The German Culture and Health

Germans were the first non-English-speaking immigrant group who entered the United States and played very vital roles in the economic development of the United States. They were also part of the abolitionist movement and served in the United States military back in the 19^th century. Their contributions in the United States continued through the 20^th century. A large number of German immigrants relocated to the United States during the 19^th century. However, it is important to recognize that the arrival of Germans in the United States began as early as 1608. This is when they offered help to English settlers in the founding of Jamestown, Virginia. They also had a role in the creation of New Amsterdam by the Dutch. This later became New York City. By the 19^th century, German immigrants began to advance farther inland to other states such as Texas, Minnesota, Kansas, Wisconsin, Missouri, Illinois, Ohio, and Nebraska. The number of German immigrants in the United States has remained fairly constant. Between 1850 and 1970, German language happened to be the second most widely spoken language in the United States behind English. According to statistics from the 1990 United States census, about 58 million Americans claimed to have a sole German descent or were partly German. This demonstrates how the German heritage had persisted in the United States (Greenwood & Ward, 2015).