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. According to the information gathered in the 1790 Census, German residents in Bedford County, within the Province of Pennsylvania, amounted to roughly 32% of the total population, while English made up only 17%.
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
