansingburgh Historical Society. It was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1992. The Powers Home , built in 1846, was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1974. The Lansingburgh Academy was listed on

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3024-699: The Civil War, the federal government took steps to replace Pennsylvania German schools with English-only schools. The Pennsylvania Dutch fought to retain German as an official language in Pennsylvania to little success. Literary German disappeared from Pennsylvania Dutch life little by little, starting with schools, and then to churches and newspapers. Pennsylvania Dutch became mainly a spoken language, and as education came to only be provided in English, many Pennsylvania Dutch became bilingual. The next blow to Pennsylvania Dutch came during World War I and World War II. Prior to

3096-476: The Mennonites in the same area. Pennsylvania Dutch English retains some German grammar and literally translated vocabulary, some phrases include "outen or out'n the lights" (German: die Lichter loeschen ) meaning "turn off the lights", "it's gonna make wet" (German: es wird nass ) meaning "it's going to rain", and "it's all" (German: es ist alle ) meaning "it's all gone". They also sometimes leave out

3168-698: The National Register of Historic Places in 1976. The Trinity Church was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1995. The Lansingburgh Village Burial Ground was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 2002. The Haskell School was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 2002. The Jacob H. Patten House was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 2016. 42°47′N 73°40′W  /  42.783°N 73.667°W  / 42.783; -73.667 Non-Hispanic White Non-Hispanic Whites or Non-Latino Whites are White Americans classified by

3240-664: The Pennsylvania Colony. Below is a quotation of Benjamin Franklin 's complaints about the Palatine refugees in his work Observations Concerning the Increase of Mankind (1751) : Why should the Palatine boors be suffered to swarm into our settlements, and by herding together establish their language and manners to the exclusion of ours? Why should Pennsylvania, founded by the English, become

3312-579: The Pennsylvania Dutch community, adopting the language and assimilating into the culture. An 1892 article in The New York Sun noted a community of "Pennsylvania German Negroes" in Lebanon County for whom German was their first language. Today Pennsylvania Dutch culture is still prevalent in some parts of Pennsylvania. The Pennsylvania Dutch speak English, with some being bilingual in English and Pennsylvania Dutch. They share cultural similarities with

3384-458: The Pennsylvania German language refers to the Pennsylvania Dutch or Germans in general. However, some authors have described this hypothesis as a misconception. The migration of the Pennsylvania Dutch to the United States predates the emergence of a distinct German national identity, which did not form until the late 18th century. The formation of the German Empire in 1871 resulted in

3456-647: The United States has been relatively minor compared to other racial and ethnic groups. During the 1990s there was a moderate increase from former communist countries of the Eastern Bloc and the Soviet Union . At the same time birthrates amongst Whites have fallen below replacement level. In 1980, non-Hispanic whites made up about 80 percent of the U.S. population, but that number has declined sharply in recent years. White Americans have developed their own music, art, cuisine, fashion, and political economy largely based on

3528-543: The United States is also notable. The classification is also typically used to refer to an English -speaking American, in distinction to Spanish speakers . In some parts of the country, the term Anglo-American is used to refer to non-Hispanic white English speakers as distinct from Spanish (and Portuguese or Italian) speakers, although the term is more frequently used to refer to people of perceived British or English descent. The first Europeans who came to present United States or Canada were Norse explorers around

3600-542: The ages of 35 and 44, and just 50% of the population between the ages of 18 and 24. In actuality, Non-Hispanic whites have still been growing. Between 2000 and 2010, the Non-Hispanic White population grew from 194,552,774 to 196,817,552. This was a growth of 1.2% over the 10-year period, due to population momentum . The population continued to grow to 196,817,552 in 2010 to 197,639,521 in 2022. The reason for falling percentage of non-Latino/Hispanic white Americans in

3672-673: The area called the German Company Tract, a subset of land within the Haldimand Tract , in the Township of Waterloo, which later became Waterloo County, Ontario . Some still live in the area around Markham, Ontario , and particularly in the northern areas of the current Waterloo Region . Some members of the two communities formed the Markham-Waterloo Mennonite Conference . Today, the Pennsylvania Dutch language

