Swiss Americans are
Americans
Americans are the Citizenship of the United States, citizens and United States nationality law, nationals of the United States, United States of America.; ; Although direct citizens and nationals make up the majority of Americans, many Multi ...
of
Swiss
Swiss may refer to:
* the adjectival form of Switzerland
* Swiss people
Places
* Swiss, Missouri
* Swiss, North Carolina
*Swiss, West Virginia
* Swiss, Wisconsin
Other uses
*Swiss-system tournament, in various games and sports
*Swiss Internation ...
descent.
Swiss emigration to America predates the formation of the United States, notably in connection with the persecution of
Anabaptism
Anabaptism (from Neo-Latin , from the Greek : 're-' and 'baptism', german: Täufer, earlier also )Since the middle of the 20th century, the German-speaking world no longer uses the term (translation: "Re-baptizers"), considering it biased. ...
during the
Swiss Reformation
The Protestant Reformation in Switzerland was promoted initially by Huldrych Zwingli, who gained the support of the magistrate, Mark Reust, and the population of Zürich in the 1520s. It led to significant changes in civil life and state matte ...
and the formation of the
Amish
The Amish (; pdc, Amisch; german: link=no, Amische), formally the Old Order Amish, are a group of traditionalist Anabaptist Christian church fellowships with Swiss German and Alsatian origins. They are closely related to Mennonite churches ...
community.
In the 19th century, there was substantial immigration of Swiss farmers, who preferred rural settlements in the
Midwest
The Midwestern United States, also referred to as the Midwest or the American Midwest, is one of four Census Bureau Region, census regions of the United States Census Bureau (also known as "Region 2"). It occupies the northern central part of ...
.
Swiss immigration diminished after 1930, although limited immigration continues.
The number of Americans of Swiss descent is nearly one million. The Swiss
Federal Department of Foreign Affairs
The Federal Department of Foreign Affairs (FDFA, german: Eidgenössisches Departement für auswärtige Angelegenheiten, french: Département fédéral des affaires étrangères, it, Dipartimento federale degli affari esteri, rm, ), so name ...
reported the permanent residency of Swiss nationals in the United States as 80,218 in 2015. According to the U.S. Census Bureau, 26,896 individuals born in Switzerland declared that they were of Swiss ancestry in 2015. According to the U.S. Census Bureau, 3,047 individuals born in Switzerland declared that they were of German ancestry in 2015. According to the U.S. Census Bureau, 1,255 individuals born in Switzerland declared that they were of French ancestry in 2015. According to the U.S. Census Bureau, 2,555 individuals born in Switzerland declared that they were of Italian ancestry in 2015.
History
![Swiss diaspora in the USA 1890](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/6/62/Swiss_diaspora_in_the_USA_1890.jpg)
The first Swiss person in what is now the territory of the United States was
Theobald (Diebold) von Erlach (1541–1565).
The history of the
Amish
The Amish (; pdc, Amisch; german: link=no, Amische), formally the Old Order Amish, are a group of traditionalist Anabaptist Christian church fellowships with Swiss German and Alsatian origins. They are closely related to Mennonite churches ...
church began with a
schism
A schism ( , , or, less commonly, ) is a division between people, usually belonging to an organization, movement, or religious denomination. The word is most frequently applied to a split in what had previously been a single religious body, suc ...
in Switzerland within a group of Swiss and
Alsatian Anabaptist
Anabaptism (from New Latin language, Neo-Latin , from the Greek language, Greek : 're-' and 'baptism', german: Täufer, earlier also )Since the middle of the 20th century, the German-speaking world no longer uses the term (translation: "Re- ...
s in 1693 led by
Jakob Ammann
Jakob Ammann (also Jacob Amman, Amann; 12 February 1644 – between 1712 and 1730) was an Anabaptist leader and namesake of the Amish religious movement.
Personal life
The full facts about the personal life of Jacob Ammann are incomplete ...
