May 5, 2026: Germans in Colonial North Carolina, South Carolina, and Georgia

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In our last SIG of the year, we addressed the three southernmost colonies – North Carolina South Carolina, and Georgia.

North Carolina

Like Virginia, North Carolina saw many settlers in the western portion of the colony move down the Great Wagon Road from Pennsylvania in the mid- to late 1700s. But the earliest settlement attempt occurred in 1710 as the result of a pamphlet published in 1706 and republished in 3 new editions in 1709 – Ausführlich- und umständlicher Bericht Von der berühmten Landschafft Carolina in dem Engelländischen America gelegen (A Detailed and Lengthy Report of the Famous Colony Carolina Situated in the English America), written by Joshua Kocherthal. Ironically, Kocherthal had never visited the area himself, but instead relied on information provided to him by the Carolina Proprietors. This group of noblemen had received a land grant in 1663 of the area that became North and South Carolina. They were eager to attract settlers to their new colony, but not having much luck competing with Pennsylvania and Virginia.

The Carolina Proprietors contracted with a man named John Lawson to make a survey of their land grant, which he did in 1700 with a party of five Englishmen and several Indian guides. After his expedition, he also purchased land in the area, which gave him a vested interest in seeing the colonization efforts succeed.

Several others were instrumental in the effort to establish a settlement in the Carolinas. One was a mapmaker from Bern named Franz Ludwig Michel. He visited America in 1702 and again in 1707, looking for a likely site for a Swiss settlement. Although he was initially more interested in sites in Pennsylvania or Virginia, the Carolina Proprietors were able to persuade him to look at Carolina instead. John Lawson mentioned to him that there might be silver ore to be mined in Carolina.

Another interested party from Bern was Georg Ritter, a craftsman turned investor. He created a company that proposed a Swiss settlement in America to the local government officials in Bern. Bern at the time was facing two issues – a large number of indigent families that the town was forced to support, and a group of persecuted Anabaptists. Ritter proposed sending both these groups to America, thus simply solving the Bern government’s problems. Ritter was to receive 500 Thalers for passage for 100 paupers, as well as 45 Thalers for each Anabaptist to be transported from the city.

The person who was instrumental in bringing the plan to fruition was Christoph von Graffenried, also of Bern. In 1709, he was granted 19,000 acres for a settlement along the Neuse and Trent Rivers, including 5,000 acres for himself. He was promised a certain level of support from the Carolina Proprietors for each person he brought to their colony.

In January 1710, Graffenried sent 650 Palatines to North Carolina with John Lawson. These people were carefully selected – healthy, industrious, skilled workers and their families who could be immediately useful in the new settlement. It was intended for them to start building homes and clearing land for the other emigrants to come. The journey from Rotterdam to Virginia was a grueling 13 weeks, during which half of the passengers died from illness and overcrowding. As they neared the coast of Virginia, the ship was attacked by French privateers, who stripped them of money, supplies, and tools, and even ransacked their baggage for their clothing. Once on land, the Palatine party was stricken by a fever epidemic, which reduced their numbers even further. After securing emergency supplies and credit from a merchant in Norfolk, Lawson and the survivors arrived at the chosen site in North Carolina in September 1710.

Graffenried himself accompanied 156 Swiss from Bern and arrived in Carolina in mid-September 1710. Work on building the new town began, but Graffenried was forced to send to Pennsylvania and Virginia for supplies and provisions to survive the first winter. Additionally, he ended up paying the local Indians for land that he had already purchased from the Carolina Proprietors. The group faced yet another setback when yellow fever ran rampant during the summer of 1711. On 22 September 1711, the Tuscarora Indians attacked and killed 130 settlers. They burned homes and barns, and fields, destroyed livestock, and took some of the settlers prisoner. John Lawson was also killed by the Indians in a separate event. Graffenried escaped with his life and went back to England, heavily in debt. Surviving settlers eventually lost their land to the Norfolk merchant who had given them credit in 1710.

Even though Bern made detailed lists of the people they deported, those lists no longer survive. And unlike the Palatines in New York, there were no detailed lists of the passengers to Carolina either. Some representative surnames include: Metz (Metts), Kernegee (Kornegay), Eibach (Ipock), Müller (Miller), Kuntz (Koonce), Schütz (Sheets). A more detailed list of the Swiss and Palatine emigrants to New Bern can be found in “Swiss-Palatines to New Bern: A List of Known Persons Who Left Switzerland and Germany to Settle New Bern, NC in 1710,” by Victor T. Jones, Jr., NC Genealogical Society Journal, Feb 1997.