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3744-444: The coastal regions developing a commercial economy. Between one-half and two-thirds of White immigrants to the American colonies between the 1630s and American Revolution had come as indentured servants . The total number of European immigrants to all 13 colonies before 1775 was about 500,000; of these 55,000 were involuntary prisoners. Of the 450,000 or so European arrivals who came voluntarily, an estimated 48% were indentured. By

3816-426: The conflict with Britain. Frederick Muhlenberg (1750–1801), a Lutheran pastor, became a major patriot and politician, rising to be elected as Speaker of the U.S. House of Representatives. The Pennsylvania Dutch contribution to the war effort was notable: In the marked influence for right and freedom of these early Hollanders and Palatines , in their brave defense of home, did such valiant service in promoting

3888-480: The costs of the sponsor or shipping company which had advanced the cost of their transatlantic voyage. In 1764, the German Society of Pennsylvania was founded to protect the German redemptioners. The bulk of German migration to the American colonies began in 1683 but concentrated on the first half of the 18th century. Overall, the historian Marianne Wokeck estimates that just under 81,000 German-speakers entered

3960-472: The habit of labeling anyone who did not speak Pennsylvania Dutch "English.") Many of the Pennsylvania Dutch soldiers who fought in the Civil War were recruited and trained at Camp Curtin , Pennsylvania. Pennsylvania Dutch regiments composed a large portion of the Federal Forces who fought in the Battle of Gettysburg at Gettysburg, Pennsylvania , the bloodiest battle of the Civil War. Immediately after

4032-427: The instructions of his father: "Don't ever call yourself "Dutch" or "Pennsylvania German." You're just American." Many Pennsylvania Dutch have chosen to assimilate into Anglo-American culture, except for a significant number of Amish and Mennonite plain people who chose to remain insular, which has added to the modern misconception that "Pennsylvania Dutch" is synonymous with "Amish." Palatine Dutch of New York in

4104-450: The last century is due to multiple factors: 1. Non-European Immigration . The United States has the largest number of immigrants in the world, with the vast majority coming from countries where the population is of non-White and/or Latin American origin. Immigration to the United States from European countries has been in a steady decline since World War II averaging 56% of all immigrants in the 1950s and declining to 35% of all immigrants in

4176-763: The level of church membership. Pennsylvania Dutch society can be divided into two main groups: the sectarian "Plain Dutch" and the nonsectarian "Church Dutch" also known as "Fancy Dutch". These classifications highlight differences in religious practices, lifestyle, and degrees of assimilation into broader American society. The Plain Dutch consist of Anabaptist sects, including the Amish, Mennonites, and Brethren. They are known for their conservative, simple lifestyle, characterized by plain dress and limited use of modern technology. These communities typically reside in rural areas, maintaining traditional farming practices and close-knit communal living. Pennsylvania Dutch (a dialect of German)

4248-448: The majority in the process. This is likely due to the birth rate declining among people of color. For example, between 1990 and 2010, the birth rate declined 29% among Blacks, 25 percent among Asians, 21% among Hispanics, but only 5% among White people. If this trend continues the White birth rate will surpass the Black birth rate in a few years. A total of 1,887,656 babies were born in 2021,

4320-510: The majority of whom were Fancy Dutch. Some regiments like the 153rd Pennsylvania Volunteer Infantry were entirely composed of Pennsylvania Dutch soldiers. The 47th Pennsylvania Infantry Regiment also had a high percentage of German immigrants and Pennsylvania-born men of German heritage on its rosters; the regiment's K Company was formed with the intent of it being an "all-German company." Pennsylvania Dutch companies sometimes mixed with English-speaking companies. (The Pennsylvania Dutch had

4392-580: The period of almost non-existent emigration between 1760 and 1830 from the German lands as Deitschlenner , literally "Germany-ers", compare German : Deutschländer . The Pennsylvania Dutch composed nearly half of the population of the Province of Pennsylvania . The Fancy Dutch population generally supported the Patriot cause in the American Revolution ; the nonviolent Plain Dutch minority did not fight in

