There were still other possible reasons that the Germans left their homeland in 1709. Taxes had become an increasing problem especially in light of the dimensioning incomes of the people. Incomes were under pressure because the population had grown dramatically by immigration into Germany after the Thirty Years' War and by natural increase. The amount of land available to each individual was decreasing. Many citizens were forced to try and earn a living in some way besides farming but most people needed some land to supplement their wages.
Why were taxes increasing? The many rulers of the principalities in Germany saw or heard of the splendor of Versailles in France, and they wanted to emulate the gorgeous court life surrounding Louis XIV. The big difference was that Louis had a much larger population base to support his whims. But, when the von Gemmingens in Gemmingen, or the Neippergs in Schwaigern, wanted to build a new home, the burden fell very heavily on the limited number of people.
Germans waiting in Holland in 1709 for transportation to England stated they came flying "...to shake off the burdens they lived under by the hardships of their Princes' governments and the contributions they must pay to the Enemy (i.e., read French)." In a petition of the Robinson River Valley Lutherans in Virginia, they made specific mention of the "petty princes" who made life hard for them.
As just mentioned, there was a desire, amounting to hunger, for land. Many of the Germans were essentially landless, and they could offer their children little hope in Germany. A number of the Palatines (i.e., Germans) in New York were overheard to remark, "We came to America to establish our families and to secure lands for our children on which they will be able to support themselves after we die."
There were plenty of reasons to emigrate, but these same reasons had existed in 1705 or in 1708. Why did so many Germans pick 1709? The reasons were no stronger, in general, than they had been in 1703, to pick a year at random. How did the attraction of a foreign shore come to the Germans in 1709? What prompted them to take action in 1709?
Every student of German emigration should have the book, "
Early Palatine Emigration
", by Knittle. Though it was originally published several decades ago, it has been republished by Genealogical Publishing Company. I have been, and will be, using this book in this immediate sequence of notes.
(22 Jun 04)
We gratefully acknowledge the work of John Blankenbaker who published over 2,500 Germanna History Notes via the Germanna-L@rootsweb.com email list from 1997 to 2008. We are equally thankful to George Durman (Sgt. George) for hosting the list and republishing the notes via rootsweb.com.