This chapter briefly describes life for peasants in Germany in the 1600's and early 1700's and the reasons for German immigration to both Russia and the United States.

Catherine's colonization policies, her manifestoes, the work of her ambassadors and others who enrolled people to immigrate to Russia, the rules about enrolling, the advertising, and the efforts of the German Princes to stop the emigration of their people.

General information on were the German Russians settled, pioneer experiences, economic and political life in the colonies in the periods of 1767-1801, 1801-1850, and 1850-1871, including pictures.

The reasons for immigration, the military draft in Russia, the expansion of American railroads making land available, the ebb and flow of immigration.

Dr. Williams attended the University of Nebraska and graduated in 1902. While living in Lincoln, Nebraska in the early 1900's, she became interested in the German-Russians, and her Master's thesis in 1909 was entitled "The History of the German-Russian Colony in Lincoln." Her work was from experiences. In June 1908 she took a school census of the German Russian colony in Lincoln, and from December 1907 to May 1908 she taught elementary school in Lincoln where her students were German Russian "beetfield children". Her sociological study of the German Russians led to a dissertation for a Doctor of Philosophy degree in 1915. The Bibliographical Notes section of 8 pages includes a good list of books covering the German history pertaining to the German Russians and German immigration. The book is available from AHSGR.