, a native of
Erlenbach im Simmental
Erlenbach im Simmental is a Municipalities of Switzerland, municipality in the district of Niedersimmental (district), Niedersimmental in the Cantons of Switzerland, canton of Bern (canton), Bern in Switzerland.
History
Erlenbach im Simmental ...
.
During the late 18th and early 19th centuries, a flow of Swiss farmers formed colonies, particularly in
Russia
Russia (, , ), or the Russian Federation, is a List of transcontinental countries, transcontinental country spanning Eastern Europe and North Asia, Northern Asia. It is the List of countries and dependencies by area, largest country in the ...
and the United States.
Before the year 1820 some estimated 25,000 to 30,000 Swiss entered
British North America
British North America comprised the colonial territories of the British Empire in North America from 1783 onwards. English overseas possessions, English colonisation of North America began in the 16th century in Newfoundland (island), Newfound ...
. Most of them settled in regions of today's
Pennsylvania
Pennsylvania (; ( Pennsylvania Dutch: )), officially the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, is a state spanning the Mid-Atlantic, Northeastern, Appalachian, and Great Lakes regions of the United States. It borders Delaware to its southeast, ...
as well as
North
North is one of the four compass points or cardinal directions. It is the opposite of south and is perpendicular to east and west. ''North'' is a noun, adjective, or adverb indicating Direction (geometry), direction or geography.
Etymology
T ...
and
South Carolina
)''Animis opibusque parati'' ( for, , Latin, Prepared in mind and resources, links=no)
, anthem = " Carolina";" South Carolina On My Mind"
, Former = Province of South Carolina
, seat = Columbia
, LargestCity = Charleston
, LargestMetro = ...
. In the next years until 1860 about as many Swiss arrived, making their homes mainly in the Midwestern states such as
Ohio
Ohio () is a state in the Midwestern region of the United States. Of the fifty U.S. states, it is the 34th-largest by area, and with a population of nearly 11.8 million, is the seventh-most populous and tenth-most densely populated. The sta ...
,
Indiana
Indiana () is a U.S. state in the Midwestern United States. It is the 38th-largest by area and the 17th-most populous of the 50 States. Its capital and largest city is Indianapolis. Indiana was admitted to the United States as the 19th s ...
,
Illinois
Illinois ( ) is a U.S. state, state in the Midwestern United States, Midwestern United States. Its largest metropolitan areas include the Chicago metropolitan area, and the Metro East section, of Greater St. Louis. Other smaller metropolita ...
and
Wisconsin
Wisconsin () is a state in the upper Midwestern United States. Wisconsin is the 25th-largest state by total area and the 20th-most populous. It is bordered by Minnesota to the west, Iowa to the southwest, Illinois to the south, Lake M ...
. Approximately 50,000 came between 1860 and 1880, some 82,000 between 1881 and 1890, and estimated 90,000 more during the next three decades.
In spite of Swiss settlements like
Highland
Highlands or uplands are areas of high elevation such as a mountainous region, elevated mountainous plateau or high hills. Generally speaking, upland (or uplands) refers to ranges of hills, typically from up to while highland (or highlands) is ...
(Illinois),
New Glarus (Wisconsin),
New Bern
New Bern, formerly called Newbern, is a city in Craven County, North Carolina, United States. As of the 2010 census it had a population of 29,524, which had risen to an estimated 29,994 as of 2019. It is the county seat of Craven County and t ...
(North Carolina),
Gruetli (
Tennessee
Tennessee ( , ), officially the State of Tennessee, is a landlocked state in the Southeastern region of the United States. Tennessee is the 36th-largest by area and the 15th-most populous of the 50 states. It is bordered by Kentucky to th ...
) and
Bernstadt (
Kentucky
Kentucky ( , ), officially the Commonwealth of Kentucky, is a state in the Southeastern region of the United States and one of the states of the Upper South. It borders Illinois, Indiana, and Ohio to the north; West Virginia and Virginia to ...
