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Subject: [GER-TEX] "slave contracts"/ difficutlies in emigration
Date: Thu, 5 Apr 2001 07:01:08 EDT


It is well known that lots of German persons signed a "slave contract" for
the fare across the ocean. They had to work and were held like slaves for
three years after their arrival in USA.( They were shooten down when they
left the house without permit)
As a poor devil it was the only possibolity to emigrate, because the fare
costs were about one full years earning per person for a day laborer or
simple worker. Even people who owned a little house and one or two cows (that
means: they were quite rich!) couldn't sell that in the time of the famine in
1846+1847+1848 in some areas, because grain was so expensive and the potatoes
had a desease, so nobody could feed the animals and/or buy them. Some took
the straw from their roofs to feed the last animal.
We researched the familys KOLB and HELPENSTELL from the Westerwald area and
had a lot of original German files in our hands. They were not able to
emigrate as early as they wanted, but went in 1850 only.
Gisela Laudi from Germany


> this explanation is
> given on how Prussian ancestors were enticed to travel to American. After
> the slaves were freed as a result of the Civil War, there was not an
> adequate work force to work the crops in Texas. Cotton farmers formed the
> Waverly Emigration Co and recruited in Prussia. Written contracts have been
> found that cover payments for work over a three year period. I believe
> these contracts can be viewed in Austin..
>
> For more information, see http://www.pgst.org/poltexan.htm
>
> Pat Wade
>



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