The Fatherland: (1450-1700) : showing the part it bore in the discovery, exploration and development of the western continent with special reference to the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania ; pt. I. of a narrative and critical history, Part 1

Author: Sachse, Julius Frederick, 1842-1919
Publication date: 1897
Publisher: Philadelphia : the author
Number of Pages: 546


USA > Pennsylvania > The Fatherland: (1450-1700) : showing the part it bore in the discovery, exploration and development of the western continent with special reference to the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania ; pt. I. of a narrative and critical history > Part 1


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REYNOLDS HISTORICAL GENEALOGY COLLECTION


ALLEN COUNTY PUBLIC LIBRARY 3 1833 02144 1065


Digitized by the Internet Archive in 2017 with funding from findmypast.com


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1450-THE FATHERLAND-1700.


CHARLES QUINT


CHARLES V. EMPEROR HOLY ROMAN EMPIRE AND KING OF SPAIN. (BORN FEB. 24. 1500, DIED SEPT. ZI. 1558. 1


The Fatherland:"


(1450-1700)


SHOWING THE PART IT BORE IN


THE DISCOVERY, EXPLORATION AND DEVELOPMENT OF THE WESTERN CONTINENT,


WITH SPECIAL REFERENCE TO


The Commonwealth of Pennsylvania


PART I. OF A NARRATIVE AND CRITICAL HISTORY, PREPARED AT THE REQUEST OF The Pennsylvania=German Society.


PUBLIC LIBR


BY JULIUS FRIEDRICH SACHSE,


LIFE MEMBER HISTORICAL SOCIETY OF PENNSYLVANIA; MEMBER AMERICAN PHILOSOPHICAL SOCIETY ; PENNSYLVANIA-GERMAN SOCIETY ; ETC., ETC., ETC.


PHILADELPHIA.


1897.


I HUT SWIWOHE


По тамнозуалі сил Ног Анодаха, тянуорай ант ДНЕ МЕЗДЕВИ СОУМИЕИТ ОТ ЗАМЕТЯЗЛая ЛАТЗУКЕ ЖИТТЯ


DURUMAWE & VITEN COTA


FREFATORY NOTE.


1667253


REPRINTED FROM THE PROCEEDINGS OF THE PENNSYLVANIA-GERMAN SOCIETY. EDITION LIMITED TO ONE HUNDRED AND FITY COPIES. No. 1416


Bi


COPYRIGHT, 1897, BY JULIUS F. SACHSE. ed ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.


Teess23


AKO OT GRITS


PREFATORY NOTE.


HE following monograph was prepared at the re- quest of the Pennsylvania-German Society, as an introduction to a Narrative and Critical History, now being published by the Society, under the general title Pennsylvania : the German Influence on its Settle- ment and Development, which is designed to bring out in the fullest manner all information attainable, incidental to the subject.


The introductory paper here presented deals with the Fatherland during the period from 1450 to 1700, showing the part it bore in the discovery, exploration and develop ment of the Western Continent, with special reference to the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania.


Many new and interesting facts and illustrations are here introduced to show how great a factor the German nation was in developing the Western Hemisphere, from the earliest days of its discovery until King Charles' grant to William Penn. How the latter strove to attract German emigrants to his newly-acquired province is fully shown from the literature of the day.


An appendix is added, giving fac-simile title-pages of all books and pamphlets, so far as known, that influenced emigration to Pennsylvania.


Acknowledgments are due to the lamented Frederick Dawson Stone, Litt. D., for advice and assistance in com- piling the title-pages in the appendix. We are also indebted to Hon. S. W. Pennypacker, of Philadelphia; Director Hans Boesch, of the Germanic National Museum at Nürnberg ; Dr. Th. Schott, Royal Librarian at Stuttgart; Dr. Adolf Buff, Stadt Archivar at Augsburg, and others at home and abroad for copies of rare documents and illustrations used in the compilation of this paper.


LIST OF PLATES.


CHARLES V .


FRONTISPIECE.


