Czech American Totally Explained

Everything about Czech American totally explained

Czech Americans refer to citizens of the United States who were born in, or who descended from, the territory of the historic Czech lands, (consisting of Bohemia, Moravia and Silesia), or succession states, now known as the Czech Republic. In the 19th century, they were frequently called Bohemians. According to the 2000 US census, there are 1,262,527 Americans of full or partial Czech descent, in addition to 441,403 persons listing their ancestry as Czechoslovakian.

History

The first documented case of the entry of Czechs to the North American shores is of Joachim Gans of Prague, who came to Roanoke, North Carolina in 1585 with an expedition of explorers organized by Sir Walter Raleigh (1552 -1618). Augustine Herman (1621-1686) was the first documented Czech settler. He was a surveyor and skilled draftsman, successful planter and developer of new lands, a shrewd and enterprising merchant, a bold politician and effective diplomat, fluent in several languages. After coming to New Amsterdam (present New York) he became one of the most influential people in the Dutch Province which led to his appointment to the Council of Nine to advise the New Amsterdam Governor Peter Stuyvesant. One of his greatest achievements was his celebrated map of Maryland and Virginia commissioned by Lord Baltimore on which he began working in earnest after removing to the English Province of Maryland. Lord Baltimore - Cæcilius Calvert, 2nd Baron Baltimore - was so pleased with the map that he rewarded Herman with a large estate, named by Herman "Bohemia Manor", and the hereditary title Lord. There was another Bohemian living in New Amsterdam at that time, Frederick Philipse (1626 -1720), who became equally famous. He was a successful merchant who, eventually, became the wealthiest person in the entire Dutch Province. Philipse was originally from Bohemia, from an aristocratic Protestant family who had to leave their native land to save their lives, after the Thirty Years' War.
   The first significant wave of Czech colonists was of the Moravian Brethren who began arriving on the American shores in the first half of the 18th century. Moravian Brethren were the followers of the teachings of the Czech religious reformer and martyr Jan Hus (1370 -1415) and Bishop John Amos Comenius (1592-1670). They were true heirs of the ancient "Unitas fratrum" - Unity of the Brethren bohemicorum, who found a temporary refuge in Herrnhut ("Ochranov," in Czech language) in Lusatia under the patronage of Count Nikolaus Zinzendorf (1700 -1760). Because of the worsening political and religious situation in Saxony, the Moravian Brethren, as they began calling themselves, decided to emigrate to North America.
   They started coming in 1735, when they first settled in Savannah, Georgia, and then in Pennsylvania, from which they spread to other states after the American Revolution, especially Ohio. They established a number of Moravian settlements, such as Bethlehem and Lititz in Pennsylvania and Salem in North Carolina. Moravians made great contributions to the growth and development of the US. Cultural contributions of Moravian Brethren from the Czechlands were distinctly notable in the realm of music. The trumpets and horns used by the Moravians in Georgia are the first evidence of Moravian instrumental music in America.
   In 1776, at the time of the Declaration of Independence, more than two thousand Moravian Brethren lived in the colonies. The Moravian Brethren established a close relationship with President Thomas Jefferson, who designated special lands to the missionaries to civilize the Indians and promote Christianity. The free uncultivated land in America encouraged immigration throughout the eighteenth century; most of the immigrants were farmers and settled in the Midwestern states. During the American Civil War, Czechs served in both the Confederate and Union army, but as with most immigrant groups, the majority fought for the Union. Immigration resumed and reached a peak in 1907, when 13,554 Czechs entered the eastern ports. Unlike previous immigration, new immigrants were predominantly Catholic. By 1910, the Czech population was 349,000, and by 1940 it was 1,764,000. The U.S. Bureau of the Census reported that nearly 800,000 Czechs were residing in the U.S. in 1970. Since this figure didn't include Czechs who had been living in the U.S. for several generations, it's fair to assume that the actual number was much higher.

Population

The states with the largest Czech American populations are:

Texas	155,855
Illinois	123,708
Wisconsin	97,220
Minnesota	85,056
Nebraska	83,462
California	77,673
Ohio	61,640
Iowa	51,508
New York	44,942
Florida	42,890

The states with the top percentages of Czech Americans are:

Nebraska	4.9%
South Dakota	2.1%
North Dakota	2.0%
Wisconsin	1.8%
Iowa	1.8%
Minnesota	1.7%

Festivals

Baltimore, MD

Cultural Organizations

American Czech-Slovak Cultural Club, North Miami, FL

American Sokol Organization, Brookfield, IL

Bohemian Citizens' Benevolent Society of Astoria, NY

Council of Higher Education, Chicago, IL

CSA Fraternal Life, Oak Brook, IL

Czech and Slovak Association, Boston, MA

Czech & Slovak Club of Greater Kansas City, MO

Czech & Slovak Heritage Association of Maryland, Baltimore, MD

Czech Heritage Preservation Society, Tabor, SD

Czech Heritage Society of Texas

Czech-Slovak American Club of Tucson, AZ

Czech Society of Oregon, Portland, OR

Czechoslovak Society of Arts and Sciences (SVU), Washington, DC

Friends of Via, Pittsburgh, PA

Louisiana Czech Heritage Association, Libuse, LA

Komensky Club, Lincoln, NE

Moravian Heritage Society, Tomball, TX

Nebraska Czechs, Lincoln, NE

Oklahoma Czechs, OK

SPJST, Temple, TX

United Moravian Societies, Chicago, IL

Western Fraternal Life Association (WFLA), Cedar Rapids, IA

Institutions, Museums, Halls

American Czech Educational Center, St. Louis, MO

American Czech-Slovak Cultural Club - North Miami, FL - Clubhouse

Bohemian Hall and Beer Garden, Astoria, NY

Bohemian National Hall, New York, NY

Czech and Slovak Cultural Center of Minnesota, St., Paul, MN

Czech Center New York, NY

Czech Cultural Center of Greater Cleveland, OH

Czech Cultural Center Houston, TX

Texas Czech Heritage & Cultural Center, La Grange, TX

Burleson Co. Czech Heritage Museum, Caldwell, TX

Czech-Slovak Culture & Business Center of Florida, Tarpon Springs, FL

CSA - Czechoslovak Heritage Museum, Oak Brook, IL

Louisiana Czech Museum. Libuse, LA

National Czech & Slovak Museum & Library, Cedar Rapids, IA

Prague Historical Museum, Prague, OK

SPJST Museum, Temple, TX

Yukon Czech Hall, Yukon, SD

News & Media

A Czech-American Blog

Czech-American Newspapers, Newsletters and other Serials

Czech-American Radio Stations

Czech-American TV

The Dumpling Newsletter

Kosmas - Czechoslovak and Central European Journal

SVU News

Notable Czech Americans

See List of Czech AmericansFurther Information

Get more info on 'Czech American'.

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