I am not aware the founders voted to select an official language of the USA or had any questions about it. The 13 were English colonies, they ruled by English law and under English law; for many years they considered themselves loyal Englishmen, they tried to get the rights they felt they were due as English subjects of the Crown, rights that were guaranteed to English subjects in Britain; it was only when nothing worked and they were denied those rights, that they felt forced to declare their independence. But there was never any doubt, to them, that they were English. Nancy ------- I was never lost, but I was bewildered once for three days. --Daniel Boone On Jan 26, 2008, at 10:35 PM, Jean-Paul MARCHAL wrote: > > > Be careful that "Dutch" does not mean "German". The Dutch are > coming from Holland, a country also called The Netherlands, and > those people are not German ! > Now it's true that the city of New York was first named New > Amsterdam, whenit was founded by Dutch immigrants, Amsterdam being > a Dutch city. > But it's because there were a lot of immigrants coming from Germany > (not from The Netherlands) that the German language could have > become the language of the United States instead of English when > the new independent states along the Atlantic Coast voted to select > the official language of their country. > Jean-Paul Marchal > > >>

Besides the English, the second largest group of settlers in the 13 colonies were German or Swiss-German. "Dutch" is a corruption of Deutsche (German). The Pennsylvania "Dutch" and others continued to speak German and some of them up to the turn of the 19th century and the present time--- the Amish. Ed Surkosky ----- Original Message ----- From: "Sunshine49" <shengirl@verizon.net> To: "Jean-Paul MARCHAL" <jemarchal@wanadoo.fr>; <alsace-lorraine@rootsweb.com> Sent: Saturday, January 26, 2008 11:02 PM Subject: Re: [A-L] Newspapers, Literacy and Genealogical Research >I am not aware the founders voted to select an official language of > the USA or had any questions about it. The 13 were English colonies, > they ruled by English law and under English law; for many years they > considered themselves loyal Englishmen, they tried to get the rights > they felt they were due as English subjects of the Crown, rights that > were guaranteed to English subjects in Britain; it was only when > nothing worked and they were denied those rights, that they felt > forced to declare their independence. But there was never any doubt, > to them, that they were English. > > Nancy > > ------- > I was never lost, but I was bewildered once for three days. > > --Daniel Boone > > > > On Jan 26, 2008, at 10:35 PM, Jean-Paul MARCHAL wrote: > >> >> >> Be careful that "Dutch" does not mean "German". The Dutch are >> coming from Holland, a country also called The Netherlands, and >> those people are not German ! >> Now it's true that the city of New York was first named New >> Amsterdam, whenit was founded by Dutch immigrants, Amsterdam being >> a Dutch city. >> But it's because there were a lot of immigrants coming from Germany >> (not from The Netherlands) that the German language could have >> become the language of the United States instead of English when >> the new independent states along the Atlantic Coast voted to select >> the official language of their country. >> Jean-Paul Marchal >> >> >>> > -- > Resources for Alsace-Lorraine list members: > http://freepages.genealogy.rootsweb.com/~valorie/Alsace-Lorraine-L.htm > > > ------------------------------- > To unsubscribe from the list, please send an email to > ALSACE-LORRAINE-request@rootsweb.com with the word 'unsubscribe' without > the quotes in the subject and the body of the message

I meant "turn of the 20th century. Ed Surkosky ----- Original Message ----- From: "Edward T. Surkosky" <etsmred@wwainc.com> To: <alsace-lorraine@rootsweb.com> Sent: Sunday, January 27, 2008 1:28 AM Subject: Re: [A-L]Newspapers, Literacy and Genealogical Research > Besides the English, the second largest group of settlers in the 13 > colonies > were German or Swiss-German. "Dutch" is a corruption of Deutsche (German). > The Pennsylvania "Dutch" and others continued to speak German and some of > them up to the turn of the 19th century and the present time--- the Amish. > > Ed Surkosky >

Ed, I've looked around the 'net only briefly but did not come across any population numbers or percentage for German or Swiss-German settlers in the colonies in the 1770's. Have you seen any such numbers? Richard On Jan 27, 2008, at 1:28 AM, Edward T. Surkosky wrote: > Besides the English, the second largest group of settlers in the 13 > colonies > were German or Swiss-German. "Dutch" is a corruption of Deutsche > (German). > The Pennsylvania "Dutch" and others continued to speak German and > some of > them up to the turn of the 19th century and the present time--- the > Amish. > > Ed Surkosky > > ----- Original Message ----- > From: "Sunshine49" <shengirl@verizon.net> > To: "Jean-Paul MARCHAL" <jemarchal@wanadoo.fr>; > <alsace-lorraine@rootsweb.com> > Sent: Saturday, January 26, 2008 11:02 PM > Subject: Re: [A-L] Newspapers, Literacy and Genealogical Research > > >> I am not aware the founders voted to select an official language of >> the USA or had any questions about it. The 13 were English colonies, >> they ruled by English law and under English law; for many years they >> considered themselves loyal Englishmen, they tried to get the rights >> they felt they were due as English subjects of the Crown, rights that >> were guaranteed to English subjects in Britain; it was only when >> nothing worked and they were denied those rights, that they felt >> forced to declare their independence. But there was never any doubt, >> to them, that they were English. >> >> Nancy >> >> ------- >> I was never lost, but I was bewildered once for three days. >> >> --Daniel Boone >> >> >> >> On Jan 26, 2008, at 10:35 PM, Jean-Paul MARCHAL wrote: >> >>> >>> >>> Be careful that "Dutch" does not mean "German". The Dutch are >>> coming from Holland, a country also called The Netherlands, and >>> those people are not German ! >>> Now it's true that the city of New York was first named New >>> Amsterdam, whenit was founded by Dutch immigrants, Amsterdam being >>> a Dutch city. >>> But it's because there were a lot of immigrants coming from Germany >>> (not from The Netherlands) that the German language could have >>> become the language of the United States instead of English when >>> the new independent states along the Atlantic Coast voted to select >>> the official language of their country. >>> Jean-Paul Marchal >>> >>> >>>> >> -- >> Resources for Alsace-Lorraine list members: >> http://freepages.genealogy.rootsweb.com/~valorie/Alsace-Lorraine- >> L.htm >> >> >> ------------------------------- >> To unsubscribe from the list, please send an email to >> ALSACE-LORRAINE-request@rootsweb.com with the word 'unsubscribe' >> without >> the quotes in the subject and the body of the message > > > -- > Resources for Alsace-Lorraine list members: > http://freepages.genealogy.rootsweb.com/~valorie/Alsace-Lorraine-L.htm > > > ------------------------------- > To unsubscribe from the list, please send an email to ALSACE- > LORRAINE-request@rootsweb.com with the word 'unsubscribe' without > the quotes in the subject and the body of the message

