Rapp in Harmony. Georg Rapp, leader of a Protestant group from Württemberg founded the utopian community of Harmony, Pennsylvania. They were called Rappists after him. They later purchased 30,000 acres of land in the state of Indiana to found a new settlement, New Harmony. They also founded Economy, 20 miles northwest of Pittsburgh.

Trees and bunnies. A specially decorated tree and a bunny that delivers eggs were traditions started in Germany. The Christmas tree was introduced to America by the Pennsylvania Dutch family named Hensel in Lancaster, Pennsylvania. It was carried down through folk traditions that had been introduced by German-born mercenaries in Canada. As early as 1781, the family of the Brunswick Major Riedesel decorated a German Christmas tree.

From colonies to bridges. Johann Roebling from Mühlhausen in Eastern Germany left the political situation in Germany and settled in Pennsylvania. He established Germania, a colony later named Saxonburg. He is best known for designing the Brooklyn Bridge.

Escaping the force. Over 1000 Old Lutherans settled in Buffalo, Milwaukee and St. Louis. They escaped to avoid the forced unification of the Lutheran and the Reformed churches in Prussia.

Christian Metz landed in New York City along with several companions with the intention to find a suitable home for 800 members of the Community of True Inspiration (CTI), a religious society. They fled to escape intolerance and religious persecution in Germany. They were German and Swiss craftspeople who became skilled textile makers. The journey across the Atlantic Ocean took forty days. They first established a communal home in Buffalo before moving to Iowa, which provided more farmland. They created the Amana Colonies - seven villages on 26,000 acres in the Iowa River Valley.

A good Friday in Texas. Prussian Prince Karl of Solms Braunfels founded New Braunfels, Texas, on Good Friday. He purchased over 8,000 acres of land on the Comal River near San Antonio. He negotiated with authorities to bring German immigrants, many of them artists and craftsmen. They brought industry and commerce to Texas, as well as religion. They organized public education and provided other socioeconomic benefits to the area.

Another prince in Texas. Fredericksburg was named after Prince Frederick of Prussia, an influential member of the Adelsverein. It was founded by a small group of settlers on a patch of land surveyed by Prince Karl of New Braunfels. Fredericksburg had an authenticity to it, with a layout similar to the German villages along the Rhine. The homes were typical German Fachwerkhäuser (half-timbered houses), built of upright timbers with the spaces between filled with rocks and then plastered or whitewashed.

The image of American politics. Thomas Nast, a cartoonist from the little town of Landau in the Palatinate area, came to the U.S. ready to draw. He's famous for the creation of the Democrat's donkey and the Republican's elephant. He also created Uncle Sam and the image of Santa Claus as we know it today.

Losing Lutheranism. To combat the liberalization of Lutheranism in America, the Missouri Synod of the Lutheran Church was founded by German immigrants. The protestant theologian and pastor Johann Konrad Wilhelm Löhe (1808-1872) is often considered a founder of the deaconess movement in Lutherism. He was also one of the founders of a Lutheran mission, whose missionaries were influential in the U.S. and in other countries. His missionaries founded the Missouri Synod in 1846 and were influential in the starting of Lutheran communities in the U.S., especially in the area of Frankenmuth, Michigan.

About one million Germans, nicknamed "48ers", escaped the harsh political situation during the Revolution. These new immigrants joined the others, already settled immigrants which increased the size of the German settlements. Many of these immigrants were well-educated intellectuals who contributed greatly to the culture of America. Architect and "48er" Adolf Cluss came from Heilbronn in Southwestern Germany. He settled near Washington, D.C., where he designed many public buildings, including schools, markets, government buildings, museums and residences. His most famous building was the Smithsonian Arts and Industries building on the National Mall.

Right or wrong. Revolutionist Carl Schurz was a committed German politician in the states. He was very active in the Revolutionary War and supported Abraham Lincoln during his election campaign. He also served as Senator of Missouri and later as President Rutherford B. Hayes' Secretary of the Interior. At one point in his career, he was appointed Ambassador to Spain. Schurz is famous for saying, "Our country right or wrong. When right, to be kept right; when wrong, to be put right." He is considered one of the most influential German-American politicians of his time. He even has a park named after him in New York City.

In your jeans. Loeb Strauss was born in the town of Buttenheim in 1829. His Jewish family changed his name to Levi when they arrived in San Francisco. He later invented the famous Levis blue jeans.

The first day of school. German immigrant Margaretha Meyer Schurz, wife of Carl Schurz, established the first kindergarten in the U.S. in Watertown, Wisconsin.

Cheers. Adolphus Busch left his home in the Rhineland area to settle in St. Louis, Missouri. Four years later, he married the daughter of a successful brewer named Lily Anheuser, resulting in the foundation of the Anheuser-Busch Brewing Association, which is still well known around the country.

War and opposition. The Civil War or "War between the States" took place in America. At this time, German-Americans were opposed to slavery and secession in a democratic country. About 2.5 million German-Americans joined the military and fought in the Civil War. Many of them joined to make a living or to gain U.S. citizenship.

Keeping it friendly. After its inception in 1871, the German Empire immediately took up diplomatic relations with the United States, establishing mutual missions, which were given the status of embassies in 1893. The German Empire remained interested in good relations with the United States.

Free to farm. Thousands of German farmers immigrated to the U.S. after losing privileges in Russia from the Czarist government. More than 100,000 of these so-called Volga and Black Sea Germans, the latter known for their wheat farming, lived in the United States by 1920. The greatest number resided in the Dakotas, Nebraska and Colorado. By 1990, the number had increased to an estimated one million descendants of these Russian Germans who lived in America.

Shipped over. The "new immigration" period brought many people from Germany and other parts of Europe to the U.S. to escape from a devastating economic situation. The rise of steamships and ocean liners made this possible. A record 250,000 Germans came to the states in 1882 alone. Most of them lived in the "German triangle," whose three points were Cincinnati, Milwaukee, and St. Louis and also in the area from Michigan to South Dakota and down to Nebraska. These areas were easily accessible by water by the Mississippi River, the Erie Canal and the Great Lakes.

Island of freedom. Ellis Island opened. About 5,000 immigrants came to the U.S. via Ellis Island.