In Search of Peace and Prosperity

Book excerpt: This volume brings together essays by leading German and American historians on the subject of German emigration in the eighteenth century when Germans were moving to a variety of destinations: Russia, Prussian Lithuania, and various other German territories as well as North America.What drove men and women from different regional and social backgrounds to leave their homes during this time? Some migrations were forced, as for the Mennonites, the Salzburger emigrants, and the French Huguenots; some were voluntary and determined by the wish for one's own land and greater social and economic opportunity. In all groups, religion was a prominent motivator and primary element of social identification and cohesion. Inevitably, migrants carried with them traditional skills and other indispensable cultural "baggage." A key strength of this book is that contributors emphasize the mutual exchanges that occurred among cultures.