Czech Americans (), known in the 19th and early 20th century as Bohemian Americans, are citizens of the United States whose ancestry is wholly or partly originate from the

Czech lands The Czech lands or the Bohemian lands (, ) is a historical-geographical term which denotes the three historical regions of Bohemia, Moravia, and Czech Silesia out of which Czechoslovakia, and later the Czech Republic and Slovakia, were formed. ...

, a term which refers to the majority of the traditional

lands of the Bohemian Crown The Lands of the Bohemian Crown were the states in Central Europe during the Middle Ages, medieval and early modern periods with feudalism, feudal obligations to the List of Bohemian monarchs, Bohemian kings. The crown lands primarily consisted o ...

, namely

Bohemia Bohemia ( ; ; ) is the westernmost and largest historical region of the Czech Republic. In a narrow, geographic sense, it roughly encompasses the territories of present-day Czechia that fall within the Elbe River's drainage basin, but historic ...

Moravia Moravia ( ; ) is a historical region in the eastern Czech Republic, roughly encompassing its territory within the Danube River's drainage basin. It is one of three historical Czech lands, with Bohemia and Czech Silesia. The medieval and early ...

and Czech Silesia. These lands over time have been governed by a variety of states, including the

Kingdom of Bohemia The Kingdom of Bohemia (), sometimes referenced in English literature as the Czech Kingdom, was a History of the Czech lands in the High Middle Ages, medieval and History of the Czech lands, early modern monarchy in Central Europe. It was the pr ...

, the

Austrian Empire The Austrian Empire, officially known as the Empire of Austria, was a Multinational state, multinational European Great Powers, great power from 1804 to 1867, created by proclamation out of the Habsburg monarchy, realms of the Habsburgs. Duri ...

Czechoslovakia Czechoslovakia ( ; Czech language, Czech and , ''Česko-Slovensko'') was a landlocked country in Central Europe, created in 1918, when it declared its independence from Austria-Hungary. In 1938, after the Munich Agreement, the Sudetenland beca ...

, and the

Czech Republic The Czech Republic, also known as Czechia, and historically known as Bohemia, is a landlocked country in Central Europe. The country is bordered by Austria to the south, Germany to the west, Poland to the northeast, and Slovakia to the south ...

also known by its short-form name, Czechia. Germans from the Czech lands who emigrated to the United States are usually identified as

German American German Americans (, ) are Americans who have full or partial German ancestry. According to the United States Census Bureau's figures from 2022, German Americans make up roughly 41 million people in the US, which is approximately 12% of the pop ...

s, or, more specifically, as Americans of German Bohemian descent. According to the 2000 U.S. census, there are 1,262,527 Americans of full or partial Czech descent, in addition to 441,403 persons who list their ancestry as Czechoslovak. Historical information about Czechs in America is available thanks to people such as Mila Rechcigl.

History

The first documented case of the entry of

Czechs The Czechs (, ; singular Czech, masculine: ''Čech'' , singular feminine: ''Češka'' ), or the Czech people (), are a West Slavs, West Slavic ethnic group and a nation native to the Czech Republic in Central Europe, who share a common Bohemia ...

to the North American shores is of Joachim Gans of

Prague Prague ( ; ) is the capital and List of cities and towns in the Czech Republic, largest city of the Czech Republic and the historical capital of Bohemia. Prague, located on the Vltava River, has a population of about 1.4 million, while its P ...

, a Bohemian Jewish mining engineer who came to Roanoke,

North Carolina North Carolina ( ) is a U.S. state, state in the Southeastern United States, Southeastern region of the United States. It is bordered by Virginia to the north, the Atlantic Ocean to the east, South Carolina to the south, Georgia (U.S. stat ...

in 1585 with an expedition of explorers organized by Sir

Walter Raleigh Sir Walter Raleigh (; – 29 October 1618) was an English statesman, soldier, writer and explorer. One of the most notable figures of the Elizabethan era, he played a leading part in English colonisation of North America, suppressed rebell ...

