[aquila48]

“My impression was that the movements were primarily nationalist groups trying to get out from under the thumb of the empires, primarily Prussian and Austro-Hungarian”

Good point! That was definitely the case in Italy.

[Hiddigeigei]

"“My impression was that the movements were primarily nationalist groups trying to get out from under the thumb of the empires, primarily Prussian and Austro-Hungarian."

My earliest American ancestors were on the May Flower (John and Priscilla Alden). The German speaking ones came later in the 1700s from the Moselle and lower Rhine area. The latest German great grandfather came in about 1830-40 from originally West Fallen. As a young teenager, he was drawing pictures in the sidewalk with chalk. A man saw him, talked to his parents and took him as an apprentice to a lithography company in Bremen where he developed into the prize artist. When he was eighteen he became eligible for the Prussian military draft for an eight year term. The company had a branch in Baltimore, thought what a waste of talent. They shipped him to their affiliate in America. Rumor has it that that company had a branch in Richmond, and early during the Civil War he was involved in designing the Confederate currency.