Dear Linda, You asked, "Can anyone recommend some websites on emigration from Wuerttemberg that might discuss the reasons why folks left for America around this timeframe or what life might have been like for them?" Here's how AwesomeGeanealogy.com answers your question in general: Conditions in Germany were spurring German citizens to find a better life; war's devastation, heavy taxation, the need for land, hunger, religious quarrels, and persecution all contributed to the massive migration to America. Encouragement came from William Penn, proprietor of Pennsylvania, who visited Germany's Rhineland in 1671 and again in 1677, expressly inviting German citizens to come to Pennsylvania. Among the first arrivals was a group of Mennonites who reached Philadelphia in 1683. The first mass migration brought German immigrants from the Palatinate to New York. On another page, they talk about the most common reasons for leaving. Illegitimacy was one. It prevented one from owning land, joining a guild or holding citizenship. You can view the migration waves 1607-1848 here. http://www.awesomegenealogy.com/german.shtml Hope this helps. Sue Jones