Reasons for Immigrating to Texas

Excerpted from the book: Krásná Amerika: A Study of the Texas Czechs, 1851 - 1939, by Clinton Machann and James W. Mendl, and published by Eakin Press, Austin, Texas, in 1983.

First, I would like to share the basis for the title of the book:

Krásná Amerika Beautiful America

Krásná, krásna, Beautiful, beautiful

Krásná Amerika. Beautiful America.

V Americe tam je blaze, It is crazy there in America;

Tam teče pivo po podlaze, Beer flows on the floor there,

Krásná Amerika. Beautiful America.

--from a traditional Czech Waltz (Machann and Mendl iv)

Conditions in the Czech Lands

"In 1851 the area around Nepomuky and Cremna in northeastern Bohemia was severely depressed after several years of bad harvests. The people's deprivation was such that they were selling furniture, clothes, feather beds, almost anything not essential to life in order to buy food. An official in the district advised them to emigrate to Hungary(28). One of the leading citizens, however, was not enthusiastic about this idea. Josef Lidumil Lesikar had come into possession of a letter from Bergman which described Texas in glowing terms(29). Lesikar diverted that attention of those desiring to go to Hungary to this exotic place called Texas. He also sent a copy of the letter to the Moravske noviny. This letter inspired the beginning of mass Czech and Moravian immigration to Texas. Although only seventeen families left Nepomuky and Cermna in the first group, larger numbers of persons followed them in the coming years. Bergman and Lesikar had set an irreversible tide into motion. As oppressed, hungry peasants read Bergman's letters in their newspapers and than began to receive letters from relatives who had arrived in Texas, increasing numbers of them decided to leave."

"(28) A number of Czechs were emigrating to Hungary at this time. Community leader Josef Lesikar, however, had heard that the Banat region, where they were urged to settle, was unhealthy and the Hungarians were unfriendly towards Slavs (Silar, 3)."

(29) It is not entirely clear how the Bergman letter fell into Lesiker's hands. but it was common for such letters to circulate widely in districts where the idea of emigration was popular. Emigration to America was becoming one of the most popular subjects of discussion among the inhabitants of the Lanskroun area." (Machann and Mendl 28).

The Dubina Settlers

"The first group of emigrants was made up of the very poor Czech peasants who wanted more from life than they expected to find in their native country. On August 19, 1851, 118 emigrant passes were granted by the government. The family names were Silar, Rippel, Pfeifer, Haisler, Sontag, Lesikar, Marek, Votava, Rohsler, Motl, Jezek, Coufal, and Mares, and they came from several villages around Nepomusky and Cermna. All but two, Jan Silar, a weaver, and Josef Silar, a soapmaker, were laborers, the poorest of the villagers. On November 6, 1851, 74 of those issued passes started the long trip to Texas. Sixteen of the families were Protestant, one Catholic. The remaining people 44 people could not bear to leave. Ironically, Josef Lesikar was one of these. His wife Terezie prevailed upon him at the last minute not to leave their home."

"...Many did emigrate did not find a better life, either. The story of this first group is full of misfortune and tragedy; only about half of them were to reach Texas alive. After traveling to Hamburg by train, they met a Mr. Hirman, who talked them into saving a few dollars on their tickets by taking a circuitous route to Liverpool, New Orleans, and finally, Galveston, their intended destination. When they arrived in Liverpool, they found their ship, The "Maria" was already overcrowded with Irish immigrants. The conditions on board ship were so bad that only 38 of the original 74 people remained alive after the 10-week voyage.(31) Future immigrants were to learn from the experiences of this first, ill-fated group. The Moravske noviny later printed a letter from Bergman to Josef Lesikar describing the best route to take: Tell them to be sure not to save money at the wrong time. It is better to pay a little more and buy passage on a German boat from Mr. Valenti in Hamburg. In this is not possible then pay only a little more in Bremen and buy passage on a German boat directly to Galveston. In the end, this, although slightly more expensive, passage will be the most economical. In addition, please advise any future emigrants not to delay long anywhere along the route, especially not in Houston, that "Texas Graveyard of Germans." Instead move on to higher ground as soon as you can. (32) (31) Silar, 9.

