This is the story of the settlement of the prairie and plains of the United States of America by hundreds of thousands of Germans during the last half of the 19th century. More specifically, this is the story of our own ancestors, Prussian immigrants who settled in Minnesota and Wisconsin between 1853 and 1884. Common among their surnames are Arndt, Dahlke, Eyffer, Grimmelt, Happel, Matz, Ost, Potthoff, Rusch, Schatzke, Wanke, Warnke, and Weckwerth. Most left the villages of Buchwerder, Neuhofen, Putzighauland, Gembitzhauland, or Runau in the "county" of Czarnikau in the province of Posen. Most finally settled in the counties of Chippewa in Minnesota or Marquette in Wisconsin. They were aggressively recruited by sophisticated campaigns largely funded by U.S. railroads. They were enticed by offers of land, much of it free, made available by the Swamplands Act of 1850 and the Homestead Act of 1862. They left behind a rigid class system rent by economic, ethnic, ideological, political, and religious conflict . . . which is the history of Prussia. They brought with them cole slaw, hamburgers, kindergartens, and labor unions. Regarding the latter and taking liberties with the lyrics from the third verse of Ralph Chaplin's old union hymn, Solidarity Forever: "It is we who plowed the prairies; built the cities where they trade; dug the mines to find the iron, many acres of swamp we drained . . ." Fred and Sally Comer and their daughter Allison Ring are school teachers (political science, biology, and mathematics in that order). They represent the two most recent of at least four consecutive generations of school teachers in the family. This is their fourth book in a series of four, one for each of Allison's grandparents.

Four Hundred Years in America is the story of the first immigrant settlers in New Netherland, the seventeenth century Dutch colony in North America. It is the story of strangers in a strange land, individuals and families who struggled to make a clearing in the wilderness to build a home and make a life. They were the founders of the New York metropolis and the ancestors of millions of Americans. The author reconstructs the lives of selected ancestors from the documents they left behind, from contemporary writings, and the historical accounts of those who came after. The story that emerges is incomplete and fragmented, but it records the voices of our ancestors, reminding us of our immigrant heritage.

This work has been selected by scholars as being culturally important, and is part of the knowledge base of civilization as we know it. This work was reproduced from the original artifact, and remains as true to the original work as possible. Therefore, you will see the original copyright references, library stamps (as most of these works have been housed in our most important libraries around the world), and other notations in the work.This work is in the public domain in the United States of America, and possibly other nations. Within the United States, you may freely copy and distribute this work, as no entity (individual or corporate) has a copyright on the body of the work.As a reproduction of a historical artifact, this work may contain missing or blurred pages, poor pictures, errant marks, etc. Scholars believe, and we concur, that this work is important enough to be preserved, reproduced, and made generally available to the public. We appreciate your support of the preservation process, and thank you for being an important part of keeping this knowledge alive and relevant.

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This work has been selected by scholars as being culturally important, and is part of the knowledge base of civilization as we know it. This work was reproduced from the original artifact, and remains as true to the original work as possible. Therefore, you will see the original copyright references, library stamps (as most of these works have been housed in our most important libraries around the world), and other notations in the work. This work is in the public domain in the United States of America, and possibly other nations. Within the United States, you may freely copy and distribute this work, as no entity (individual or corporate) has a copyright on the body of the work. As a reproduction of a historical artifact, this work may contain missing or blurred pages, poor pictures, errant marks, etc. Scholars believe, and we concur, that this work is important enough to be preserved, reproduced, and made generally available to the public. We appreciate your support of the preservation process, and thank you for being an important part of keeping this knowledge alive and relevant.

This scarce antiquarian book is a facsimile reprint of the original. Due to its age, it may contain imperfections such as marks, notations, marginalia and flawed pages. Because we believe this work is culturally important, we have made it available as part of our commitment for protecting, preserving, and promoting the world's literature in affordable, high quality, modern editions that are true to the original work.

This book is a comprehensive genealogical record of prominent colonial-era American families. It provides a detailed account of their lineage, ancestry, achievements, and contributions to American society. The book serves as an essential resource for genealogists, historians, and anyone interested in learning more about early American history. This work has been selected by scholars as being culturally important, and is part of the knowledge base of civilization as we know it. This work is in the "public domain in the United States of America, and possibly other nations. Within the United States, you may freely copy and distribute this work, as no entity (individual or corporate) has a copyright on the body of the work. Scholars believe, and we concur, that this work is important enough to be preserved, reproduced, and made generally available to the public. We appreciate your support of the preservation process, and thank you for being an important part of keeping this knowledge alive and relevant.