) were emerging fast, most Swiss preferred rural villages of the
Midwest
The Midwestern United States, also referred to as the Midwest or the American Midwest, is one of four Census Bureau Region, census regions of the United States Census Bureau (also known as "Region 2"). It occupies the northern central part of ...
and the
Pacific Coast
Pacific coast may be used to reference any coastline that borders the Pacific Ocean.
Geography Americas
Countries on the western side of the Americas have a Pacific coast as their western or southwestern border, except for Panama, where the Pac ...
where especially the
Italian Swiss
The Swiss people (german: die Schweizer, french: les Suisses, it, gli Svizzeri, rm, ils Svizzers) are the citizens of Switzerland or people of Swiss ancestry.
The number of Swiss nationals has grown from 1.7 million in 1815 to 8.7 million ...
were taking part in
California's winegrowing culture, or then took up residence in more industrial and urban regions such as
New York City
New York, often called New York City or NYC, is the List of United States cities by population, most populous city in the United States. With a 2020 population of 8,804,190 distributed over , New York City is also the L ...
,
Philadelphia
Philadelphia, often called Philly, is the largest city in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, the sixth-largest city in the U.S., the second-largest city in both the Northeast megalopolis and Mid-Atlantic regions after New York City. Sinc ...
,
Pittsburgh
Pittsburgh ( ) is a city in the Commonwealth (U.S. state), Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, United States, and the county seat of Allegheny County, Pennsylvania, Allegheny County. It is the most populous city in both Allegheny County and Wester ...
, Chicago,
St. Louis
St. Louis () is the second-largest city in Missouri, United States. It sits near the confluence of the Mississippi and the Missouri Rivers. In 2020, the city proper had a population of 301,578, while the bi-state metropolitan area, which e ...
,
Denver
Denver () is a consolidated city and county, the capital, and most populous city of the U.S. state of Colorado. Its population was 715,522 at the 2020 census, a 19.22% increase since 2010. It is the 19th-most populous city in the Unit ...
or
San Francisco
San Francisco (; Spanish language, Spanish for "Francis of Assisi, Saint Francis"), officially the City and County of San Francisco, is the commercial, financial, and cultural center of Northern California. The city proper is the List of Ca ...
. As the lifestyle and political institutions of the United States were compliant with those of their homeland most Swiss had no problems starting a new life in their part of the New World and became attached to both countries.
Along with the Swiss Immigrants came their traditions. By the late 1800s sufficient numbers of Swiss had arrived that
Swiss Verein
A Swiss association ("''Verein''" in German, "association" in French, "associazione" in Italian) is a type of corporation in Swiss law. It is similar to the Anglo-American voluntary association. Unlike in Germany, a Swiss association does not need ...
s (Clubs) were established to provide camaraderie and sharing of customs and traditions of the Heimat (Homeland). The William Tell Verein of Oakland and the Helvetia Verein of Sacramento, founded in the 1890s, were examples of clubs formed during this period. Much later, the West Coast Swiss Wrestling Association was established to preserve the Swiss tradition of
Schwingen
(from German ' "to swing"), also known as Swiss wrestling (French ') and natively (and colloquially) as ' (Swiss German for "breeches-lifting"), is a style of folk wrestling native to Switzerland, more specifically the pre-alpine parts of Germa ...
(Swiss wrestling) on the Pacific coast of the United States.
Of Swiss immigrant involvement in the
Civil War
A civil war or intrastate war is a war between organized groups within the same state (or country).
The aim of one side may be to take control of the country or a region, to achieve independence for a region, or to change government policies ...
, David Vogelsanger writes, "More Swiss participated in the American Civil War than in any other foreign conflict except the
Battle of Marignano
The Battle of Marignano was the last major engagement of the War of the League of Cambrai and took place on 13–14 September 1515, near the town now called Melegnano, 16 km southeast of Milan. It pitted the French army, composed of the be ...
in 1515 and
Napoleon's Russian Campaign of 1812."