THE BEHAIM HOUSE AT NÜRNBERG


facing page 14


MOHAMMED II (the great) .


19


FRA MAURO'S MAP, A. D., 1459


22-23


MARTIN BEHAIM .


27


CHRISTOPHER COLUMBUS


33


FIRST PRINTED ACCOUNT OF DISCOVERY


66


36


MAP OF WORLD FROM PTOLOMY, 1513


16


44


MARTIN LUTHER . .


....


55


ARRIVAL OF GERMAN EXPEDITION, 1528 .


58


MAP OF SOUTH AMERICA, SHOWING WELSER POSSESSIONS


70


THE FUGGER HOUSE AT AUGSBURG .


78


MAP OF THE PALATINATE . 86


OLDEST KNOWN GERMAN NEWSPAPER 92


MEDAL COMMEMORATING THE PEACE OF WESTPHALIA


94


GUSTAVUS ADOLPHUS, KING OF SWEDEN


102


OXENSTIERNA, SWEDISH CHANCELLOR


IIO


THE QUAKERS' MEETING AT ROTTERDAM


I18


PORTRAIT OF BENJAMIN FURLY


123


WILLIAM PENN


124


THE BURGOMASTER'S WIFE AT SCHORNDORFF


14I


JULIUS FRIEDRICH SACHSE


169


34


BROADSIDE, EARLIEST GERMAN ACCOUNT


38-39


VENETIAN GALLEY (1486) .


47


BARTOLOMAEUS WELSER


1


1


CONTENTS.


PART I.


INTRODUCTION.


Injustice to German Influence. Dr. John Matthew Otto. Memoir on the Discovery of America. Martin: Behaim. The Pennsylvania-German Society. First Printer in America. Germans in America.


3-II


AT THE CLOSE OF THE MEDIEVAL ERA.


A Survey of the Situation. Social Conditions of Germany. Invention of Printing. Westphalia Tribunals. Hanseatic League. German Commercial Enterprise. Advent of the Turk. The Renaissance. Augusta Vindelicorum. El Dorado of Marco Polo. Regiomontanus. Junto de Mathe- maticos. Martin Behaim. Columbus. 12-32


DAWN OF THE MODERN PERIOD.


Earliest Published Account of Columbus' Discovery. Fac- Simile of Broadside. Waldzeemuller. Cosmographia Introductio. The Name America-its Derivation. 33-40


EFFECTS OF THE GREAT DISCOVERIES.


Financial Failure of Columbus Expedition. Portugese En- terprise. Germans in Portugal. East Indies. German Merchants in America. Luther and the Reformation. Charles V. German Financial Magnates. 41-50


EARLIEST ATTEMPT AT GERMAN COLONIZATION.


German Influence in America. Emperor Charles V and the German Bankers. Concessions to Germans. The Welsers in the West Indies. Royal Grants to Ehinger. The First German Expedition to America. Arrival at Coro. Unfurling the Imperial Standard in the Western World. 51-64 ·


THE STORY OF WELSERLAND.


Nicolaus Federman. Names of German Adventurers. Federman's Diary. George Hohemuth von Spier. Phillip


vi


Contents.


von Hutten. The First Printer to Embark for America. Founding of Bogota. Murder of the German Commanders. Hispanicized Names. Venezuela. Las Casas. Vilifica- tion of the German-its true cause. The Lutheran Faith. Charges Against the Germans. Untrustworthiness of Las Casa's Charges. Refutation. The Welser Codex. · 65-77


THE GRANTS TO ANTON AND HIERONYMUS FUGGER.


Concessions to the German Bankers. Chili a German Colony. Veit Hörl. Encomiendas. Earliest Protest Against Slavery. Spanish System of Enslaving the Natives. Germans in Paraguay. Schmidt von Straubingen and Hans Stade's Accounts. 78-84


RELIGIOUS CAUSES INDUCIVE TO GERMAN EMIGRATION. The Reformation. Peasants War. Twelve Articles. John of Leyden. Council of Trent. Renewed Persecutions. Schmal- kaldic League. Peace of Augsburg. A Huguenot Colony. Oldest German Newspaper. The Revolt in Bohemia. 85-93


THE THIRTY YEARS' WAR.