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4464-768: The pioneers arriving from Pennsylvania after November 1803 bought land in a sixty thousand-acre section established by a group of Mennonites from Lancaster County Pennsylvania, called the German Company Lands. Fewer of the Pennsylvania Dutch settled in what would later become the Greater Toronto Area in areas that would later be the towns of Altona, Ontario , Pickering, Ontario , and especially Markham Village, Ontario , and Stouffville, Ontario . Peter Reesor and brother-in-law Abraham Stouffer were higher profile settlers in Markham and Stouffville. William Berczy ,

4536-443: The port of Philadelphia between 1683 and 1775, with two thirds of the immigrants arriving before 1755 of whom the majority (ca. 35,000) arrived in the five-year period between 1749 and 1754. In 1790, ethnic Germans comprised 38% of the population of Pennsylvania, or approximately 165,000 people. Of these, over half resided in the counties of Berks, Lancaster, Northampton and York. Anglo-Americans held much anti-Palatine sentiment in

4608-441: The provosts had even been Hessian prisoners of war prior to their recruitment. Because the provost corps completed many of the same functions as the modern U.S. Military Police Corps , it is considered a predecessor of the current United States Military Police Regiment. Nearly all of the regiments from Pennsylvania that fought in the American Civil War had German-speaking or Pennsylvania Dutch-speaking members on their rosters,

4680-404: The religious freedom they sought. Economic hardship, marked by war, famine, and limited land access in 17th and 18th century Germany, pushed many to seek a better life in the New World, which offered abundant land and resources. Europe's, and especially Germany's, political instability, with frequent wars like the devastating Thirty Years' War , contrasted with the relatively stable environment of

4752-411: The time of American Revolution there were about 2.5 million Whites in the colonies. The white population was largely of English, Irish, Scotch-Irish, Scottish, German, Dutch and French Huguenot descent at the time. Between the revolution and the 1820s there was relatively little immigration to the United States. Starting after the 1820s large scale migration to the United States began and lasted until

4824-741: The various racial and ethnic groups. In 2008, a record 14.6% of all new marriages in the United States were between spouses of a different race or ethnicity from one another. 9% of non-Latino whites who married in 2008 married either a non-White or Latino. Among all newlyweds in 2008, intermarried pairings were primarily white-Latino of any race (41%) as compared to white-Asian (15%), white-black (11%), and other combinations (33%). Other combinations consists of pairings between different minority groups, multi-racial people, and Native Indigenous Americans. The children of such unions would not automatically be classified as white non-Latino. One self-identifies his or her racial and/or ethnic category. 3. Methodology . In

4896-443: The war's end. Pennsylvania Dutch were recruited for the American Provost corps under Captain Bartholomew von Heer, a Prussian who had served in a similar unit in Europe before immigrating to Reading, Pennsylvania , prior to the war. During the Revolutionary War the Marechaussee Corps were utilized in a variety of ways, including intelligence gathering, route security, enemy prisoner of war operations, and even combat during

4968-420: The war. Heinrich Miller of the Holy Roman Principality of Waldeck (1702–1782), was a journalist and printer based in Philadelphia, and published an early German translation of the Declaration of Independence (1776) in his newspaper Philadelphische Staatsbote . Miller, having Swiss ancestry, often wrote about Swiss history and myth, such as the William Tell legend, to provide a context for patriot support in

5040-404: The wars, Pennsylvania Dutch was an urban language spoken openly in the streets of towns such as Allentown, Reading, Lancaster and York; afterwards, it became relegated only to rural areas. There was rampant social & employment discrimination for anyone suspected of being German. Meritt G. Yorgey, a Pennsylvania Dutch descendant who grew up during the height of anti-German sentiment, remembers

5112-407: The year 1000; however, they were ultimately absorbed or killed off, leaving no permanent settlements behind. In the 1500s, Spain founded several settlements in the contiguous United States, like San Agustín . Later, Pilgrims and colonists came in the 1600s along the East Coast , mainly from England, in search of economic opportunities and religious freedom. Over time emigrants from Europe settled

5184-531: Was heavily derived from British , as well as French settlement of the Americas, in addition to settlement by other Europeans such as the Germans (see Pennsylvania Dutch ), Swiss , Belgians , Dutch , Austrians , and Swedes that began in the 17th century (see History of the United States ). The early Spanish presence in the country contributed a certain degree of that ancestry to the white population in parts of

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