Ben Franklin's Dislike of Germans

[TheBlondeSalad]

Lol Ben Franklin was such a troll

[JohnSmith]

Not entirely true.

There were Polish immigrants in James town!

Poles in James town created the first factory in America, the first equal rights movement in America & the first bilingual schools in America!

http://www.pac1944.org/jamestown/roles-and-accomp.htm

Among major accomplishments of the first Poles was the building of a glass furnace, the first factory in America and the beginning of an industry. The goods produced in these factories became the first "made in America" goods to be exported to England. When the Mary and Margaret was ready to sail back to England, the Polish settlers sent back a full line of glassware samples they were prepared to turn out in commercial quantities as well as a cargo of pitch distilled from Virginia’s pine trees.

The colonists respected the Poles for their quality of work and other accomplishments. For instance, the Pole Lawrence (Wawrzyniec) Bohun was the first doctor in Jamestown colony. Moreover, the work done by the original group proved valuable enough to allow them to repay the Virginia Company for their passage to America, and this in turn allowed them to later become free citizens of the colony. Within a few years, there were fifty Poles living in Jamestown. Also important was the example these Poles set for the colonists. As the former President of the College of William and Mary Admiral Alvin Chandler stated in 1953, "It took the example of the Polish glassmakers to demonstrate to the colonists that the treasures of Virginia were in its soil, not in nuggets to be had for picking."

On June 30, 1619, when the Jamestown Legislative Assembly instituted a representative form of government, rules stated that only colonists of English descent would be given the right to vote. This denied Poles the right to governmental representation in a colony they helped to sustain and grow. As a result they organized what became the first labor strike in American history. Their slogan was "No vote. No work".

Facing angry and influential politicians in England, within a few weeks the Jamestown government bowed to the demands of Poles, granting them the same rights given to all workers within the colony. It is important to note that this event was not a strike against unfair employers or work place practices, but a battle for civil rights and inclusion in the political process. As Admiral Chandler stated: "…practically all of the profits realized by the London Company came from the resale of the products of the Polish industries. The Jamestown government quickly realized that if it sent empty ships back to England, the consequences could be very unpleasant". These Polish craftsmen used the economic power they had acquired through their labor to engineer an equal footing as citizens for themselves.

There may be some truth to that but Poles I think have a very limited presence in the early America. The French,Germans, Spaniards and Dutch had a much larger presence in early America. This is obvious with the naming of locations and towns. Very few are named after Poles. I am not even sure if an American of Polish decent even signed the Declaration of Independence. Also, there has been plenty of American presidents of German and Dutch, and French Heritage. I am not sure if any are of Polish Ancestry.

[Oneeye]

They are eastern germans who migrated to Russia during imperial times then migrated to USA.

Volga germans!

They may be beautiful looking but not smart.

Many Germans who came during the 1800s would of been "Volga Germans", (though mine came from Western Germany) but there already was a substantial number of Germans in colonial America, from southwestern Germany.


Now that I've read that the Volga Germans who immigrated here were more traditional (going by wikipedia...yeah, I know...) I'm curious if the German Americans I know whose families have done a better job keeping recipes and other such things are of Volga stock.

My West German ancestors were very Anglocized, with my great grandparents being the last to understand German.

[Atlantic Islander]

Anyone who was not English was considered swarthy.

Hence the terms that some Americans claim they've never heard of - Black Dutch, Black Irish, etc.

[JohnSmith]

Many Germans who came during the 1800s would of been "Volga Germans", (though mine came from Western Germany) but there already was a substantial number of Germans in colonial America, from southwestern Germany.


Now that I've read that the Volga Germans who immigrated here were more traditional (going by wikipedia...yeah, I know...) I'm curious if the German Americans I know whose families have done a better job keeping recipes and other such things are of Volga stock.

My West German ancestors were very Anglocized, with my great grandparents being the last to understand German.

The German Americans built the industrial Midwest and were an essential part of the USA becoming a super power and winning two world wars. My grandfather who was not German but he stated to me that in World War II when went to Germany he would see Germans trying to fix bombed out homes and buildings and he also said Germany was quite developed compared to France were he was also.

[SobieskisavedEurope]

They are eastern germans who migrated to Russia during imperial times then migrated to USA.

Volga germans!

They may be beautiful looking but not smart.

German Americans seem to be smarter than Germans in Germany as seen in the German American IQ of 105 vs the IQ of Germany of 102.

We can see this well in that German from Germany Chichic who thought that most Germans in America are Jews.

[SobieskisavedEurope]

Anyone who was not English was considered swarthy.

Hence the terms that some Americans claim they've never heard of - Black Dutch, Black Irish, etc.

The English had some retarded views.

They thought both Celtic & Germanic people were swarthy & non white.

Yet some how the English spawned up from Germanic + Celtic mixture as the only non swarthy white people.

[Septentrion]

I find it shocking what Ben Franklin said of German that immigrated to the USA.

He called them Stupid and Swarthy and too dumb to learn English.

Here is the article Below.

Germans make up the largest European Ancestry in the USA. The British Anglo's were especially harsh to the Irish,Germans, Italians and just about every other European that was not English in the USA.

http://www.dialoginternational.com/d...anklin-on.html

In the days of Franklin, being of the European race was not enough to be “white”. You had to be pale or very fair - skinned. So because the British tend to be pale - skinned. He referred to anyone as swarthy. From the fair - haired Swedish to the dark - haired Spanish. The English are one of the fairest - skinned people on earth anyway. However the Irish, Scottish and most Welsh would exceed them. The English only seem
lighter because they are the lightest - haired Britons and their skin is about just as pale as the other British.

[Septentrion]

The English had some retarded views.

They thought both Celtic & Germanic people were swarthy & non white.

Yet some how the English spawned up from Germanic + Celtic mixture as the only non swarthy white people.

I would not call it retarded. Benjamin that said what he saw. They ( Brits) were fairer than the other Europeans!