The next significant settlement effort in North Carolina was by the Moravians from Pennsylvania. With the goal of expanding their missionary efforts to other parts of the colonies. Bishop August Spangenberg and five other Brethren came to North Carolina in 1752 and purchased almost 100,000 acres in the center of the colony from Lord Granville. They called this tract Wachovia, after the Wachau estate in Austria that belonged to Count Zinsendorf. To help pay for the tract, and investment company was set up. 26 investors were to purchase 2000 acres each; eventually this land was turned over to the church. Six communities were eventually built in this area, with the first three being “closed” communities, i.e. for Moravian church members only:

  • 1753 – Bethabara was the first community to be settled by 12 Brethren who came over the Great Wagon Road from Bethlehem, Pennsylvania. This farming community had a population of 88 by 1765, as will as 75 buildings and a mill that coordinated grain supplies in the surrounding area. It included a palisaded fort area that was built for protection during the French and Indian War.
  • 1759 – Bethania was established by eight families, about 3 miles northwest of Bethabara. This farming community had its own church and school building. The village was planned in the typical German fashion, with homes in the central area, and fields surrounding the perimeter. Surnames include: Binkley, Conrad, Grabs, Hauser, Spainhour, Strub, Transou, and Volck.
  • 1765 – the site for Salem was selected, and the planned capital was completed by 1771. Initial residents came from Germany. Salem was designed to be the center of Wachovia trade and religious life, and followed customs established at Herrnhut. For example, unmarried men and boys, and the unmarried women and girls live in separate houses by themselves.
  • 1773 – Friedberg attracted settlers from Pennsylvania, specifically the areas of Heidelberg, Conewago, and Yorktown.
  • 1776 – Hope was settled by Irish and Germans from MAryland. It was the first “English” congregation in Wachovia.
  • 1780 – Friedland was settled by colonists from Broadbay, Maine. Each family received approximately 200 acres.

The last area of German influence is in the western portion of the colony, settled by emigrants from Pennsylvania, Maryland, and Virginia. Both Lutherans and Reformed settled in the Piedmont, specifically in the present-day counties of Rowan, Davidson, Stanly, and Cabarrus. Farms in this area were spread out, with few central towns. Based on the 1790 census, Germans made up about 4.7% of the new state. Some towns that developed around German settlements include the following:

  • 1740s – Newton settled by Germans and Scots-Irish; surnames Hoke, Seitz, Probst, Cline
  • 1750 – Concord settled by Germans and Scots-Irish; surnames Schwarzwalder (Blackwelder), Cruse, Ihrig (Eary), Fulenwider
  • 1753 – Salisbury along the GRW, became commercial center; surnames Haden, Helig, Bernhardt, Schneider (Snider)
  • 1785 – Lincolnton – Union churches such as Daniel’s Church, Emanuel’s Church, and St. Paul’s; surnames Warlick, Ramsaur, Coulter, Reep, Finger, Carpenter (Zimmermann), and Reinhardt

Union churches were an interesting development in rural North Carolina. When neither the Lutherans or the Reformed had enough people to form their own parish, they joined together to create a single, shared congregation. Some examples include the following:

In North Carolina, there was a sort of precursor to the Revolutionary War, which mirrored many of its grievances, and influenced whether the Germans subsequently became Loyalists or Patriots. The so-called Regulator Movement (1766-1771) pitted wealthy easterners against the western settlers of the colony. The east was where the wealthy landowners and (corrupt), royal government officials were. The settlers believed that these officials were charging them excessive fees, falsifying records, and mistreating them in numerous other ways. They disputed land taxes that were assessed at the same rate for less fertile land in the mountains as the more productive land along the coast. Used to a barter economy, they often couldn’t pay back taxes in cash, as demanded by sheriffs, and lost their property as a result. The icing on the cake was when taxes were raised to fund the building of the Tryon Palace as the governor’s mansion. After numerous, unsuccessful attempts at redress from the government, the Regulators attacked the Hillsborough courthouse in 1770, and severely beat Crown Attorney Edmund Fanning. In response, Governor Tryon in 1771 sent 1100 militiamen against 2000 untrained, badly equipped Regulators. This Battle of Alamance resulted in killed and wounded soldiers from both sides, and spelled the end of the Regulator movement. Governor Tryon subsequently marched west and burned homes, barns, and fields of the Regulator leaders and other members.

