Swiss Americans are

Americans Americans are the Citizenship of the United States, citizens and United States nationality law, nationals of the United States, United States of America.; ; Law of the United States, U.S. federal law does not equate nationality with Race (hu ...

Swiss Swiss most commonly refers to: * the adjectival form of Switzerland * Swiss people Swiss may also refer to: Places * Swiss, Missouri * Swiss, North Carolina * Swiss, West Virginia * Swiss, Wisconsin Other uses * Swiss Café, an old café located ...

descent. Swiss emigration to America predates the formation of the United States, notably in connection with the persecution of

Anabaptism Anabaptism (from Neo-Latin , from the Greek language, Greek : 're-' and 'baptism'; , earlier also )Since the middle of the 20th century, the German-speaking world no longer uses the term (translation: "Re-baptizers"), considering it biased. ...

during the

Swiss Reformation The Protestant Reformation in Switzerland was promoted initially by Huldrych Zwingli, who gained the support of the magistrate, Mark Reust, and the population of Zürich in the 1520s. It led to significant changes in civil life and state matte ...

and the formation of the

Amish The Amish (, also or ; ; ), formally the Old Order Amish, are a group of traditionalist Anabaptism, Anabaptist Christianity, Christian Christian denomination, church fellowships with Swiss people, Swiss and Alsace, Alsatian origins. As they ...

community. In the 19th century, there was substantial immigration of Swiss farmers, who preferred rural settlements in the

Midwest The Midwestern United States (also referred to as the Midwest, the Heartland or the American Midwest) is one of the four census regions defined by the United States Census Bureau. It occupies the northern central part of the United States. It ...

. Swiss immigration diminished after 1930, although limited immigration continues. The number of Americans of Swiss descent is nearly one million. The Swiss

Federal Department of Foreign Affairs The Federal Department of Foreign Affairs (FDFA, , , , ), so named since 1979, is one of the seven Departments of the Swiss government federal administration of Switzerland, and corresponds in its range of tasks to the ministry of foreign affa ...

reported the permanent residency of Swiss nationals in the United States as 80,218 in 2015. According to the U.S. Census Bureau, 26,896 individuals born in Switzerland declared that they were of Swiss ancestry in 2015, 3,047 individuals born in Switzerland declared that they were of German ancestry in 2015, 1,255 individuals born in Switzerland declared that they were of French ancestry in 2015, and 2,555 individuals born in Switzerland declared that they were of Italian ancestry in 2015.

History

The first Swiss person in what is now the territory of the United States was Theobald (Diebold) von Erlach (1541–1565). The history of the

church began with a

schism A schism ( , , or, less commonly, ) is a division between people, usually belonging to an organization, movement, or religious denomination. The word is most frequently applied to a split in what had previously been a single religious body, suc ...

in Switzerland within a group of Swiss and Alsatian

Anabaptist Anabaptism (from Neo-Latin , from the Greek language, Greek : 're-' and 'baptism'; , earlier also )Since the middle of the 20th century, the German-speaking world no longer uses the term (translation: "Re-baptizers"), considering it biased. ...

s in 1693 led by

Jakob Ammann Jakob Ammann (also Jacob Amman, Amann; 12 February 1644 – between 1712 and 1730) was a Swiss Anabaptist leader and the namesake of the Amish religious movement. Personal life The full facts about the personal life of Jacob Ammann are in ...

, a native of Erlenbach im Simmental. In spite of Swiss settlements like

Highland Highlands or uplands are areas of high elevation such as a mountainous region, elevated mountainous plateau or high hills. Generally, ''upland'' refers to a range of hills, typically from up to , while ''highland'' is usually reserved for range ...

(Illinois), New Glarus (Wisconsin),

New Bern New Bern, formerly Newbern, is a city in Craven County, North Carolina, United States, and its county seat. It had a population of 31,291 at the 2020 United States census, 2020 census. It is located at the confluence of the Neuse River, Neuse a ...

(North Carolina), Gruetli (

Tennessee Tennessee (, ), officially the State of Tennessee, is a landlocked U.S. state, state in the Southeastern United States, Southeastern region of the United States. It borders Kentucky to the north, Virginia to the northeast, North Carolina t ...

) and Bernstadt (

Kentucky Kentucky (, ), officially the Commonwealth of Kentucky, is a landlocked U.S. state, state in the Southeastern United States, Southeastern region of the United States. It borders Illinois, Indiana, and Ohio to the north, West Virginia to the ...

) were emerging fast, most Swiss preferred rural villages of the

and the

Pacific Coast Pacific coast may be used to reference any coastline that borders the Pacific Ocean. Geography Americas North America Countries on the western side of North America have a Pacific coast as their western or south-western border. One of th ...

where especially the Italian Swiss were taking part in California's winegrowing culture, or then took up residence in more industrial and urban regions such as

New York City New York, often called New York City (NYC), is the most populous city in the United States, located at the southern tip of New York State on one of the world's largest natural harbors. The city comprises five boroughs, each coextensive w ...

