John Schlosser is my great, great, great grandfather. He was one of the first men in my family to immigrate to America, starting our family’s history in the states. He became a United States citizen in 1875 and my family has held onto his citizenship papers ever since. John left Germany amid a war-torn country and an unstable government. In the early to mid-1800s, Prussia, later to be named Germany, was at war with various countries within the European territories. Germany’s suffering economy had left many without work to support their families. John, like many immigrants, saw America as a land of opportunity. He saw a place where he would be able to find a stable job and make a good wage. He moved to the state of Wisconsin in the 1870s to start a new life. Wisconsin, in the 1870s, had just about everything from the industrial complex, such as mills and factories, to farms and ranches of the mid-west. There was a great need for labor to run the factories and the ranches, so job opportunities were abundant. Many immigrants flocked to this area for work and that is exactly what my grandfather did. 

 

– Kyle Ramseyer

Relationship:  Great-grandchild of im/migrant or more Great-grandchild of im/migrant or more