What’s the story?
The German Society of Pennsylvania was founded in Philadelphia in 1764 by a group of German men, immigrants themselves, who had reached middle class status. Its mission was to aid newly arrived German speaking immigrants who had survived often harrowing journeys on ships whose conditions were unregulated and frequently abysmal. Henry Keppele, a prosperous Philadelphia businessman who had survived a harrowing journey of his own, was elected the Society’s first president. Keppele had arrived in Philadelphia in 1738 at the age of 22 aboard the Charming Nancy, a ship not nearly as pleasant as its name sounded. Of the 312 passengers that boarded the ship in Rotterdam, only 62 survived a fever that spread through the ship claiming both passengers and crew members.Among the German Society’s directors were “overseers” whose role was to investigate the cases of those seeking relief and report back to the board. Among other jobs, the overseers often visited the docks where ships landed to determine how the German Society could help. Often, assistance came in the form of legal, medical and financial aid. At the time of the GSP’s founding, many immigrants did not have money to pay for their passage upfront. Instead, they bound themselves on arrival to an employer who would pay the captain the amount owed. The system was rife with abuse since German immigrants often signed contracts written in a language they did not understand. After becoming GSP president, Keppele was elected to the Pennsylvania General Assembly, where he advocated on behalf of the Society for protections for immigrants and improved conditions on the ships.
For over a century and a half, assistance to needy countrymen was the primary function of the German Society. All the charity came from GSP members themselves. It wasn’t until the 1940s when federal governmental assistance programs largely replaced private mutual aid societies, that the German Society shifted its focus to other endeavors.
Transcription, Letter from Andrew Geyer to General Peter Muhlenberg
Page 41Der Bericht des HErrn Andreas Geyer des jüngern, welcher nach Perth Amboy
gegangen war, um fernere Nachricht von der Lage, und Ausführung des
Capitain Conklins, gegen die deutschen Emigranten, auf seinem Schiffe
General Wayne, zu erhalten, wurde den Beamten vorgeleßen, und darauf
Beschlossen daß er, wie auch die Briefe an den Präsidenten HErrn
Mühlenberg, dem Protocoll einverleibt werde.
==============================
“Sir
Having just returned from the errand sent upon by you and the other
officers of the German Society, relative to the German Redemptioners lately ar-
-rived at Perth Amboy, I have thought proper without loss of time, to com-
-municate to you in writing, for your and their information, how far I pro-
-ceeded with the business entrusted me, respecting the said German Redemption-
-ers.
I left the City on friday last, and in the evening arrived at New
Brunswick, when I waited on Mr. Robert Eastburn, and presented him
the letter you addressed him. Mr. Eastburn appears to be a Gentleman of
humanity and of feeling. After he read the letter, he observed a willingness
to accompany me to Amboy, he did so the next morning, as also did Mr.
Kladey. Both of them behaved with the greatest politeness towards me,
and with great liberality to wards the German Redemptioners at Amboy.
Page 42
Immediately on our arrival at Amboy, we went to the River, with an intention
of going on board the Ship General Wayne, or with an expectation of
seeing some of the redemptioners on shore. However we saw none of them
at this time, and the ship was weighing anchor, and soon after set sail
for New York. By inquiry we found, the passengers were deposited in the
Goal of Amboy, however not closely confined, having permission granted
them by the agent to walk about the place or town; From what I could
learn, the Captain began to be uneasy, as some of the inhabitants had
spoken to him, with respect to the mal-conduct, exercised by him towards
those unhappy beings, and resolved to leave Amboy, and go to New York.
I went to visit those unfortunate people, and in truth they may be
called unfortunate!, and I must confess, I have seen a number of vessels
at Philadelphia, with redemptioners, but never did I see such a set of
miserable beings in my life, death to make use of the expression, appear-
-ed to be staring them in the face. Their complaints were numerous which
they made against the Captain, respecting the bad treatment they received
from him on and during the passage. The complaints, which I conceive
are of the greatest importance, I shall briefly state. My intention was
to have had them confirmed with their oaths; but as they are made by
every one of the passengers, I thought it unnecessary. They are– that they
left Hamburg some time in november last, and arrived at Tonningen,
were lay the Ship General Wayne John Conklin master bound for
New York, with whom they entered into a certain agreement, on condi-
-tion, that he the said Conklin would take them to New York: that
during the passage, they should be allowed a certain quantity of Bread,
meat, peas, fish, vinegar, butter, potatoes, tobacco etca, as also a dram
in the morning, as will appear by a reference to the agreement itself,
each passenger having one. About fourteen days after they left Ton-
-ningen, they put into an english port near Portsmouth, where they
remained about four weeks, that during that time, a british recruit-
-ing officer came on board the ship, when the Captn. informed them,
Page 43
that they now had an opportunity of enlisting, that those who so chose to do,
might, as the recruiting officer was on board the ship. Ten men consented,
and entered their names; giving to the other passengers their reasons for so
doing, namely: that having been already put on allowance by the Captain,
they were apprehensive that, should they stay on board the ship, they should
be starved before they arrived in America. Amongst those that enlisted,
was a man who had a wife and child on board the ship; that eight
days after they had thus entered their names, they were taken from the
ship by the recruiting officer, although some of them wished to withdraw
their names, but to no effect; go they must. The woman and her child
are now at Amboy, lamenting the loss of the husband and father.