(32) Quoted in Silar, 9" (Machann and Mendl 32).

Conditions of Travel for Early Czech Emigrants:

"Although the shipboard conditions for the first group were unusually harsh, most of the vessels which brought the hopeful Czech emigrants to Texas in the early years were definitely not comfortable or even, in many instances, safe. Ship brokers bought space aboard freighters going to the New World and, in turn, sold spaces to emigrants. Of course, the more people the agent could pack into each ship, the higher his profit. The ship owners had to make money too, and in the 1850's they looked at the transportation of emigrants much as they would the transportation of raw materials or manufactured goods.

The emigrant families were usually given space between the decks of a ship. The area was typically only about six foot in height with six-foot square berths for living space. This confined area became almost unbearable when rough weather threatened and the hatches were battened down. The stench of squalid water and filth permeated the mid-decks, and the area was unsanitary. Many became ill and died. Julie Skarpa of Snook, Texas, gave this picture of shipboard conditions given her parents who came to Texas in 1855.

The trip on the sailboat lasted three months. Terrible storms drove the ship off course and for an entire week it was continually crushed by waves as by a nut cracker. Our poor immigrants suffered terribly from sea sickness and each and every moment fully expected the boat to be crushed by the waves. There only comfort was reading the Kralice Bible [Czech Protestant Bible] and singing songs from the Kancional [Czech Bretheren Hymn Book]. There were with few exceptions evangelicals, followers of our Martyr, Master Jan Hus and the Moravian Brethren. The food onboard was very poor, mostly beans, bacon, and worm-eaten biscuits instead of bread. The women would break them open and pick out the worms before feeding them to their families. They soaked them in a kind of soup made of brown flour brought from home. Boiling water was poured on the flour and the biscuits were then soaked in the "soup". How happy they were when after three months of such suffering they finally arrived in Galveston. (35) "Americkan narodni kalendar" (1924), 280" (Machann and Mendl 34).

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	Reasons for Immigration to Texas

