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AMERICA
Volga Germans started leaving Russia for America in the mid 1870s.
A key event which contributed to
this exodus occurred in January of
1874 when the military service bill became law, making 20 year old Volga Germans
subject to Russian military draft for the first time.
With the Russian interference in the German local government, the russification of
their schools and the growing unfriendliness of the atmosphere in Russia, coupled
with growing land shortages led to an increasing number of colonists in the 1880's
and 1890's interested in the Americas. As the economic situation in Russia worsened for
the Volga Germans, this became another influence to leave. Available land for farming
became scare in the Volga because of the population growth and the system
of land distribution. The economic situation became so dire in some colonies that
most could barely acquire the necessary food for survival. As the fear of a world war
grew among the Volga Germans, it too encouraged immigration.
What started as a trickle became a flood after the turn of the century.
From 1874 to 1914 the Volga Germans settled mainly in
America: Canada, South America (Argentina & Brazil) and the United States.
Volga Germans, having been isolated in
German villages within a foreign country continued a similar pattern of introverted
German communities. First they primarily settled among people of their own village, then
among other Volga Germans, next among other Germans.
Because of this clustering tendency, it makes researching our Volga German ancestors
in America easier.
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Volga Germans started arriving in Canada later in the 1890s, later than other countries.
Volga Germans settled in 3 provinces in Canada: Alberta, Manitoba and Saskatchewan.
Volga Germans settled primarily in 2 countries in South America: Argentina and Brazil.
Starting in 1876 these countries were settled primarily by Catholic Volga Germans.
While Brazil was the
first South American country to be settled by Volga Germans, Argentina ultimately contained
a vastly larger population of Volga Germans due in part to better farmlands.
Like South America, Volga Germans started arriving in the USA in the mid 1870s.
Early destinations were in the heartland of the country around Kansas
and later spread west to Washington, Oregon and California and East to
Wisconsin, Illinois, Michigan and Ohio.
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©2009 Patrice Miller
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