[rldunn]

Assimilation came at various paces in different locations and circumstances. The research of Dieter Kunz showed that in western Maryland, for example, records of most German speaking churches changed from German to English in the 1820's to 1840's. At the same time some names were changed (anglicized) and various associations tended to delete the German-ness of the ethnic Germans. In contrast not far away in southern Pennsylvania the so-called Pennsylvania Dutch still speak German (yet all these folks consider themselves only American not German-American). Also in southern Pennsylvania at the Civil War Battle of Gettysburg many Union Regiments were made uo entirely of German spaeking troops. Whole divisions and even a corps were predominately ethnic Germans. In WW1 a law was passed in Nebreska making it illegal to speak German. In Baltimore, Maryland, Germany Street became Redwood Street.

In the 1930's there was some interest in the German-American Bund but these folks were mostly recent immigrants. By that time most people of German heritage were fully integrated into US society and many were even ignorant of their German heritage.

Rick Dunn