On the last day of their remaining in this british port, the
same recruiting officer came the third time on bord the ship, when the
mate called four or five of the passengers by name, and told them in the
presence of the Captain, they must be soldiers, and go with the officers.
They replied they had no intention of being soldiers; they wished to go
to America: whereupon the Captain and mate seized one of them, by
name Samuel Fogel, and threw him into the boat belonging to the
recruiting officer which was along side of the ship. However Fogel got
back again into the ship, went below and hid himself; but was again
compelled to come forward with his cloaths, when the recruiting officer
observing him weep, declared he would not have him and left the
ship; mentioning that he should not have again come on board, had not
the captain, the day before, pressed him so to do. The captain was highly
dissatisfied with these men for refusing to go, and declared, that they
should not have any thing to eat on board the ship; that they might starve:
and ordered one of them to be flogged for refusing, which was perform’d
too in a cruel manner. That the whole of the passengers, when at this British
port, complained to the captain, that the treatment they received was
not such as was agreed to between them at Tonningen. He replied they
were not then in Tonningen; neither were they at America, but in
England. They then set sail; and after 14 days had elapsed, the
Page 44
the captain informed them, that they would get nothing to eat except bread
and meat. After this, each person received 2 biscuits, 1 pint of water and
the eighth part of a pound of meat per day. This regulation continued
for 2 or 3 weeks, when they, one and all declared, they could not, any
longer, exist on the small allowance they received; that they must,
without doubt, perish. The hunger and thirst being, at this time, so
great, and the children continually crying out for bread and drink,
some of the men, resolved, at all events, to procure bread, broke open
the apartment wherein it was kept, and took some. This was discover’d
by the captain, as were also those who did the same, when each
of them was ordered to, and actually did, receive, after being first
tied a number of lashes on their bare backs well laid on. The
whole of the passengers were also punished for this offence. The
men received no bread, the women but one biscuit. This continued
for 9 days, when the men were again allowed one biscuit per day:
however the captain would at least make or proclaim a fast-day.
In this situation, their condition became dreadful, so much so,
that, five and twenty men, women and children actually perished
for the want of the common necessaries of life: in short, for
the want of bread. The latter were 10 in number all, at the
time, at the breasts of their mothers. The hunger was so great
on board, that all the bones about the ship, were hunted up by them,
pounded with a hammer and eaten: and what is more lamentable,
some of the deceased persons, not many hours before their death,
crawled on their hands and feet to the captain, and begged him,
for God’s sake to give them a mouthful of bread, or a drop of
water keep them from perishing; but their supplications were
in vain : he most obstinately refused, and thus did they perish!
The cry of the children for bread was, as I am informed, so
great that it would be impossible for man to describe it, nor
can the passengers believe that any other person, excepting Captn.
Conklin, would be found, whose heart would not have melted
with compassion to hear those little inoffensive ones, cry for
Page 45
bread. The number of passengers, when the ship arrived at Amboy, amounted
to 132; fifty one remain there still : the others have been disposed of.
The passengers further state that they did not receive the tobacco,
the fish, nor the potatoes as they ought to have received, and which
they were entitled to, as by their contract with the captain; neither did
they receive their dram but 4 or 5 times during their passage,
and no butter after they left the British port until within 3 or 4 days
ago.
The foregoing are the principal causes of complaint; and in-
-deed they appear they appear [sic] very serious ones too to me. However
I having heard those complaints, and understanding from a number
of citizens of Amboy, that the captain’s intention was to take the
ship to New York; leave her as also the state of New York, and go to
his native state Rhode Island, I was at a loss to know how to
act, or what to do, as my instructions were not for New York.
However, after reflection, I determined to push on for New York,
and there inform the German Society of his conduct. I did so, and
on Sunday arrived there, when after some little inquiry, I found
the president of the society Mr. Philip I Arcularius. To him I com-
-municated the whole of this disagreeable affair. His feelings can
be more easily conceived than described. He however gave directions
to have the officers of the society summoned to meet the next day,
which was done, and they all attended excepting one of the assist-
-ants; and after hearing the circumstances relative to those un-
-fortunate people, they appointed three of their members, officers, to act
in such way as they should, after taking legal advice, think best,
to bring the captain to that punishment which his conduct should
merit. I am, Sir, with respect,
Your obed’t humble Serv’t
Genl. Peter Muhlenberg. signed. Andrew Geyer Junr.
President of the German Society. Philada. 17.th April 1805
More details
theme: Unfinished Revolutionssubjects: German Society of Pennsylvania; Charities — Pennsylvania — Philadelphia; German Americans — Pennsylvania — Philadelphia; German Americans — Charities; Redemptioners
contributing repository: German Society of Pennsylvania
submitted by: Bettina Hess
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