An Atlas of German Migration and America

Family Roots Publishing carries a great collections of Atlases. One particularly interesting series are those produced by Carrie Eldridge. These unique map books show the migration and population spread of early colonists and their descendant from the colonial days through the California Gold Rush years. Each focuses on trail groups and assoiciated settlements. In one particular book, Eldridge focuses on a specific group of colonist, the Germans. An Atlas of German Migration and America shows not only the settlement and expansion of Germans in America, but also illustrates the lands from which they came, along with a bit of the history behind their migration.

Like all of Eldridge’s atlases, this book offers pages at 11″ x 17″, a size which is easy to read. With two columns per text page, each the size of a standard page, this book is the equivalent to a book twice as thick. Mixed with the maps are brief histories. These evaluations examine German history and the reasons so many Germans emigrated from their homeland with information on migration routes and settlement in America. The author states:

“Following German settlers across America is not difficult, but in order to locate your particular ancestor, a researcher must identify the settlers, learn where they came from, when they immigrated, how they left their homeland and perhaps why they decided to leave. It may also be necessary to learn a fair amount of German history. All of these pieces of knowledge may eventually help located your ancestors.”

This book is meant to get the research process well under way. With brief, easy-to-understand histories and clear maps, the reader’s knowledge needed for successful research is quickly expanded.

Eldridge’s other maps reviewed on this website include:

A. Introduction

B. The German Homeland in Europe

Locating the German Nation
History of the German Region
European Battleground
German Problems

C. German Origins and Destinations

4 Major Periods of German Migration
American Colonial Period
America of 1800
Leaving German Europe

D. America – Land of Opportunity

Nineteenth Century Migration
Land for Sale – The Northwest Territory
The Expanding American Frontier

E. Conclusion

Bibliography and Resources

Maps and Illustrations

Figure a – Modern Europe
Figure 1 – Physical Features of Europe
Figure 2 – Divisions of Germany 1871
Figure 3 – Germany of 1871 with Division of Modern Germany
Figure 4 – European Invasion
Figure 5 – The Reformation
Figure 6 – Extent of German States 1810-1815
Figure 7 – Europe during the Napoleonic Era
Figure 8 – Prussia’s Expansion 1648-1795
Figure 9 – Germany of 1871 with Division of Modern Germany #2
Figure 10 – Ethnic Makeup of Europe 1914
Figure 11 – Major Events in German History
Figure 12 – River Watersheds of Germany
Figure 13 – Major Ports of the German Migration Period
Figure 14 – Primary German Settlements
Figure 15 – Colonial America & Rhine River Valley
Figure 16 – Early German Settlements in Colonial America
Figure 17 – Colonial America Migration Routes
Figure 18 – 1795-1812 Routes to the West
Figure 19 – 1790-1812 Ohio Country
Figure 20 – Exit Ports of the Colonial Period
Figure 21 – Migration Inside Europe
Figure 22 – German Populations in America
Figure 23 – The Cotton Connection of the 1820s
Figure 24 – Bremen and the Tobacco Trade 1830s
Figure 25 – Transporting People – Hamburg’s Trade
Figure 26 – 1850 – Canals and Railroads of the Northwest
Figure 27 – Railroads 1870
Figure 28 – American Migration Routes and German Settlement