Swiss immigration diminished after 1930 because of
the depression
The Great Depression (19291939) was an economic shock that impacted most countries across the world. It was a period of economic depression that became evident after a major fall in stock prices in the United States. The economic contagion ...
and
World War II
World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposin ...
, but 23,700 more Swiss had arrived by 1960, followed by 29,100 more between 1961 and 1990, many of whom were professionals or employees in American branches of Swiss companies who later returned to Switzerland.
Population
Swiss Americans by numbers
Swiss Americans by percentage of total population
Communities settled by Swiss immigrants
Swiss American historical societies
*
Beech Island Historical Society Beech Island Historical Society ''(BIHS)'' is a non-profit historical society and museum dedicated to the history of Beech Island, and its county, Aiken County, both of which are situated in the U.S. state of South Carolina.
U.S. Federal Governme ...
, a historical society in
South Carolina
)''Animis opibusque parati'' ( for, , Latin, Prepared in mind and resources, links=no)
, anthem = " Carolina";" South Carolina On My Mind"
, Former = Province of South Carolina
, seat = Columbia
, LargestCity = Charleston
, LargestMetro = ...
dedicated to the preservation of Historic
Beech Island, including the early Swiss settlement led by John Tobler.
*Grundy County Swiss Historical Society, a historical society in
Grundy County, Tennessee
Grundy County is a county located in the U.S. state of Tennessee. It is located in Middle Tennessee, bordering East Tennessee. As of 2021, the population was 13,622. Its county seat is Altamont. The county is named in honor of Felix Grundy.
...
, site of former Swiss colony of
Gruetli.
*Highland Historical Society, a historical society centered in
Highland, Illinois
Highland is a city in Madison County, Illinois, United States. The population was 9,991 at the 2020 census. Highland began as a Swiss settlement and derived its name from later German immigrants.
Highland is a sister city of Sursee in Switzerlan ...
, site of one of the oldest Swiss settlements in the United States. It was founded in 1831 by Swiss pioneers from
Sursee
Sursee is a municipality in the district of Sursee in the canton of Lucerne, Switzerland. Sursee is located at the northern end of Lake Sempach, not far from where the ''Sure'' (or ''Suhre'') river exits the lake ("See"), hence the name "Sursee". ...
, Switzerland.
*Orangeburgh German-Swiss Genealogical Society, a genealogical society focused on the early Swiss and German settlers of
Orangeburg, South Carolina
Orangeburg, also known as ''The Garden City'', is the principal city in and the county seat of Orangeburg County, South Carolina, United States. The population of the city was 13,964 according to the 2010 United States Census and declined to 12 ...
.
*Santa Clara Utah Historical Society, a historical Society dedicated to the preservation of an
early Swiss Settlement in
Utah
Utah ( , ) is a state in the Mountain West subregion of the Western United States. Utah is a landlocked U.S. state bordered to its east by Colorado, to its northeast by Wyoming, to its north by Idaho, to its south by Arizona, and to it ...
.
*
Swiss American Historical Society – focuses on the involvement of the Swiss and their descendants in American life, aspects of Swiss American relations, and
Swiss history
Since 1848 the Swiss Confederation has been a federal republic of relatively autonomous cantons, some of which have a history of
federation that goes back more than 700 years, putting them among the world's oldest surviving republics.
The earl ...
.
*Swiss Heritage Village & Museum – begun in 1985, it is currently the largest outdoor museum in
northern Indiana
Northern Indiana is a region of the U.S. State of Indiana, including 26 counties which border the states of Illinois, Michigan, and Ohio. Northern Indiana is also considered part of the Great Lakes Megalopolis. The area is generally classified in ...
. It is located in
Berne, Indiana
Berne (English: ɜːn is a city within Monroe and Wabash townships, Adams County, Indiana, United States, located south of Fort Wayne. The population was 4,173 at the 2020 Census. Berne is widely known for its Swiss heritage, architectur ...
.