(1552–1618). Augustine Herman (1621–1686) was the first documented Czech settler. He was a

surveyor Surveying or land surveying is the technique, profession, art, and science of determining the terrestrial two-dimensional or three-dimensional positions of points and the distances and angles between them. These points are usually on the ...

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 New Amsterdam (, ) was a 17th-century Dutch Empire, Dutch settlement established at the southern tip of Manhattan Island that served as the seat of the colonial government in New Netherland. The initial trading ''Factory (trading post), fac ...

(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 Maryland ( ) is a U.S. state, state in the Mid-Atlantic (United States), Mid-Atlantic region of the United States. It borders the states of Virginia to its south, West Virginia to its west, Pennsylvania to its north, and Delaware to its east ...

and

Virginia Virginia, officially the Commonwealth of Virginia, is a U.S. state, state in the Southeastern United States, Southeastern and Mid-Atlantic (United States), Mid-Atlantic regions of the United States between the East Coast of the United States ...

commissioned by Lord Baltimore on which he began working in earnest after removing to the English Province of

. Lord 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 Lord is an appellation for a person or deity who has authority, control, or power (social and political), power over others, acting as a master, chief, or ruler. The appellation can also denote certain persons who hold a title of the Peerage o ...

. 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

, from an aristocratic

Protestant Protestantism is a branch of Christianity that emphasizes Justification (theology), justification of sinners Sola fide, through faith alone, the teaching that Salvation in Christianity, salvation comes by unmerited Grace in Christianity, divin ...

family who had to leave their native land to save their lives, after the

Thirty Years' War The Thirty Years' War, fought primarily in Central Europe between 1618 and 1648, was one of the most destructive conflicts in History of Europe, European history. An estimated 4.5 to 8 million soldiers and civilians died from battle, famine ...

. 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 Jan Hus (; ; 1369 – 6 July 1415), sometimes anglicized as John Hus or John Huss, and referred to in historical texts as ''Iohannes Hus'' or ''Johannes Huss'', was a Czechs, Czech theologian and philosopher who became a Church reformer and t ...

(1370–1415), Petr Chelčický and Bishop John Amos Comenius (1592–1670). They were true heirs of the ancient "Unitas fratrum bohemicorum" - Unity of the Brethren, who found a temporary refuge in Herrnhut () in Lusatia under the patronage of Count Nikolaus Zinzendorf (1700–1760). Because of the worsening political and religious situation in

Saxony Saxony, officially the Free State of Saxony, is a landlocked state of Germany, bordering the states of Brandenburg, Saxony-Anhalt, Thuringia, and Bavaria, as well as the countries of Poland and the Czech Republic. Its capital is Dresden, and ...

, the Moravian Brethren, as they began calling themselves, decided to emigrate to North America. Anton Cermak cph

This group started coming in 1735, when they first settled in

Savannah, Georgia Savannah ( ) is the oldest city in the U.S. state of Georgia (U.S. state), Georgia and the county seat of Chatham County, Georgia, Chatham County. Established in 1733 on the Savannah River, the city of Savannah became the Kingdom of Great Brita ...

, and then in

Pennsylvania Pennsylvania, officially the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, is a U.S. state, state spanning the Mid-Atlantic (United States), Mid-Atlantic, Northeastern United States, Northeastern, Appalachian, and Great Lakes region, Great Lakes regions o ...

, from which they spread to other states after the

American Revolution The American Revolution (1765–1783) was a colonial rebellion and war of independence in which the Thirteen Colonies broke from British America, British rule to form the United States of America. The revolution culminated in the American ...

, especially

Ohio Ohio ( ) is a U.S. state, state in the Midwestern United States, Midwestern region of the United States. It borders Lake Erie to the north, Pennsylvania to the east, West Virginia to the southeast, Kentucky to the southwest, Indiana to the ...

