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Swiss Americans are
Americans Americans are the citizens and nationals of the United States of America.; ; Although direct citizens and nationals make up the majority of Americans, many dual citizens, expatriates, and permanent residents could also legally claim Ame ...
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 matt ...
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 churc ...
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 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

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 churc ...
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 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. ...
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. 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 transcontinental country spanning Eastern Europe and Northern Asia. It is the largest country in the world, with its internationally recognised territory covering , and encompassing one-ei ...
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 colonisation of North America began in the 16th century in Newfoundland, then further south at Roanoke and Jamestow ...
. 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 or geography. Etymology The word ''north ...
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 U.S. state, state in the Midwestern United States, Midwestern region of the United States. Of the List of states and territories of the United States, fifty U.S. states, it is the List of U.S. states and territories by area, 34th-l ...
,
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 ...
,
Illinois Illinois ( ) is a state in the Midwestern United States. Its largest metropolitan areas include the Chicago metropolitan area, and the Metro East section, of Greater St. Louis. Other smaller metropolitan areas include, Peoria and Rock ...
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 (North Carolina), Gruetli (
Tennessee Tennessee ( , ), officially the State of Tennessee, is a landlocked U.S. state, state in the Southeastern United States, Southeastern region of the United States. Tennessee is the List of U.S. states and territories by area, 36th-largest by ...
) 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 ...
) 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 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. Since ...
,
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,
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 for " 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 fourth most populous in California and 17t ...
. 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 nee ...
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 (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 polici ...
, 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 b ...
in 1515 and Napoleon's Russian Campaign of 1812." Swiss immigration diminished after 1930 because of the depression 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 World War II by country, vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great power ...
, 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 Switzerl ...
, site of one of the oldest Swiss settlements in the United States. It was founded in 1831 by Swiss pioneers from 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 ...
. *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 its ...
. *
Swiss American Historical Society The Swiss American Historical Society (SAHS) is a historical society founded in Chicago in 1927. According to the Society's website, it was established "to promote the study of the Swiss in America, of Swiss–American relations, of Swiss immigr ...
– 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 ear ...
. *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 i ...
. It is located in Berne, Indiana. *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 R ...
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 inva ...
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 *
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 ancestry. The number of Swiss nationals has grown from 1.7 million in 1815 to 8.7 million ...
* Swiss abroad **
Swiss Argentines Swiss Argentines are Argentine people, 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 ...
** Swiss Brazilians **
Swiss Canadians Swiss Canadians are Canadian citizens of Swiss ancestry or people who emigrated from Switzerland and reside in Canada. According to the 2016 Census there were 155,120 Canadians who claimed Swiss ancestry, having an increase compared to those 146, ...
** Swiss Chileans **
Swiss Mexicans Swiss Mexicans are Mexican citizens of full or partial Swiss ancestry. Swiss Mexican communities are found in Mexico City, Morelos, Oaxaca, Chiapas, Puebla, Veracruz, Quintana Roo and Chihuahua. There are about 4,700 Mexicans of Swiss ancestry and ...
*
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 E ...
*
Swiss American Historical Society The Swiss American Historical Society (SAHS) is a historical society founded in Chicago in 1927. According to the Society's website, it was established "to promote the study of the Swiss in America, of Swiss–American relations, of Swiss immigr ...


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 Manuscripts
Brigham Young University-Idaho Special Collections at the David O. McKay Library.
The Archives of Le Temps
Archival 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 Collection
The 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, 1855–2010
Housed 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 mission
Housed at the Harold B. Lee Library at Brigham Young University.
Swiss and German Mission of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints
Housed 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 1750–1884
Housed 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 Papers
Housed 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 Papers
Housed 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, 1828-1980s
Housed 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 Collections
Very 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 Illinois
��searchable 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 ...