*Swiss Mennonite Cultural and Historical Association – consists of descendants of the
Mennonite
Mennonites are groups of Anabaptist Christian church communities of denominations. The name is derived from the founder of the movement, Menno Simons (1496–1561) of Friesland. Through his writings about Reformed Christianity during the Radic ...
s who immigrated to the US from
Ukraine
Ukraine ( uk, Україна, Ukraïna, ) is a country in Eastern Europe. It is the second-largest European country after Russia, which it borders to the east and northeast. Ukraine covers approximately . Prior to the ongoing Russian inv ...
in the 1870s.
*The Swiss Center of North America includes an extensive list of Swiss clubs.
The Descendants of Swiss Settlers founded in 2019, honors the legacy and achievements of Swiss men and women who settled in North America prior to March 5, 1798, which marks the end of the Old Swiss Confederacy.
Notable people
See also
*
Switzerland–United States relations
Diplomatic relations between Switzerland and the United States were established in 1853 by the U.S. and in 1868 by Switzerland. The first diplomatic representation of the U.S. was established in Basel in 1853.
History Consular relations
With ...
*
Swiss people
The Swiss people (german: die Schweizer, french: les Suisses, it, gli Svizzeri, rm, ils Svizzers) are the citizens of Switzerland or people of Swiss abroad, Swiss ancestry.
The number of Swiss nationality law, Swiss nationals has grown from ...
*
Swiss abroad
The Swiss diaspora refers to Swiss people living abroad (german: Auslandsschweizer, french: Suisses de l’étranger, it, Svizzeri all’estero, rm, Svizzers a l’exteriur), also referred to as "fifth Switzerland" (german: Fünfte Schweiz, it, ...
**
Swiss Argentines
Swiss Argentines are Argentine citizens of Swiss ancestry or people who emigrated from Switzerland and reside in Argentina. The Swiss Argentine community is the largest group of the Swiss diaspora in South America.
Approximately 44,000 Swiss em ...
**
Swiss Brazilians
Swiss Brazilians ( pt, helveto-brasileiros, brasileiros suíços) are Brazilian citizens of full or partial Swiss ancestry, who remain culturally connected to Switzerland, or Swiss-born people permanently residing in Brazil.
Notable Swiss Brazili ...
**
Swiss Canadians
Swiss Canadians are Canadians, Canadian citizens of Swiss ancestry or people who emigrated from Switzerland and reside in Canada. According to the Canada 2016 Census, 2016 Census there were 155,120 Canadians who claimed Swiss ancestry, having an i ...
**
Swiss Chileans
Swiss Chileans are Chilean citizens of Swiss ancestry. There are currently 15,000 Swiss citizens residing in Chile with approximately 90,000 descendants of 19th century immigrants.
Immigration to Chile
Because their linguistic and cultural ...
**
Swiss Mexicans
Swiss Mexicans are Mexicans, Mexican citizens of full or partial Swiss people, Swiss ancestry. Swiss Mexican communities are found in Mexico City, Morelos, Oaxaca, Chiapas, Puebla, Veracruz, Quintana Roo and Chihuahua. There are about 4,700 Mexican ...
*
European Americans
European Americans (also referred to as Euro-Americans) are Americans of European ancestry. This term includes people who are descended from the first European settlers in the United States as well as people who are descended from more recent Eu ...
*
Swiss American Historical Society
References
Further reading
* Pochmann, Henry A. ''German Culture in America: Philosophical and Literary Influences 1600–1900'' (1957). 890pp; comprehensive review of German influence on Americans esp 19th century
online* Pochmann, Henry A. and Arthur R. Schult. '' Bibliography of German Culture in America to 1940'' (2nd ed 1982); massive listing, but no annotations.
* Schelbert, Leo. "Swiss Americans." ''Gale Encyclopedia of Multicultural America,'' edited by Thomas Riggs, (3rd ed., vol. 4, Gale, 2014), pp. 319–329
Online* Schelbert, Leo, ed. ''American Letters: Eighteenth and Nineteenth Century Accounts of Swiss Immigrants'' (Camden, ME: Picton Press, 1995).