Philadelphia Philadelphia ( ), colloquially referred to as Philly, is the List of municipalities in Pennsylvania, most populous city in the U.S. state of Pennsylvania and the List of United States cities by population, sixth-most populous city in the Unit ...

Pittsburgh Pittsburgh ( ) is a city in Allegheny County, Pennsylvania, United States, and its county seat. It is the List of municipalities in Pennsylvania#Municipalities, second-most populous city in Pennsylvania (after Philadelphia) and the List of Un ...

, Chicago,

St. Louis St. Louis ( , sometimes referred to as St. Louis City, Saint Louis or STL) is an independent city in the U.S. state of Missouri. It lies near the confluence of the Mississippi and the Missouri rivers. In 2020, the city proper had a populatio ...

Denver Denver ( ) is a List of municipalities in Colorado#Consolidated city and county, consolidated city and county, the List of capitals in the United States, capital and List of municipalities in Colorado, most populous city of the U.S. state of ...

San Francisco San Francisco, officially the City and County of San Francisco, is a commercial, Financial District, San Francisco, financial, and Culture of San Francisco, cultural center of Northern California. With a population of 827,526 residents as of ...

. As the lifestyle and political institutions of the United States were compliant with those of their homeland most Swiss had no problems starting a new life in their part of the New World and became attached to both countries. Of Swiss immigrant involvement in the

Civil War A civil war is a war between organized groups within the same Sovereign state, state (or country). The aim of one side may be to take control of the country or a region, to achieve independence for a region, or to change government policies.J ...

, David Vogelsanger writes, "More Swiss participated in the American Civil War than in any other foreign conflict except the

Battle of Marignano The Battle of Marignano, which took place on 13–14 September 1515, near the town now called Melegnano, 16 km southeast of Milan, was the last major engagement of the War of the League of Cambrai. It pitted the French army, composed of t ...

in 1515 and Napoleon's Russian Campaign of 1812." Swiss immigration diminished after 1930 because of

the depression The Great Depression was a severe global economic downturn from 1929 to 1939. The period was characterized by high rates of unemployment and poverty, drastic reductions in industrial production and international trade, and widespread bank and ...

and

World War II World War II or the Second World War (1 September 1939 – 2 September 1945) was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War II, Allies and the Axis powers. World War II by country, Nearly all of the wo ...

, but 23,700 more Swiss had arrived by 1960, followed by 29,100 more between 1961 and 1990, many of whom were professionals or employees in American branches of Swiss companies who later returned to Switzerland.

Population

Swiss Americans by numbers

Swiss Americans by percentage of total population

Communities settled by Swiss immigrants

Swiss American historical societies

* Beech Island Historical Society, a historical society in

South Carolina South Carolina ( ) is a U.S. state, state in the Southeastern United States, Southeastern region of the United States. It borders North Carolina to the north and northeast, the Atlantic Ocean to the southeast, and Georgia (U.S. state), Georg ...

dedicated to the preservation of Historic Beech Island, including the early Swiss settlement led by John Tobler. *Grundy County Swiss Historical Society, a historical society in

Grundy County, Tennessee Grundy County is a county located in the U.S. state of Tennessee. It is located in Middle Tennessee, bordering East Tennessee. As of 2021, the population was 13,622. Its county seat is Altamont. The county is named in honor of Felix Grundy. H ...

, site of former Swiss colony of Gruetli. *Highland Historical Society, a historical society centered in

Highland, Illinois Highland is a city in Madison County, Illinois, United States. The population was 9,991 at the 2020 census. Highland began as a Swiss settlement and derived its name from later German immigrants. Highland is a sister city of Sursee in Switze ...

, site of one of the oldest Swiss settlements in the United States. It was founded in 1831 by Swiss pioneers from

Sursee Sursee is a Municipalities of Switzerland, municipality in the district of Sursee (Amt), Sursee in the Cantons of Switzerland, canton of Lucerne (canton), Lucerne, Switzerland. Sursee is located at the northern end of Lake Sempach, not far from wh ...

, Switzerland. *Orangeburgh German-Swiss Genealogical Society, a genealogical society focused on the early Swiss and German settlers of

Orangeburg, South Carolina Orangeburg, also known as ''The Burg'', is the principal city in and the county seat of Orangeburg County, South Carolina, Orangeburg County, South Carolina, United States. The population of the city was 13,964 according to the 2020 United Stat ...

. *Santa Clara Utah Historical Society, a historical Society dedicated to the preservation of an early Swiss Settlement in

Utah Utah is a landlocked state in the Mountain states, Mountain West subregion of the Western United States. It is one of the Four Corners states, sharing a border with Arizona, Colorado, and New Mexico. It also borders Wyoming to the northea ...

. * Swiss American Historical Society – focuses on the involvement of the Swiss and their descendants in American life, aspects of Swiss American relations, and

Swiss history Since 1848, the Swiss Confederation has been a federal republic of relatively autonomous cantons, some of which have a history of federation that goes back more than 700 years, putting them among the world's oldest surviving republics. The ear ...