. The Moravians established a number of settlements, such as

Bethlehem Bethlehem is a city in the West Bank, Palestine, located about south of Jerusalem, and the capital of the Bethlehem Governorate. It had a population of people, as of . The city's economy is strongly linked to Tourism in the State of Palesti ...

and

Lititz Lititz is a Borough (Pennsylvania), borough in Lancaster County, Pennsylvania, United States, north of Lancaster, Pennsylvania, Lancaster. As of the 2020 United States census, 2020 census, it had a population of 9,370. History Lititz was ...

in Pennsylvania and Salem in

. Moravians made great contributions to the growth and development of the United States. Cultural contributions of Moravian Brethren from the Czech lands were distinctly notable in the realm of music. The trumpets and horns used by the Moravians in

Georgia Georgia most commonly refers to: * Georgia (country), a country in the South Caucasus * Georgia (U.S. state), a state in the southeastern United States Georgia may also refer to: People and fictional characters * Georgia (name), a list of pe ...

are the first evidence of Moravian instrumental music in America. In 1776, at the time of the

Declaration of Independence A declaration of independence is an assertion by a polity in a defined territory that it is independent and constitutes a state. Such places are usually declared from part or all of the territory of another state or failed state, or are breaka ...

, more than two thousand Moravian Brethren lived in the colonies. President

Thomas Jefferson Thomas Jefferson (, 1743July 4, 1826) was an American Founding Fathers of the United States, Founding Father and the third president of the United States from 1801 to 1809. He was the primary author of the United States Declaration of Indepe ...

designated special lands to the missionaries to civilize the Indians and promote Christianity. The free uncultivated land in America encouraged immigration throughout the nineteenth century; most of the immigrants were farmers and settled in the Midwestern states. The first major immigration of Czechs occurred in 1848 when the Czech " Forty Eighters" fled to the United States to escape the political persecution by the Austrian Habsburgs. During the

American Civil War The American Civil War (April 12, 1861May 26, 1865; also known by Names of the American Civil War, other names) was a civil war in the United States between the Union (American Civil War), Union ("the North") and the Confederate States of A ...

, 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 The Catholic Church (), also known as the Roman Catholic Church, is the List of Christian denominations by number of members, largest Christian church, with 1.27 to 1.41 billion baptized Catholics Catholic Church by country, worldwid ...

. Although some of the anticlericalism of the Czechs in Europe came to the United States, Czech Americans are, on the whole, much more likely to be practicing Catholics than Czechs in Europe. 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 that figure did not include Czechs who had been living in the U.S. for several generations, it is reasonable to assume that the actual number was higher. Additionally, Czech immigrants in America often had different claims of origin in records. Before 1918, many Czechs would be listed as from Bohemia or Moravia or vaguely Austria or Silesia. Some were also counted as from Germany if they were German-speakers or rarely Polish if the recorder could not distinguish the language.

Slovaks The Slovaks ( (historical Sloveni ), singular: ''Slovák'' (historical: ''Sloven'' ), feminine: ''Slovenka'' , plural: ''Slovenky'') are a West Slavic ethnic group and nation native to Slovakia who share a common ancestry, culture, history ...

were often listed as from

Hungary Hungary is a landlocked country in Central Europe. Spanning much of the Pannonian Basin, Carpathian Basin, it is bordered by Slovakia to the north, Ukraine to the northeast, Romania to the east and southeast, Serbia to the south, Croatia and ...

. After the formation of

in 1918, Czechs and Slovaks were also listed under the new blanket category. The Czech American community gained a high public profile in 1911, with the kidnapping and murder in Chicago of the five-year old

Elsie Paroubek Eliška "Elsie" Paroubek (1906 – April 8, 1911) was an American girl who was a victim of kidnapping and murder in the spring of 1911. Her disappearance and the subsequent search for her preoccupied Illinois, Wisconsin, and Minnesota law enfor ...

. The Czech American community mobilized massively to help in the searches for the girl and support her family, and it gained much sympathy from the general American public. While most Czech-Americans are white, some are people of color or are Latino/Hispanic. A small group of Black Czech-Americans of Ethiopian descent lives in Baltimore. In Texas, many Tejanos have Czech ancestry. Czech immigrants to Texas had a deep influence on Tejano culture, particularly

Tejano music Tejano music (), also known as Tex-Mex music, is a popular music style fusing Mexican influences. Its evolution began in northern Mexico (a variation of regional Mexican music known as ). It reached a larger audience in the late 20th century ...

