Johann Colonius & Eva Theresa Hartmann in Germany

Johann Colonius - German Homeland 1824-1846

In 1848 on May 16th, at the age of 21, Johann Heinrich Colonius immigrated to Castle Garden America (Lower Manhattan, New York, New York) from the Port Of Bremen, Germany on the ship Antoinette as a Cabin Passenger. Through early passenger lists I have discovered Johann and his wife did not arrive together. In my previous blog I shared my study of his life in America. What about their life before America? Where on the map is their homeland? What was life like for them growing up in the early 19th century? Why did they leave their families and all they knew for the unknown? To understand we must look at the German 19th century culture, politics, and geography.

In the 1880 Census in St. Louis, Grandfather Joann declared his Father was born in Hesse-Darmstadt and his Mother was born in Prussia, Joann stated in a number of Official records that he was born in Prussia Frankfort. So then this puts all of our subjects in Prussia in 1824.

1820 to 1871. This wave of emigration was caused chiefly by economic hardships, including unemployment and crop failures. Many Germans also left to avoid wars and military service. In some cases, government entities encouraged poor citizens to emigrate.

 

 

German Emigrate 1874 Drawing

From the Old to the New World is the title of this sketch of German emigrants boarding a steamer in Hamburg, Germany, to relocate in America.

Published in Harpers Weekly November 7 1874

 

First, lets look at Hesse Darmstadt Germany:

*The state of modern Hesse, Germany and the historical kingdoms, duchies and the like that Hesse contains. .

 

Hesse

Free City of Frankfurt am Main, Grand Duchy of Hessen-Darmstadt (less the province of Rheinhessen), part of Landgraviate Hessen-Homburg, Electorate of Hessen-Kassel, Duchy of Nassau, District of Wetzlar (part of the former Prussian Rheinprovinz), Principality of Waldeck.

Prussia (Preussen) and Saxony (Sachsen) present special problems. The name of Prussia has disappeared from the map. The conquering allies after World War II didn't like the images it conjured up of blood, iron and militarism.

*source: How to Germany - Searching Your German Ancestors

 

 

With the above historical boundaries within Germany established, this hints that it is possible the Colonius and Hartmann families were from the same general area and perhaps lived in the same area that changed names as the monarchy of those times determined the name of the land. This helps with genealogy study in that the area in which I search for birth and death records pinpoints one large area. Resources all say I must narrow the area to a town, village, or parish.

To be continued...