. *Swiss Heritage Village & Museum – begun in 1985, it is currently the largest outdoor museum in

northern Indiana Northern Indiana is a geographic and cultural region that generally comprises the northern third of the U.S. state of Indiana and borders the states of Illinois to the west, Michigan to the north, and Ohio to the east. Spanning the state's northe ...

. It is located in

Berne, Indiana Berne (English: IPA for English, ɜːn is a city within Monroe Township, Adams County, Indiana, Monroe and Wabash Township, Adams County, Indiana, Wabash townships, Adams County, Indiana, Adams County, Indiana, United States, located sout ...

. *Swiss Mennonite Cultural and Historical Association – consists of descendants of the

Mennonite Mennonites are a group of Anabaptism, Anabaptist Christianity, Christian communities tracing their roots to the epoch of the Radical Reformation. The name ''Mennonites'' is derived from the cleric Menno Simons (1496–1561) of Friesland, part of ...

s who immigrated to the U.S. from

Ukraine Ukraine is a country in Eastern Europe. It is the List of European countries by area, second-largest country in Europe after Russia, which Russia–Ukraine border, borders it to the east and northeast. Ukraine also borders Belarus to the nor ...

in the 1870s. *The Swiss Center of North America includes an extensive list of Swiss clubs.
The Descendants of Swiss Settlers
founded in 2019, honors the legacy and achievements of Swiss men and women who settled in North America prior to March 5, 1798, which marks the end of the Old Swiss Confederacy.

Notable people

References

External links

Swiss American Historical SocietyThe Swiss Center of North AmericaOltreconfiniTi, the official website dedicated to Ticinese emigration

Articles about the Swiss in the United States

* Hacken, Richard (2020)
"A History of the Swiss in California,"
''Swiss American Historical Society Review,'' vol.56 (2020), no. 1, pp. 115–162. * Th

is the story of a former Swiss colony in Minnesota written by Wayne C. Blesi. *

Article by University of Illinois – Chicago emeritus professor Dr. Leo Schelbert about Swiss Americans.

Article by Harold Miller about Berne, NY.

Research links

Keith Zollinger Collection of Swiss Manuscripts
Brigham Young University-Idaho Special Collections at the David O. McKay Library.
The Archives of Le Temps
Archival collection of every Journal de Genève, Gazette de Lausanne and Nouveau Quotidien. * Th

including correspondence, reports, minutes and other materials, are available for research use at the

Historical Society of Pennsylvania The Historical Society of Pennsylvania is a historic research facility headquartered on Locust Street in Center City Philadelphia. It is a repository for millions of historic items ranging across rare books, scholarly monographs, family chron ...

.
''The Swiss American Historical Society Review''
Articles and reviews featuring Swiss American history and life.

University of Tennessee Special Collections Library, Knoxville, TN.
Swiss Posters Collection
The Swiss Poster Collection at Carnegie Mellon University.

Housed at the University of Illinois at Chicago in the Richard J. Daley Library's Special Collections Department.
Swiss Society of New Orleans records, 1855–2010
Housed at Tulane University as part of the Louisiana Research Collection, at the Howard-Tilton Memorial Library.

Housed at the University of Illinois at Chicago in the Richard J. Daley Library's Special Collections Department.

Graphic Arts Collection in the Department of Rare Books and Special Collections at Princeton University Library.

The Ward M. Canaday Center for Special Collections at The University of Toledo.
Richard Bird missionary notebook from the Swiss/Austrian mission
Housed at the Harold B. Lee Library at Brigham Young University.
Swiss and German Mission of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints
Housed at the Harold B. Lee Library at Brigham Young University.

Housed in the Archives & Special Collections at the University of Nebraska–Lincoln Libraries.
Bluntschli (Johann Casper) 1808–1881 Collection 1750–1884
Housed at the Special Collections of the Milton S. Eisenhower Library at The Johns Hopkins University.

Housed at Auburn University Special Collections and Archives.

Housed at the Patricia W. and J. Douglas Perry Library, Old Dominion University.
Herbert Matter Papers
Housed in Special Collections Green Library Stanford University.

Housed at The Victoria University Library of the University of Toronto.

Housed in University of Cambridge.
The John Lyman Ballif Papers
Housed at the J. Willard Marriott Library, University of Utah.
Diplomatic Documents of Switzerland
*
Robert Billigmeier Collection
Hosted by University of California, Santa Barbara. *
Hoehn and Müller families papers, 1828-1980s
Housed at Tulane University as part of the Louisiana Research Collection, at the Howard-Tilton Memorial Library. *

Housed at University of Tennessee Libraries, Knoxville, Special Collections. *
Mennonite Historical Collections
Very extensive Collection of Swiss and Swiss-American Mennonite information hosted in the Archives and Special Collections Librarian at Musselman Library, Bluffton University.
Swiss Settlers in SW Illinois
��searchable English translations of 19th-century works by Swiss settlers in southwestern Illinois. {{Authority control American people of Swiss descent European diaspora in the United States American