Czechs in New York

For the majority of 19th and 20th centuries the Upper East Side of Manhattan was a middle-class neighborhood inhabited by Czech, Slovak, Irish, Polish, German and Hungarian immigrants. Czechs began to migrate in larger numbers in the second half of the 19th century, many of them being political refugees who emigrated after the wave of revolutions that swept through Europe in the year 1848. Initially, they flocked to the Lower East Side, however due to the expansion of the German community, the Bohemians later started relocating together with the Hungarians to Yorkville. By the end of the 19th century, a large number of Czechs and Slovaks had already settled on the Upper East Side, most of them between 65th and 73th Streets – the area known as Little Bohemia. In 1900 the New York Times stated that there were about 75 000 Bohemians residing in New York, with about 55 000 of them living on the east side of Manhattan. The East 72nd Street was even nicknamed the “Bohemian Broadway” because of all the Czechs who lived there. This area contained a lot of Czech shops, pubs, clubs and theatres. A 1924 article named “New York City and the Czechs” argued that “No part of the city could as much resemble Prague as Fiftieth Street and thereabouts up to Seventieth Street”. The article goes on to describe that there are tunnels, and even streets, which one can reach only through stone stairs two stories high, and also speaks of cobblestone pavements and vaulted alleys. Although most of the neighborhood's traces have since disappeared, many Czech institutions can still be found in the area, including a school established in 1867, a Czech Gymnastic Association and community center named Sokol and also two churches.

Population

The top 50 U.S. communities with the highest percentage of people claiming Czech ancestry

The top 50 U.S. communities with the highest percentage of people claiming Czech ancestry are: # Conway, ND 55.2% # West, TX 40.9% # Oak Creek, NE 38.2% # Wilber, NE 37.3% # Shiner, TX 32.1% # Montgomery, MN (township) 30.9% # Lonsdale, MN 30.5% # Wheatland, MN 29.9% # Tyndall, SD 29.5% # David City, NE 28.0% # Montgomery, MN (city) 26.3% # Franklin, WI 26.1% # Lanesburgh, MN 25.2% # Granger, TX 25.1% # Port Costa, CA 24.0% # Schulenburg, TX 23.7% # (tie) New Prague, MN # (tie) Erin, MN 23.5% # Wahoo, NE 22.7% # Carlton, WI 22.4% # Wallis, TX 22.0% # Hallettsville, TX 21.5% # Hale, MN 20.8% # Montpelier, WI 19.7% # Flatonia, TX 19.5% # West Kewaunee, WI 19.2% # Schuyler, NE and Webster, NE 19.0% # Gibson, WI 18.9% # Hillsboro, WI 18.4% # Kossuth, WI 18.2% # Lexington, MN 18.1% # Mishicot, WI 16.9% # Kewaunee, WI and North Bend, NE 16.7% # Franklin, WI 15.9% # Oak Grove, WI and Caldwell, TX 15.7% # Lake Mary, MN 15.4% # Solon, IA 15.2% # Mishicot, WI 15.0% # Helena, MN 14.9% # Marietta, NE 14.7% # Stickney, IL 14.5% # Ord, NE (township) and Weimar, TX 14.3% # Crete, NE 14.2% # Park River, ND 14.1% # Ord, NE (city) and La Grange, TX 14.0% # Wagner, SD 13.6% # Needville, TX 13.2% # Calmar, IA and Worcester, WI 13.0% # Webster, MN 12.9% # North Riverside, IL 12.4% # Belle Plaine, IA 12.3% # El Campo, TX 12.2%

U.S. communities with the most residents born in the Czech Republic (former Czechoslovakia)

The top U.S. communities with the most residents born in the Czech Republic (former Czechoslovakia) are: # Masaryktown, FL 3.1% # Mifflinville, PA 2.2% # Gulf Shores, AL 2.1% # North Riverside, IL and Sharon Springs, NY 2.0% # Lyons, IL 1.6% # Rose, WI, North Lynbrook, NY and Anna Maria, FL 1.5% # Oakbrook Terrace, IL and Danville, AR 1.4% # Bee Ridge, FL,

Cameron, TX Cameron is a city in Milam County, Texas, United States. Its population was 5,306 at the 2020 United States census, 2020 census. It is the county seat of Milam County. Geography Cameron is located at (30.854544, –96.978716). It is situated ...

