The Germans

 

Mother Bedford's German Heritage

  When histories are written about the colonization of the North American Continent during the 18th Century, the inevitable phrase that is used to describe the relationship between the provinces and the "motherland" is "England and her colonies". For the various provinces except Pennsylvania, and to a lesser extent, Georgia, the overwhelming majority of the residents were indeed English. But Pennsylvania had a very large percentage of residents who had emigrated from Germany. German residents in Bedford County, within the Province of Pennsylvania, amounted to roughly 32% of the total population.

Follow the links below to additional pages devoted to the history of Mother Bedford's Germans.

  Page 2: The Emergence Of The Germanic People

  Page 3: The Migration Into Other Lands

  Page 4: The Expanding World Of The Germanic Kingdoms

  Page 5: The Frankish Kingdom

  Page 6: The Rise Of The Carolingian Dynasty

  Page 7: The Rise And Fall Of The Holy Roman Empire

  Page 8: The Thirty Years War And Its Effect On Germany

  Page 9: The German And Swiss Emigration Of The Eighteenth Century

  Page 10: A Flood Of Palatines Pours Into The British Isles

  Page 11: The New Bern And Livingston Manor Settlements

  Page 12: The Schoharie Settlement

  Page 13: The Journey To The Island Of Pennsylvania

  Page 14: The Germans Homestead In Bedford County