We just witnessed the inauguration of the 44th president of the United States. Mr. Obama is also the first black person to be elected to that position. It made me happy and proud to be an American.

There was much talk about President Lincoln and how the Civil War layed the foundation to free the black people from the tyranny of the white man.

       People have forgotten that most ordinary folks in Europe were treated like slaves as well, especially the farmers

This still went on through most of the 19th century.

In Germany the uprising in 1830 and the revolution in 1848 were crushed by the Prussian Army. Many of the revolutionaries were either killed imprisoned or exiled. Many of them came to the United States and had a huge impact on the American way of life.

     As so often in the past 20 years, I again wondered what roll the German immigrant played at that time.

I was pleasantly surprised to learn that the Germans in Philadelphia sent a letter to the Continental Congress as early as 1688 to object to the degrading practice of trading and holding human beings as slaves.

     I have sometimes asked myself why is it that I have never met a black person with a German last name.

Here is what I have found on the subject.

Maria Brand

Letter to the Continental Congress, 1688

Document, proving Protest against Slavery

Story about the Protest, It does a German Heart good.

Germantown, Pennsylvania, Pastorius

Karl Beck and Karl Follen, First German Scholars in USA, 1824

Charles Follen, His Life

Excerpt from an article by Frank Mehring on Charles Follen,

Gustave Koerner fought Napoleon and then against slavery

 Frances Lieber 1798 -1872 founder & editor of the Encyclopaedia

Americana

 Karl Schurz,The most prominent foreign-born American in

19th century

Turners as Lincoln's body guards, picture

Germans in the Civil War

Germans in the Civil War,

from: The American Bicentennia Scroll,

The Turner Movement, Who were the Turners?

American Turners, volunteers in the Civil War.

Newspaper Article, 1868, German

German Newspaper as Election Tool

Milwaukee Turners

Kansas City Turnverein

San Francisco Turnverein

 American Turners, 1830s, High achievers

 History of American Turners,

San Francisco Schuetzen protect the city

after Linconl was assassinated

Da waren Deutsche auch dabei, Poem, transl. great