, Lenox, MA, Verdigre, NE, and Willowbrook, IL 1.2% # Lower Grand Lagoon, FL, Beachwood, OH, Allamuchy-Panther Valley, NJ, Mahopac, NY, Black Diamond, FL, and Glenview, KY 1.1% # Key West, FL, Woodstock, NY, Madison Park, NJ, Belleair Beach, FL, South Amboy, NJ, Colver, PA, Herricks, NY, Horine, MO, Shelburne, MA, and Gang Mills, NY 1.0%

The states with the largest Czech American populations

The states with the largest Czech American populations are: However, these figures are grossly understated when second and third generation descendants are included.

The states with the top percentages of Czech Americans

The states with the top percentages of Czech Americans are:

Notable people

Festivals

Many cities in the United States hold festivals celebrating Czech culture and cuisine. Praha texas

*Iowa **

Cedar Rapids, Iowa Cedar Rapids is a city in Linn County, Iowa, United States, and its county seat. The population was 137,710 at the 2020 United States census, 2020 census, making it the List of cities in Iowa, second-most populous city in Iowa. The city lies o ...

- Saint Ludmila's Church - June ** Protivin, Iowa - Czech Days. August *Kansas **

Wilson, Kansas Wilson is a city in Ellsworth County, Kansas, Ellsworth County, Kansas, United States. The community promotes itself as the "Czech Capital of Kansas" due to the role of Czech people, Czech immigrant settlers in its early history. As of the 20 ...

- Czech Festival, last weekend in July. *Maryland ** Parkville, Maryland - Czech and Slovak Heritage Festival. Started in 1987 to celebrate Baltimore's

Czech Czech may refer to: * Anything from or related to the Czech Republic, a country in Europe ** Czech language ** Czechs, the people of the area ** Czech culture ** Czech cuisine * One of three mythical brothers, Lech, Czech, and Rus *Czech (surnam ...

and Slovak heritage. *Minnesota ** Bechyn, Minnesota - Czechfest. 2nd Sunday in August. ** Montgomery, Minnesota ***Kolacky Days. 4th full weekend in July. Started in 1929. ***Masopust. Sunday prior to Ash Wednesday ***Miss Czech Slovak Minnesota Pageant - April ** New Prague, Minnesota - Dozinky Festival - September **

St. Paul, Minnesota Saint Paul (often abbreviated St. Paul) is the capital city of the U.S. state of Minnesota and the county seat of Ramsey County. As of the 2020 census, the city had a population of 311,527, making it Minnesota's second-most populous city a ...

- Czech and Slovak Festival - September *Nebraska **

Wilber, Nebraska Wilber is a city in and the county seat of Saline County, Nebraska, Saline County, Nebraska, United States. The population was 1,855 at the 2010 United States Census, 2010 census. It is the county seat of Saline County. Wilber is the official "C ...

- Wilber Czech Days ** Verdigre, Nebraska - Kolach Days ** Clarkson, Nebraska - Clarkson Czech Days *Oklahoma **

Prague, Oklahoma Prague ( ) is a city in Lincoln County, Oklahoma, United States. The population was 2,356 at the 2020 census, a 1.76 percent decrease from the figure of 2,388 in 2010. Czech immigrants founded the city, and named it after the Prague, capital of ...

- Kolache Festival, First Saturday in May ** Yukon, Oklahoma - Yukon Czech Festival, 1st Saturday in October *Ohio **DTJ Taborville in

Auburn Township, Geauga County, Ohio Auburn Township is one of the sixteen townships of Geauga County, Ohio, United States. As of the 2020 census, the population was 6,574. Geography Located in the southern part of the county, it borders the following townships and city: * Newbur ...