Devastation of Germany. Great Losses. Character of the Troops Employed. Female Harpies. Tortures and Extortion. Peace of Westphalia. Effects of the Treaty. Decline of the German Empire. . . 94-101


DUTCH AND SWEDISH ATTEMPTS AT COLONIZATION. Cornelius Mey. Usselinx. Peter Minuet. Gustavus Adol- phus. Axel Oxenstierna. Plans for an American Colony. "Mercurius Germaniae." "Argonautica Gustaviana." The Settlement on the Delaware. Luther's Catechism in the Indian Tongue. 102-112 THE FRENCH WARS OF CONQUEST.


Louis XIV and his Scheme of Aggrandizement. Invasion of Würtemberg and the Rhine Provinces. Separatists in Germany. Mennonites. Advent of the Quakers. Penn's Visits to Germany. Account of his Journey. Philipp Jacob Spener. Pietists. Penn and Furly's Tracts. Frank- fort Company. Crefeld Colony. Penn's Letter upon their Arrival at Philadelphia. Penn's Tracts and Pamphlets. Information for Emigrants, etc., circulated in Germany. The Great Elector's Scheme for Founding a German Colony in America. Von Groben. Brandenburg Expedition. Friedrich's Berg. . .


. 113-138


vii


Contents.


GERMAN EMIGRATION TO AMERICA.


Edict of Nantes. The de Maintenon. Devastation of the Palatinate. League of Augsburg. The Burgo Master's Wife at Schorndorff. The Denoument. Furly's renewed Efforts for Pennsylvania. Safeguards for German Emi- grants. Advice to Penn Regarding Slavery. . 139-144


LITERATURE USED TO INDUCE GERMAN EMIGRATION.


Penn's Missives in German, Dutch, French and English. Some Rare Tracts. Pamphlets from Pennsylvania. Edicts Against the Quakers. Counter Pamphlets. Vindication of Penn. Descriptive Works. Anti Quakeriana. Francis Daniel Pastorius. Johann Seelig's Missive. Köster vs. Pastorius. Early Map of Pennsylvania. Justus Falckner's Account of the Religious Condition of the Province. . 145-169 APPENDIX.


Fac-similes of Title-Pages of Books and Pamphlets that Influenced German Emigration. · 173-228


ILLUSTRATIONS.


PAGE.


Historical Introduction 3


Medieval Student . 3


Seal American Philosophical Society .


6


Uim, Arms 57


Insignia Pennsylvania-German Nürnberg Arms . 63 Society . 7 Tail piece antique 64


Earliest American Imprint . 10


Arms of Pennsylvania II


Headpiece


12


Arms of Holy Roman Empire 12


Gutenberg Press 14


Hanseatic Arms (London) . 16


(Norway) . 17


(Bruges) 18


(Novgorod) 22


Hanseatic Warehouse in London 17


Genoa Arms 20


Venice Escutcheon 2I


Astrolabe of the Ancients 24


Philip von Hutten . 71


Portugal, Royal Arms 25


Venezuela Arms


76


Behaim, Commercial Seal 26


Astrolabe Portable


27


Headpiece


78


Fugger Arms 78


Hieronymus Fugger 79


Antonius Fugger 81


Chili, Arms . 84


Headpiece 85


Peasants' War, Broadside 85


"Twelve Articles," Title 86


Peasants, Broadside . 87


Title First German Bible 88


Tailpiece . 93


Headpiece 94


Mediaeval Helmet 94


Camp Scene, 30 Years' War 96


A Lands knecht 52 Arbeite und Hoffe . IOI


PAGE.


