Immigration to the United States

AHSGR, Work Paper No. 5, February 1971

(Excerpts)

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Immigration to the United States

On June 4, 1871 the government of Czar Alexander II issued a decree by which the German colonists lost all the privileges granted to them by Catherine II and Alexander I (MY NOTES: Why?). Even the name was taken away. They were no more "Coloniste" but settlers (in Russian "Paselyane"). They still were not made "Krestyane", as the Russian peasants were officially called, but in fact subjected to the "Semstwo", and made equal to the Russian peasantry. For them, this was a discrimination of their social standing. (29) They began to look for some other place for settlement. North and South America became the countries to which they emigrated.

"Among the many good reasons which motivated the immigration of the Russian-Germans to the United States, four are outstanding: 1- General unrest; 2- the wanderlust; 3- the Ukase of June 4, 1871 and; 4- land hunger coupled with land need." (30) Thus writes A. Schock, in his book: In quest of free land. This is all true, but the oral side of the problem also played an immense role.

NOTES:
(28) Ibid. Die heutigen Wohngebiete unde berufliche Aufgliederung der Deutschen in der Sowjetunion. Heimatbuch 1959. p. 3-15.
(29) Schmid, Edmund. Die deutschen Kolonien im Schwarzmeergebeit Sued Russlands p. 25-26.
(30) Schock, Adolph Pof. In quest of free land. p. 97.