Why Germans Fled To America.

**SilverKnight** · 09-17-2022, 12:41 PM

**Adrianv2** · 09-17-2022, 12:54 PM

**Adrianv2** · 09-17-2022, 12:59 PM

Happy Octoberfest everyone!

**Celestia** · 09-17-2022, 01:19 PM

One thing that always stuck with me from History class was the Muhlenberg legend. His single vote prevented German from being the official language of America

lol. Texas has quite a bit of German towns though I’ve never met a native Texan who speaks fluent German.

**Adrianv2** · 09-17-2022, 01:24 PM

Originally Posted by Celestia

One thing that always stuck with me from History class was the Muhlenberg legend. His single vote prevented German from being the official language of America

lol. Texas has quite a bit of German towns though I’ve never met a native Texan who speaks fluent German.

Germans went to Texas in large numbers. Many stayed and many used it a staging stop then onward north and west. Tens of thousands went to Texas when it was still part of Mexico. Even Texas Hill country has a lot of German ancestry.

**Celestia** · 09-17-2022, 01:39 PM

Originally Posted by Adrianv2

Germans went to Texas in large numbers. Many stayed and many used it a staging stop then onward north and west. Tens of thousands went to Texas when it was still part of Mexico. Even Texas Hill country has a lot of German ancestry.

Yup. New Braunfels was established by Carl of Solms-Braunfels in 1845. Some of the architecture still reflects this. They also have a famous water park called “Schlitterbahn” and a festival called “Wurstfest” to celebrate sausage.. haha. It’s a cute area, definitely feels different from the rest of Texas.

**Ruggery** · 09-17-2022, 02:21 PM

Originally Posted by Celestia

One thing that always stuck with me from History class was the Muhlenberg legend. His single vote prevented German from being the official language of America

lol. Texas has quite a bit of German towns though I’ve never met a native Texan who speaks fluent German.

That decision would have caused a huge controversy since despite there were many German immigrants, the majority of the population was English-speaking, which would have caused even more tensions between the local Anglo population and the German immigrant population, basically there would have been a conflict similar to the one that existed in Anglo Canada and French Canada.

**SilverKnight** · 09-17-2022, 02:54 PM

German Americans are smart, not just because of their achievements over here, but also because they knew better that staying in the homeland wouldn't provide them with freedom and progress. Even till this day modern Germany is still the same in the sense of freedom (ex. Journalists getting arrested, their banking accounts closed or frozen, protestors as well arrested etc.), there's no real freedom there, it's all just gimmick.

They are an essential foundation of our nation.

**turbosat** · 09-17-2022, 03:12 PM

Originally Posted by Celestia

One thing that always stuck with me from History class was the Muhlenberg legend. His single vote prevented German from being the official language of America

lol. Texas has quite a bit of German towns though I’ve never met a native Texan who speaks fluent German.

There was no such vote to make German the official language.
Did German almost become America’s official language in 1795? | The National Constitution Center