Week 8:
The theme for Week 8 is “Migration.” Almost everyone has ancestors who came from somewhere else. Who is someone in your family tree who moved away from where they were born? How did they get there? How far did they move?

I have been considering writing a story about the journey our ancestors took in the 1700s to immigrate to the United States from Europe. While researching, I came across a diary from the 1750s written by Gottlieb Mittelberger, a schoolmaster and organist. Mittelberger documented his experiences to inform potential emigrants about the hardships they would face.

His journey began in May 1750, when he departed from Enzweihingen, Germany. He traveled down the Neckar and Rhine Rivers to Holland, then sailed across the North Sea to England. After spending nine days in England, he boarded another ship to Philadelphia, arriving on October 10th.

The trip to from Enzweihingen to Holland took nearly seven weeks due to 36 stoppages for customs-house inspections. The voyage from Holland to Philadelphia lasted 15 weeks. Mittelberger describes a delay of five to six weeks in Holland while waiting for a ship, as the demand for passage to England was so high that each passenger was allotted only a cramped 2x6-foot space. Depending on the winds, the voyage from Holland to England could take anywhere from 8 days to 4 weeks, while the journey from England to Pennsylvania ranged from 7 to 15 weeks.

Mittelberger spares no details in describing the horrors onboard:

"But during the voyage, there is on board these ships terrible misery—stench, fumes, horror, vomiting, many kinds of sea-sickness, fever, dysentery, headache, heat, constipation, boils, scurvy, cancer, mouth-rot, and the like—all of which come from old and sharply salted food and meat, also from very bad and foul water, so that many die miserably."

He also notes the lack of provisions and the overwhelming presence of lice. With no ordained minister on board, Mittelberger took on the role himself, leading prayer meetings on deck when weather permitted and even baptizing five children in distress.

As conditions worsened, tempers flared among the passengers, leading to violence. Many perished and were thrown overboard. He recounts a particularly tragic story of a woman who was about to give birth during a storm. Unable to survive the harsh conditions, she was pushed through a porthole and cast into the sea. Mittelberger personally witnessed at least 32 children die, mostly from measles and smallpox.

Those fortunate enough to remain healthy received a warm meal three times a week, though the food was barely edible. The water served with meals was often described as “black, thick, and full of worms.” The ship's biscuits were infested with red worms and even contained spiders’ nests.

Upon arrival in Philadelphia, only passengers who could pay their fare were allowed to leave the ship. The rest remained onboard until they were "purchased." Some, particularly the sick, were held for weeks, often perishing at the dock.

Mittelberger details the costs and conditions of the journey. Fares were only paid upon arrival, meaning those who couldn’t afford the trip were forced into indentured servitude. If a spouse died at sea after the halfway point of the journey, the surviving spouse was required to pay their fare. Orphaned children were indentured until the age of 21.

One particularly heartbreaking story is that of Mr. Daser, who traveled with his wife and eight children. During the voyage, he was robbed of all his money and forced to sell his possessions at public auction. A dishonest creditor lent him money only to call in the loan two days later. Fortunately, a kind man named Captain Von Diemer stepped in to help, preventing Daser from being sent to debtors’ prison.

Mittelberger notes that an average of 20 to 24 ships arrived in Philadelphia each fall during his four years in the country, bringing around 25,000 immigrants. He claims many were deceived into emigrating and sheds light on the rampant human trafficking of the time.

The journal goes on to describe life in Philadelphia, the landscape, the community and the economy of this haven of freedom. While he says early on in his work that many Germans regret their choice to emigrate he complains that the English gentlemen have already bought up all the land and are reselling for massive profit and the poor Germans can not afford to live there.

This journal can be read in it’s entirety on the Library of Congress website.