Venezuela, oldest map of . 53


Marcus Velserus (Welser) 55


Ehinger arms 56


Headpiece 65


Welser arms . 65


Title Indianische Historia 67


Vespucci, Autograph 42


Miniature de la Cosa . 43


Welser, Handel's Marke 44


Grübel Arms 45


Kelp. v. Sternberg Arms 46


Fragment of an Indulgence 47


Charles V, Autogragh 48


Jacobus Fugger 50


Augsburg arms . 51


Headpiece 51


Ancient German Press


77


Jacob-staff 28


method of using


29


Columbus, Autograph of . Sea-going Vessel, XV Century


30


31


"Compass Rose," De La Cosa Head Piece


33


Columbus, Arms of


33


Early German Broadside


34


Waldseemüller's Imprint 37


America, Fac-Simile . 38


Globe, of Peter Apianus 40


Headpiece 4I


Spain, Royal Arms 41


32


ix


Illustrations.


PAGE.


Headpiece 102


Holland, Arms . 102


Sweden, Arms . . 105 Gustavus Adolphus, Autograph 106 Mercurius Germaniae, Title . 107


Oxenstierna, Autograph . . 108 Argonautica Gustaviana, Title 109 Title, American-Virginske .


Catechism . III


Holland, Arms of . II2 Head Piece


Palatinate, Arms of


III


I13


Amsterdam Arms .


15


Penn's MSS. Journal, Title . 118


Penn's Letter to Countess


Hornes . 119


PAGE.


Johann Jacob Spener . 121


Benjamin Furly, Autograph 123


Seal of William Penn


.


125


Penn's Arms


126


German Squadron to America 135 Brandenburg Arms 138


Headpiece


139


Wurtemberg Arms


139


Anti-Slavery Clause, Furly


144


Headpiece


. 145


A Ship of the Period (1694) . 158 Map of Pennsylvania from


Thomas' account . 163


Autograph of Writer .


168


Tailpiece


168


FAC-SIMILES OF TITLE PAGES.


Earliest American imprint known "Manual de Adultos," Juam


Cromberger. Mexico, 1540 . IO


Indianische Historia, Nicolaus Federman. Hagenaw, 1557. 67


The Twelve Articles of the Peasants, 1525. 86


A sermon preached by a peasant at Werdt. 87


Das Newe Testament in Teutzsch. 88


Mercurius Germaniae, 1632. 107


Argonautica Gustaviana. Franckfurth, A. M. 1633. 109


Lutheri Catechismus Ofwersatt pa American-Virginiske Spräket Stockholm, 1696. III


Send Brieff an Die Bürgermeister und Rath der Staat Danzig, Amsterdam, 1678. 173


Forderung der Christenheit fürs Gericht, Amsterdam, 1678 174


Eine Freundliche Heymsuchung in der Liebe Gottes, Amsterdam, I67S. . 175


Het Christenrijk ten Oordeel, Rotterdam, 1678 176


Some account of the Province, London, 1681 . 177


Eine Nachricht wegen der Landschaft Pennsylvania, Amsterdam, 1681. 178


Een Kort Bericht, Rotterdam, 1681.


Liberty of Conscience, London, 1668. 179


180


Allgemeine Erd-Beschreibung, Nürnberg, 1681.


181


Recit de L'Estat, Rotterdam, 1681. . r82


The Articles of the Free Society of Traders, London, 1682 183


The Frame of Government of the Province of Pennsylvania. Lon- don, 1682. IS4


Information and Direction, London, 1682. 185


Nader Informatie, etc., 1682. I86


A brief account of the Province of Pennsylvania. London, 1682. 187


Kurtze Nachricht Von der Americanischen Landschafft Pennsyl- vania, 1682. 188


Plantation work. London, 1682.


A Vindication of William Penn. London, 1683. 189


A Letter from William Penn. London, 1783. . 190


191


Missive Von William Penn. Amsterdam, 1684.