I don't have any resources for the time of the colonies in the 1770's. I know that according to census records the second largest group of immigrants to the U.S. were the Germans and they bulk of them didn't arrive here after the surge in 1848. When one thinks of colonial America they think English, but the time of the Revolution it was Great Britain. Great Britain was the union of three different countries --- England, Scotland and Ireland (I believe Wales had been part of England long before the Union) --- ruled by the German Hannoverians. George I never spoke English. The English language and a common religion dominated 2/3's of the Union. Here and in Great Britain they were tolerant of some religious sects but not all. English was spoken everywhere but German and German newspapers were available, spoken and used in daily life and for religious purposes. Ed Surkosky ----- Original Message ----- From: "RAM" <mcadict@comcast.net> To: <alsace-lorraine@rootsweb.com> Sent: Sunday, January 27, 2008 11:49 AM Subject: Re: [A-L] Newspapers, Literacy and Genealogical Research > Ed, > > I've looked around the 'net only briefly but did not come across any > population numbers or percentage for German or Swiss-German settlers > in the colonies in the 1770's. Have you seen any such numbers? > > Richard >

Ed, The book at this link http://www.us-english.org/foundation/research/ amimmigr/Chapter5.PDF gives the following breakdown of the 1790 Census: "...the first U.S. Census in 1790. Estimates of the population’s ethnic origins indicated language diversity even at that time, when roughly half of the population was of English origin; nearly 19 percent was of African origin; 12 percent was Scottish or Scottish- Irish and Irish accounted for about 3 percent of the total. People of Dutch, French, and Spanish origin represented an aggregate 14 percent. The first U.S. Census largely ignored Native Americans. " Or was it a later time than 1790 to which you were referring when you wrote: "...according to census records the second largest group of immigrants to the U.S. were the Germans..." This source goes on to assert: "German was not able to hold its ground as a language of daily usage even in Pennsylvania, except within small Mennonite, Amish and other sectarian communities." Further on, this same source notes: "During both the War of Independence and the War of 1812, at times when anti-English feelings were running high, Americans of German descent comprised less than 9 percent of the total population of the United States. And even in Pennsylvania, where the Germans had settled most densely, they accounted for only a third of the entire population." I confused by the following sentence from you email: "...the second largest group of immigrants to the U.S. were the Germans and the bulk of them didn't arrive here after the surge in 1848." Did you mean: "...and the bulk of them didn't arrive here UNTIL after the surge in 1848." Or did you mean: "...the bulk of them didn't arrive here after the surge IN TOTAL IMMIGRATION in 1848." Or something all together different? Richard On Jan 28, 2008, at 12:01 AM, Edward T. Surkosky wrote: > I don't have any resources for the time of the colonies in the > 1770's. I > know that according to census records the second largest group of > immigrants > to the U.S. were the Germans and they bulk of them didn't arrive > here after > the surge in 1848. > > When one thinks of colonial America they think English, but the > time of the > Revolution it was Great Britain. Great Britain was the union of three > different countries --- England, Scotland and Ireland (I believe > Wales had > been part of England long before the Union) --- ruled by the German > Hannoverians. George I never spoke English. The English language and a > common religion dominated 2/3's of the Union. Here and in Great > Britain they > were tolerant of some religious sects but not all. English was spoken > everywhere but German and German newspapers were available, spoken > and used > in daily life and for religious purposes. > > Ed Surkosky > > ----- Original Message ----- > From: "RAM" <mcadict@comcast.net> > To: <alsace-lorraine@rootsweb.com> > Sent: Sunday, January 27, 2008 11:49 AM > Subject: Re: [A-L] Newspapers, Literacy and Genealogical Research > > >> Ed, >> >> I've looked around the 'net only briefly but did not come across any >> population numbers or percentage for German or Swiss-German settlers >> in the colonies in the 1770's. Have you seen any such numbers? >> >> Richard >> > > > -- > Resources for Alsace-Lorraine list members: > http://freepages.genealogy.rootsweb.com/~valorie/Alsace-Lorraine-L.htm > > > ------------------------------- > To unsubscribe from the list, please send an email to ALSACE- > LORRAINE-request@rootsweb.com with the word 'unsubscribe' without > the quotes in the subject and the body of the message