German+-Northern+Europe+1840s-1860s

=German Americans = = __**﻿**__ = = __**Historical Background**__ = =**__Reasons for Immigration__**= =**__Effect on Immigration__**=
 * Many German Americans began immigrating to the Americas in the early 1800's because they wanted Religious freedom.
 * They also were tired of the many wars that Germany had participated in.
 * The last straw for many immigrants was the Napoleonic wars which took place in 1796-1815.
 * __By the Numbers__ **
 * In 1790 The U.S. census determined that there were 375,000 Germans in the U.S.
 * After the Napoleonic wars (around 1850) the number of Germans in the U.S. nearly tripled to 976,000 according to the United census.
 * In 1880 the peak of German immigration occurred. Almost 1.4 million Germans arrived in the U.S. The Germans that arrived were mostly industrial workers that were drawn to the newly industrialized United States.
 * Today around 51 million people that live in the United States are German American which makes up 17% of the population.
 * The Germans that immigrated to the U.S. were all very good candidates for Immigration if they lived in todays world where it is very hard to become a citizen. They were very few illiterate and many who came were skilled workers in their fields of work.
 * The Germans were also very diverse. In Religion the slight majority was Catholic and the Lutherans were the significant minority. Another large group was the German Jewish.
 * The Germans who immigrated were usually politically, socially and culturally important to the communities that they lived in. However after WW1 brought anti German feelings to the U.S. the immigrants became scarce in communities.
 * According to the Emergency Quota Act that was written in 1924 "no alien may be permitted entrance to the United States without an unexpired immigration visa issued by an American [|consular officer] abroad". This is essentially the system that we have today. If a person does not have a green card then they are not legally allowed to live in the United States. **




 * Some famous German Americans are Babe Ruth and Leonardo DiCaprio **