192


Beschreibung der in America Neu-erfundenen Provinz Pennsyl- vania. Hamburg, 1684. . 193


Fac-Similes of Title Pages. xi


Recüecl de Diverses, etc., a la Haye, 1684. 194


Eclaircissemens de Monsieur Furly. Rotterdam, 1684. 195


Good Order Established in Pennsylvania. Philadelphia, 1685. 196 Missive Van Cornelis Bom. Rotterdam, 1685. 197


A Further Account of the Province, London, 1685. 198


Tweede Bericht ofte Relass Van William Penn. Amsterdam, 1685 199


A Letter from Doctor More. London, 1687. . . 200


Zonder Kruys, Geen Kroon, Amsterdam, 1687. 201


The Present State of His Majesties Isles and Territories in America. London, 1687. 202


L'Amerique Angloise ou Description des Isles et Terres du Roi D'Angleterre. Amsterdam, 1688. . 203


Vier kleine Doch ungemeine, und Schr nützliche Tractätlein, 1690. 204


The Frame of Government of the Province of Pennsylvania. London, 1691. . .


205


Some Letters and an Abstract of Letters. London, 1691. . 206


Kurtze Beschreibung des H. K. Reichs Stadt Windsheim. Nürn- berg, 1692. 207


Pastorius, Kurtze Geographische Beschreibung. Nürnberg, 1692, 208


A Short Description of Pennsylvania. Philadelphia, 1692. 209


Copia Eines Send Schreibens, aus der Neuen Welt, 1695. 210


An Account of W. Penn's Travails. London, :695. 2II


Gerardi Croesi, Historia Quakeriana Amstelodami, 1695. 212


Berhard Croesens Quaker Historie. Berlin, 1696. . 213


The General History of the Quakers. London, 1696. 214


Richardi Blome, Englisches America. Leipzig, 1697. 215


Ein Send Brieff, Offenhertziger, Liebsbezeugung. Amsterdam, 1697 216


Four Boasting Disputers Rebuked. New York, 1697. 217


A Historical and Geographical Account of the Province and Country of Pennsylvania. London, 1698. 218


Die Historia Von Pensilvania, 1699.


219


Umständige Geographische Beschreibung Der zu Allerletzterfun-


denen Provintz Pensylvanæ. Franckfurth and Leipzig, 1700 Monathlicher Auszug. Hanover, 1700. . 221


220


Brief aan den Koning Van Poolen. Amsteldam, 1701. 222


Curieuse Nachricht Von Pensylvania. Franckfurt und Leipzig, 1702 223


Abdruck Eines Schreibens aus Germanton, 1702. 224


Quicker Greuel, 1702.


225


Umständige Geographische Beschreibung. Franckfurt and Leip- zig, 1704. . 226


Continuatio Der Beschreibung der Landschafft Pensylvansæ. Franckfurt und Leipziz, 1704. 227


Dissertatio Historico, Theologica de Philtris. Rostochl, 1708. 228


HISTORICAL INTRODUCTION


RITERS of American his- tory have thus far failed to accord to the German people anything like the proper amount of credit due them for the part they took in making possible the voyages to the un- known lands in the west, which resulted in the discovery of this Continent. Nor do they chronicle what promi-


4


The Fatherland 1450-1700.


nent factors the Germans were, from the earliest days of Columbus down to the present time, in the ex- ploration, settlement and development of America, a name which, by the way, is of German origin; it originated with a German student and was suggested by him, and appeared for the first time in history upon a German map and globe.


Instances are extremely rare where the average historian has accorded any credit to the German people in connection with the history of this country. This applies with equal force to both northern and southern divisions of the western hemisphere. All matters relating to American history, which might redound to their glory, seem for some reason to have been hitherto studiously eliminated or cast aside by historians of all races, Latin, Celtic, British, and I may even say American.


It has been repeatedly stated that Germany, of all the chief nations of Europe, was the only one which took no active part or interest in the discovery or early settlement of the western world. This and other statements of similar import, so oft repeated, have become accepted as truth ; and as a consequence, neither Germany nor her sons appear in the histories of the day as factors in America's early history. Yet notwithstanding this firmly rooted notion, as a matter of history it was due to the great in- fluence exercised by Germany and the Germans over the trade of the world, during this transitional period, more than to any other circumstance, that eventually led, not only to the discovery of the


5


Dr. John Matthew Oito.


western continent, but also to that of an ocean passage to India.


