The question has come up lately about Dutch vs Deutch. Dutch generally means people from the Netherlands/Holland. Deutsch refers to people from Germany. However, in the 18th century when some of our forefathers came over to America; most of the German people came on ships from Rotterdam, Netherlands. Therefore, they were referred to as Dutch. When they came to America, do you think the English differentiated the immigrants between Dutch or Deutch. Look at the "Immigrant Passenger Lists" into Philadelphia. It lists numbers from each area of Europe and the port the ship departed. As for the 17th century the following is quoted from the book, "History of the German Element in Virginia" by Herrman Schuricht, 1898: In June 1607 Captain Newport sailed for England, leaving the smallest of his ships behind him and soon the colonists began to experience a variety of calamities. They were, as has been already been stated, poorly fitted to struggle with life in the wilderness, neglecting to cultivate the soil and wasting their time in unsuccessful searches for gold. Among them, as stated in Capt. Smith's reports to the London Company, were only four carpenters and twelve laborers, andmost of them were "Dutchmen". "A list of the "first planters" gives the following probably anglicized names of the four carpenters: William Laxon, Edward Pising, Thomas Emry, Robert Small, and in 1609, Adam and Francis, two stout Dutchmen, are mentioned. No distinction was made between the appelations "Dutch" and "Deutsch or German". Germans and Hollanders came to England by way of the same Dutch harbors. However, Capt. John Smith, speaking of the natives of Holland in his "Description of New England," always calls them Hollanders and 'not Dutch'. From a recommendation to the Council of Virginia: "To send to Germany and Poland for laborers," it can safely by concluded, that those carpenters and laborers were Germans, and that they have built the first dwelling houses in Virginia. This conjecture appears the more plausible, as the other immigrants were not skilled to this work. Furthermore, Capt. Smith had travelled through Poland and Germany and knew the Germans as an industrious and reliable people. He also ordered three of his "German" carpenters as he distinctly calls them and as will be further related, to build a house for the Indian Chief Powhatan, and that he made great efforts to persuade them to return, when they preferred to remain with the natives." The above quote has a bibliography reference to: "The English Scholar's Library" pp. 94 & 130. Birmingham, 1884; and "Historical Collections of Virginia", by Henry Howe, p. 24. Charleston, S. C., 1819; "The English Scholar's Library," pp. 194, 195, 196, 197, 444, &c. Birmingham, 1884; and "The Three Travels," by Capt. John Smith. Vol. I, p. 20. Richmond, VA, 1819. This is one perspective in general , and I am sure there were occasions where it may have been different than this. Jim Albin Broyles, Schmidt, Rhinehart, Perl, Messerchmidt, etc.descendant