* Tritt, D. G., ed. ''Swiss Festivals in North America: A Resource Guide'' (Masthof Press, 1999).
External links
Swiss American Historical SocietyOltreconfiniTi, the official website dedicated to Ticinese emigration
Articles about the Swiss in the United States
* Hacken, Richard (2020)
"A History of the Swiss in California,"''Swiss American Historical Society Review,'' vol.56 (2020), no. 1, pp. 115–162.
* Th
is the story of a former Swiss colony in Minnesota written by Wayne C. Blesi.
*
Article by University of Illinois – Chicago emeritus professor Dr. Leo Schelbert about Swiss Americans.
Article by Harold Miller about Berne, NY.
Research links
Keith Zollinger Collection of Swiss ManuscriptsBrigham Young University-Idaho Special Collections at the David O. McKay Library.
The Archives of Le TempsArchival collection of every Journal de Genève, Gazette de Lausanne and Nouveau Quotidien.
* Th
including correspondence, reports, minutes and other materials, are available for research use at the
Historical Society of Pennsylvania
The Historical Society of Pennsylvania is a long-established research facility, based in Philadelphia. It is a repository for millions of historic items ranging across rare books, scholarly monographs, family chronicles, maps, press reports and v ...
.
''The Swiss American Historical Society Review'' Articles and reviews featuring Swiss American history and life.
University of Tennessee Special Collections Library, Knoxville, TN.
Swiss Posters CollectionThe Swiss Poster Collection at Carnegie Mellon University.
Housed at the University of Illinois at Chicago in the Richard J. Daley Library's Special Collections Department.
Swiss Society of New Orleans records, 1855–2010Housed at Tulane University as part of the Louisiana Research Collection, at the Howard-Tilton Memorial Library.
Housed at the University of Illinois at Chicago in the Richard J. Daley Library's Special Collections Department.
Graphic Arts Collection in the Department of Rare Books and Special Collections at Princeton University Library.
The Ward M. Canaday Center for Special Collections at The University of Toledo.
Richard Bird missionary notebook from the Swiss/Austrian missionHoused at the Harold B. Lee Library at Brigham Young University.
Swiss and German Mission of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day SaintsHoused at the Harold B. Lee Library at Brigham Young University.
Housed in the Archives & Special Collections at the University of Nebraska–Lincoln Libraries.
Bluntschli (Johann Casper) 1808–1881 Collection 1750–1884Housed at the Special Collections of the Milton S. Eisenhower Library at The Johns Hopkins University.
Housed at Auburn University Special Collections and Archives.
Housed at the Patricia W. and J. Douglas Perry Library, Old Dominion University.
Herbert Matter PapersHoused in Special Collections Green Library Stanford University.
Housed at The Victoria University Library of the University of Toronto.
Housed in University of Cambridge.
The John Lyman Ballif PapersHoused at the J. Willard Marriott Library, University of Utah.
Diplomatic Documents of Switzerland *
Robert Billigmeier Collection Hosted by University of California, Santa Barbara.
*
Hoehn and Müller families papers, 1828-1980sHoused at Tulane University as part of the Louisiana Research Collection, at the Howard-Tilton Memorial Library.
*
Housed at University of Tennessee Libraries, Knoxville, Special Collections.
*
Mennonite Historical CollectionsVery extensive Collection of Swiss and Swiss-American Mennonite information hosted in the Archives and Special Collections Librarian at Musselman Library, Bluffton University.
Swiss Settlers in SW Illinoissearchable English translations of 19th-century works by Swiss settlers in southwestern Illinois.
{{Swiss diaspora
American people of Swiss descent
European-American society
American
American(s) may refer to:
* American, something of, from, or related to the United States of America, commonly known as the "United States" or "America"
** Americans, citizens and nationals of the United States of America
** American ancestry, pe ...