The injustice of these many biased statements has long been felt by such historical students and inves- tigators at home and abroad as boast of either German birth or ancestry. The first person to give any prac- tical expression to his convictions in this country, and thus revive an interest in the subject, was a Pennsylvania-German, or, more properly speaking, a German who had made Pennsylvania his home. It was Doctor Johann Matthew Otto,1 one of the Mora- vian Brethren at Bethlehem, a well known scientist and medical practitioner of a century ago, and a


I Doctor Johann Matthew Otto, one of the Moravian Brethren at Beth- lehem, one of two brothers both of whom were doctors, was a surgeon of note, whose reputation extended far beyond the bounds of the Breth- ren's community in Pennsylvania. Dr. Otto was born at Meiningen, November 9, 1714, and studied medicine first under his father, and then at Augsburg. He entered into his father's practice about 1740, but two years later came to America with a company of about sixty persons on the "snow" Irene. The party came via Holland and England, and reached Bethlehem on July 8, 1750. Dr. Otto at once became known as a surgeon of skill, and his services were called into requisition by the authorities during the French and Indian war, which swept over the Province. His treatment of the Indian Tatamy, as well as his reports to Governor Denny, are matters of record. He was elected a member of the American Philosophical Society. April 21, 1769. This was the first meeting held by the present Society after the union with the American Society, held at Philadelphia, for promoting useful knowledge. Dr. Otto was stricken with paralysis, August 7, 1786, and died at Bethlehem two days later. The following notice appears in connection with his burial upon the Moravian record : "He served the congregation and surrounding neighbourhood for thirty-six years with great faithfulness, by the Lord's help performed many difficult cures, and was held in high regard " (See Transactions of the Moravian Historical Society, vol. iv. part 2, pp. 62-64 ; also Memorials of the Moravian Church, vol. i.)


6


The Fatherland 1450-1700.


member of the American Philosophical Society, who addressed a "Memoir on the Discovery of America" to the Society in 1786 through its President, Dr. Benjamin Franklin, in which he boldly set forth the claims of Martin Behaim of Nürnberg, as a par- taker in the discovery of America.2 This paper was SEAL OF THE AMERICAN PHILOSOPHICAL SOCIETY. published in the "Transactions" of the Society,3 and attracted great attention at home and abroad. It re- sulted in other investigators of greater and lesser degree taking up the study.


Prominent among scholars who have given their attention to the subject are to be found the names of Baron Alexander von Humboldt, Doctor F. W. Ghillany, City librarian of Nürnberg, Doctor Sophus Ruge, of Dresden, Doctor D. Th. Schott, of Stuttgart, the exhaustive "Fest Schrift" of the city of Hamburg, two volumes quarto, published in commemoration of the discovery of America by L. Friederichsen, (Ham-


? In this paper Dr. Otto closely followed the argument of Wagenseil, Altdorf, 1682. ( Wagenseilii Sacra parentalia B. Georgio Frid. Behaimo dicata, p.16 etc.) See also Humboldt, Kritische Untersuchungen, vol. i, pp. 220-224 ; and Stuvenio Jo: Friderico, De Vero Novi Orbis Inventori, Dissertatio Historico-critica. Francofurti ad Moenum, Apud Domini- cam a Sande Anno, mdccxiv, 8vo. (Copy in Carter Brown Library.)


3 Transactions, American Philosophical Society vol. ii, 1786, pp. 263- 284. Memoir on the Discovery of America. (Reprinted London 1787. 4to.) A refutation of Dr. Otto's Memoir appeared in the Memorial literar- io (Madrid, 1788, en la Imprenta Real, Jul. p. 1784.) See V. Murr p. 65.