***Cesky Den (Czech Day), 2nd Sunday in July, since 1923 ***Obzinky, 2nd Sunday in August, since 1934 *South Dakota ** Tabor, South Dakota - Czech Days, third Friday and Saturday in June - www.taborczechdays.com *Texas ** Ennis, Texas - National Polka Festival **

Weimar Weimar is a city in the state (Germany), German state of Thuringia, in Central Germany (cultural area), Central Germany between Erfurt to the west and Jena to the east, southwest of Leipzig, north of Nuremberg and west of Dresden. Together w ...

** Hallettsville 4th weekend in March and last Saturday of September ** Shiner Several lesser Czech and Kolache festivals are held in Shiner varying in size, occasion and date, where Shiner's largest contribution to Kolache festivities conjoins with the Hallettsville Kolache Festival and the annual Bocktober festival. ** Yoakum 2nd week of June as part of the annual Tom-Tom Festival ** Missouri City ** Corpus Christi 3rd Saturday in March **

Houston Houston ( ) is the List of cities in Texas by population, most populous city in the U.S. state of Texas and in the Southern United States. Located in Southeast Texas near Galveston Bay and the Gulf of Mexico, it is the county seat, seat of ...

4th Sunday in March and 3rd Sunday in May ** Rosenberg First full weekend in May **

Ennis Ennis ( , meaning 'island' or 'river meadow') is the county town of County Clare, in the mid-west of Ireland. The town lies on the River Fergus, north of where the river widens and enters the Shannon Estuary. Ennis is the largest town in Cou ...

Memorial Day Weekend **

San Antonio San Antonio ( ; Spanish for " Saint Anthony") is a city in the U.S. state of Texas and the most populous city in Greater San Antonio. San Antonio is the third-largest metropolitan area in Texas and the 24th-largest metropolitan area in the ...

First weekend in June and Last Sunday in October ** East Bernard Second Saturday in June ** Ammannsville Father's Day ** Dubina First Sunday in July ** Praha August 15 ** Flatonia Czilispiel during the last full weekend in October ** Marak Last Sunday in August **

West West is one of the four cardinal directions or points of the compass. It is the opposite direction from east and is the direction in which the Sun sets on the Earth. Etymology The word "west" is a Germanic word passed into some Romance langu ...

Labor Day Weekend ** Caldwell Second Saturday in September ** Pasadena 4th weekend in October ** Crosby Annual Czech Fest is held the first Saturday in October. Sacred Heart Catholic Church in Crosby is the festivals organizer and was the original site of the festival. However, as the festival and Crosby have grown it has been held at the Crosby Fair and Rodeo grounds since about 1990. **

Temple A temple (from the Latin ) is a place of worship, a building used for spiritual rituals and activities such as prayer and sacrifice. By convention, the specially built places of worship of some religions are commonly called "temples" in Engli ...

** Libuse Annual celebration held by the Louisiana Czech Heritage Association. Includes attractions such as Czech cuisine, Czech dancers, and a showing of the history of the Czech community in Libuse, Louisiana. *Wisconsin **

Hillsboro, Wisconsin Hillsboro is a city in Vernon County, Wisconsin, United States. The population was 1,397 at the 2020 Census. The city is located within the Town of Hillsboro. Geography Hillsboro is located at (43.652843, -90.34133), along the West Branch of ...

- Český den, second full weekend in June. Started in 1983. ** Kewaunee, Wisconsin - Czech & Kolache Festival, the 1st full weekend in August at the beautiful Heritage Farm. ** Phillips, Wisconsin - Czech-Slovak Festival and Lidice & Ležáky Villages Memorial Service, 3rd full weekend in June. Started in 1988.

References

External links

Writings on Czech Americans
{{Czech diaspora American people of Czechoslovak descent

United States The United States of America (USA), also known as the United States (U.S.) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It is a federal republic of 50 U.S. state, states and a federal capital district, Washington, D.C. The 48 ...

European diaspora in the United States