Ulrich Simmendinger was one of the Germans who emigrated in 1709 and was sent to New York. Later he returned to Germany where he wrote a short book. His resolution to go to America, he wrote, was under the paternal necessity of providing for his wife and two children. (The two children died during the trip.) He says nothing of religious persecution. He did mention genuinely golden promises written by the Englishmen which persuaded him and others to seek their fortune in America.
The 13,000 Germans who did go to London certainly made an impression on the English. So much so that a parliamentary committee investigated the causes of the emigration. They took testimony from several of the Germans as to their motives for leaving their native country. A prominent item in the narratives was a book with the Queen’s (Anne's) picture on the cover and the title page with letters of gold. For this latter reason, it was called the Golden Book, though the important characteristic of the book was Queen Anne’s picture. This reinforced the idea that the Queen was inviting Germans and she would assist them. The suggestion in the book is that Germans who made their way to London would be sent to “Carolina”, or other of her Majesty’s plantations to be settled there. Most of the book was a recommendation of “Carolina”. This book was so much in demand by the Germans that three additional printings of it had to be made.
Germans who had wanted to go to America but who had feared the trip and had not the resources to finance the trip now understood they would have the protection of the Queen and she would assist them financially by providing transportation and aid in getting started in “Carolina”. The appeal was so strong that, when Germans compared notes among themselves, they reinforced each other’s decision to emigrate. Perhaps we could compare the situation to the snowball effect where one snowball, started on a roll downhill, picks up more snow and which results in an avalanche. But, more than anything, the year 1709 shows the power of the printed word.
Who was responsible for the “Golden Book”? Who was the author of it? These questions are not positively answered, though there are suggestions as to the author, who may have cribbed the major part of it from other writers. The story in the book was so rosy that the Rev. Anton Wilhelm Böhme, a friend of the Germans in London, felt compelled to write several letters to counteract the propaganda of the “Golden Book”.
Though Queen Anne was favorably inclined toward German Protestants, thirteen thousand Germans were too many for her and for the administration of the national government. They tried to find a solution for the thirteen thousand, but some of them had to return to Germany. Word went back to Germany that no more Germans were welcome. German emigration fell drastically in the next few years until 1717, when about one thousand Germans emigrated.
(23 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.