7


The Pennsylvania-German Society.


burg, 1892) and finally Dr. Konrad Kretschmer's monumental work, with its grand atlas of fac-simile plates, which forms a fitting tribute from the German Empire of to-day to the quadri-centennial of Colum- bus' initial voyage.4


What has been said with reference to the history of America in general applies with equal force to that of our own Commonwealth, the greatest upon the west- ern hemisphere from an industrial point of view, and which, of all the numerous political divisions came the nearest to being a German one.


To clear up this lamentable state of ignorance and perverted history, at least so far as our own Commonwealth of Pennsylvania is concerned, the Pennsylvania-German Society, which is composed of men born in Pennsylvania of German de- scent, has decreed the compila- tion of a new and critical history of the Commonwealth. Each di- vision or section is to be contrib- uted by a member who has made some particular epoch in our his- tory a special subject for study. INSIGNIA OF THE PENNSYL- VANIA-GERMAN SOCIETY. In the carrying out of this laud- able project, the writer has been requested to con- tribute a paper, which is to form the introductory


Festshrift der Gesellschaft für Erdkunde zu Berlin zur 400 Jährigen Feir der Endeckung Americas.


8


The Fatherland 1450-1700.


chapter of the new work. The theme given him is : "The Fatherland," showing the part it bore in the discovery, exploration and development of the West- ern Continent.


Now to comply with this task, I propose to go back to the pre-Columbian period, and in a concise manner to trace the political, social, commercial and religious changes from the time the Turk first obtained a foot- hold on European soil down to the period when Ben- jamin Furly, as William Penn's trusted agent at Rotterdam, turned the stream of German emigration Pennsylvania-wards,5 a movement which resulted in the settlement of so large a portion of this fair province by our ancestry, where the various races united, settled, intermarried, and brought forth that sturdy race known all over this country for their in- dustry, intelligence and thrift,-the "Pennsylvania- Germans."


I will also show you, in the course of my essay, how it was that nautical instruments, the result of German ingenuity, made it possible for the Genoese sailor to launch out beyond the sight of shore and traverse the wide ocean and the Sargasso sea, until he dropped anchor beside land which he imagined to be an outlying part of Asia.


Then as to the early settlement of the country, if the proper records could be found, they would show without a doubt that a number of the early naviga-


5 See Penna Mag. of History and Biography, vol. xix, pp. 277-305 ; also German Pietists of Pennsylvania, pp. 433 et seq


9


The First Printer in America.


tors were Germans6 whose identity is now concealed under a Latinized or Hispanicized name, and that German industry and enterprise were well repre- sented in both sections of the hemisphere.


As an illustration at this point I will merely touch upon two incidents :


Firstly, to tell you that, the first printer to embark for the new world was a German, who left Europe in 1534, his destination being an established German colony in America. This was fully six years prior to the venture of Jakob Cromberger, (Corumberger) also a German, to whom is usually accorded the honor of having introduced the art of printing into the western world. The oldest known specimen from the Cromberger press, a "Manual de Adultos," bears the imprint 1540, "en la gran ciudad de Mexico. . . . En Casa de Juam Cromberger." A fac-simile of which is here reproduced.


His second work, "An account of the great Earth- quake in Guatemala" bears the legend "Impresa en casa de Juam Cromberger, 1541."


Secondly, let me ask how many students of Ameri- can lore are aware that in the earliest days of our history, for a term of twenty years and over, one of the choicest portions of Spain's continental posses- sions in America was controlled, governed, settled,


6 Several German Jews are known to have been with Columbus, on his first voyage. They were taken as interpreters, and in addition to the European tongues were versed in Hebrew, Chaldaic and Arabic. See Weltanschaung des Columbus, (Dresden 1876,) p. 21; also Die Endeckung Amerikas (Munich, 1859,) p. 79.


IO


The Fatherland 1450-1700.


DriftophorusCabrera Burgenfis adlectorem facri baptifimimint fru: Bicolon Icaltichon.


Sipancphoffe cupBueneradefacerdos: Etbaptizariquilibet Indushabere


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