	Excerpted from the book: Krásná Amerika: A Study of the Texas Czechs, 1851 - 1939, by Clinton Machann and James W. Mendl, and published by Eakin Press, Austin, Texas, in 1983. First, I would like to share the basis for the title of the book: Krásná Amerika Beautiful America Krásná, krásna, Beautiful, beautiful Krásná Amerika. Beautiful America. V Americe tam je blaze, It is crazy there in America; Tam teče pivo po podlaze, Beer flows on the floor there, Krásná Amerika. Beautiful America. --from a traditional Czech Waltz (Machann and Mendl iv) Conditions in the Czech Lands "In 1851 the area around Nepomuky and Cremna in northeastern Bohemia was severely depressed after several years of bad harvests. The people's deprivation was such that they were selling furniture, clothes, feather beds, almost anything not essential to life in order to buy food. An official in the district advised them to emigrate to Hungary(28). One of the leading citizens, however, was not enthusiastic about this idea. Josef Lidumil Lesikar had come into possession of a letter from Bergman which described Texas in glowing terms(29). Lesikar diverted that attention of those desiring to go to Hungary to this exotic place called Texas. He also sent a copy of the letter to the Moravske noviny. This letter inspired the beginning of mass Czech and Moravian immigration to Texas. Although only seventeen families left Nepomuky and Cermna in the first group, larger numbers of persons followed them in the coming years. Bergman and Lesikar had set an irreversible tide into motion. As oppressed, hungry peasants read Bergman's letters in their newspapers and than began to receive letters from relatives who had arrived in Texas, increasing numbers of them decided to leave." "(28) A number of Czechs were emigrating to Hungary at this time. Community leader Josef Lesikar, however, had heard that the Banat region, where they were urged to settle, was unhealthy and the Hungarians were unfriendly towards Slavs (Silar, 3)." (29) It is not entirely clear how the Bergman letter fell into Lesiker's hands. but it was common for such letters to circulate widely in districts where the idea of emigration was popular. Emigration to America was becoming one of the most popular subjects of discussion among the inhabitants of the Lanskroun area." (Machann and Mendl 28). The Dubina Settlers "The first group of emigrants was made up of the very poor Czech peasants who wanted more from life than they expected to find in their native country. On August 19, 1851, 118 emigrant passes were granted by the government. The family names were Silar, Rippel, Pfeifer, Haisler, Sontag, Lesikar, Marek, Votava, Rohsler, Motl, Jezek, Coufal, and Mares, and they came from several villages around Nepomusky and Cermna. All but two, Jan Silar, a weaver, and Josef Silar, a soapmaker, were laborers, the poorest of the villagers. On November 6, 1851, 74 of those issued passes started the long trip to Texas. Sixteen of the families were Protestant, one Catholic. The remaining people 44 people could not bear to leave. Ironically, Josef Lesikar was one of these. His wife Terezie prevailed upon him at the last minute not to leave their home." "...Many did emigrate did not find a better life, either. The story of this first group is full of misfortune and tragedy; only about half of them were to reach Texas alive. After traveling to Hamburg by train, they met a Mr. Hirman, who talked them into saving a few dollars on their tickets by taking a circuitous route to Liverpool, New Orleans, and finally, Galveston, their intended destination. When they arrived in Liverpool, they found their ship, The "Maria" was already overcrowded with Irish immigrants. The conditions on board ship were so bad that only 38 of the original 74 people remained alive after the 10-week voyage.(31) Future immigrants were to learn from the experiences of this first, ill-fated group. The Moravske noviny later printed a letter from Bergman to Josef Lesikar describing the best route to take: Tell them to be sure not to save money at the wrong time. It is better to pay a little more and buy passage on a German boat from Mr. Valenti in Hamburg. In this is not possible then pay only a little more in Bremen and buy passage on a German boat directly to Galveston. In the end, this, although slightly more expensive, passage will be the most economical. In addition, please advise any future emigrants not to delay long anywhere along the route, especially not in Houston, that "Texas Graveyard of Germans." Instead move on to higher ground as soon as you can. (32) (31) Silar, 9. (32) Quoted in Silar, 9" (Machann and Mendl 32). Conditions of Travel for Early Czech Emigrants: "Although the shipboard conditions for the first group were unusually harsh, most of the vessels which brought the hopeful Czech emigrants to Texas in the early years were definitely not comfortable or even, in many instances, safe. Ship brokers bought space aboard freighters going to the New World and, in turn, sold spaces to emigrants. Of course, the more people the agent could pack into each ship, the higher his profit. The ship owners had to make money too, and in the 1850's they looked at the transportation of emigrants much as they would the transportation of raw materials or manufactured goods. The emigrant families were usually given space between the decks of a ship. The area was typically only about six foot in height with six-foot square berths for living space. This confined area became almost unbearable when rough weather threatened and the hatches were battened down. The stench of squalid water and filth permeated the mid-decks, and the area was unsanitary. Many became ill and died. Julie Skarpa of Snook, Texas, gave this picture of shipboard conditions given her parents who came to Texas in 1855. The trip on the sailboat lasted three months. Terrible storms drove the ship off course and for an entire week it was continually crushed by waves as by a nut cracker. Our poor immigrants suffered terribly from sea sickness and each and every moment fully expected the boat to be crushed by the waves. There only comfort was reading the Kralice Bible [Czech Protestant Bible] and singing songs from the Kancional [Czech Bretheren Hymn Book]. There were with few exceptions evangelicals, followers of our Martyr, Master Jan Hus and the Moravian Brethren. The food onboard was very poor, mostly beans, bacon, and worm-eaten biscuits instead of bread. The women would break them open and pick out the worms before feeding them to their families. They soaked them in a kind of soup made of brown flour brought from home. Boiling water was poured on the flour and the biscuits were then soaked in the "soup". How happy they were when after three months of such suffering they finally arrived in Galveston. (35) "Americkan narodni kalendar" (1924), 280" (Machann and Mendl 34). Home