During the Revolutionary War, many Germans from colonial North Carolina served in local militias, but there was no dedicated German battalion like in Pennsylvania and Maryland. Some representative names of Germans include the following:

  • Rowan County Regiment; captain-level names: Barger, Eberhard, Utzman, Fisher, Awalt, Eddleman, Beard (Bart), Fritz, Leonhardt, Lopp, Grimminger
  • Surry County Regiment – Germans from Yadkin settlements; surnames: Gross, Hauser, Binckele, Moser
  • Tryon County Regiment; surnames: Hambright, Dellinger, Hauck, Barringer
  • Guilford County Regiment – surnames: Clapp, Whitesell, Albright, Linder, Cabler, Irion
  • Mecklenburg County Regiment – surnames: Barringer, Phifer, Barnhardt, Bost (Bast), Young (Jung)

South Carolina

In part because of their failure to protect and support the settlers that had been attracted to South Carolina, the Lord Proprietors lost their to the land in 1719, when the colony came under royal rule. The Township Act of 1730, issued by the British Crown, created 10 townships of up to 20,000 acres each. An amendment to the Act in 1765 created three more townships. Five of these townships were set aside for Swiss and German settlers, the remainder for Welsh and Scots-Irish. Incentives for the prospective immigrants included free transportation to South Carolina, free provisions for one year, and free or cheap land grants. Most of the German-Swiss settlers came from the cantons of Zurich, Bern, and Basel. The Palatines came from Baden, Württemberg, and the east bank of the Rhine; this group was more likely to be redemptioners.

Amelia Township was established and settled in 1732 by Reformed Swiss settlers. By 1757, the township had a population of 650, including a militia of 140 men. In 1768, Amelia was incorporated into the Orangeburgh District.

Purrysburg Township is named for its founder, Jeanne Pierre Purry, a wine merchant from Neuchâtel in Switzerland. He had first made an agreement with the Carolina Proprietors to bring Swiss settlers to the area. The agreement fell apart, and Purry turned to the Board of Trade to fund the venture instead. By 1736, the township had 100 houses and 450 settlers. The area was ill-suited for agriculture, however, so many settlers left for neighboring Ebenezer (across the Savannah River in Georgia) or Savannah. French-Swiss surnames include: DeSaussure, Huguenin, Jeanneret, Robert, Verdier, Borquine, deBeaufain, Mongin, LaFitte, Pelot, Bugnion. German-Swiss surnames include:  Mengersdorff, Holzendorf, Mayerhoffer, Winkler, Strobhar, and Zubly. For more complete information, see “Compilation of Lists of German-Speaking Settlers of Purrysburg,” by George F. Jones, The South Carolina Historical Magazine, Oct. 1991, Vol. 92, pp. 253-268.

Originally named Edisto, Orangeburgh Township saw waves of settlers from Switzerland in 1735, 1736, and 1737. Over 200 Palatines came later, and by the 1750s, the total population was about 800. Johann Ulrich Giessendanner established a Lutheran church in the township, and his nephew was an Anglican minister. This farming community grew hemp, indigo, rice, and even some wheat. It also became a transportation center with ties to Charleston. Surnames from this area include: Ebinger, Bär, Braun, Kern, Denzler, Eisenhut, Felder, Geiger, Herzog, Huber, Otto, Keller, Mayer, Ott, Roppel, Schneider, Strobel, Till, Ulmer, Zimmermann
See The First Families of Orangeburgh, SC for more details.

What was called Congarees Township in 1735, was renamed to Saxe-Gotha Township to honor the marriage of the Prince of Wales, Frederick Louis Hannover, to Augusta, Princess of Saxe-Gotha-Altenburg. Some Swiss-Germans from Charleston settled the area as early as 1735. In 1737, 29 Swiss families came to the area, led by Johann Jacob Riemensperger, and brought a Reformed minister named Christian Theus. Riemensperger returned to Europe in 1740 and 1748 to encourage more emigrants to come to South Carolina, resulting in an influx of 600 Palatines and Württembergers. Another 1500 redemptioners arrived around 1750. The population soon expanded to the northeast, and became known as Dutch Fork (from Deutsches Volk). Surnames from Saxe-Gotha include: Freitag, Müller, Gallmann, Matthias, Spuhl, Bachmann, Theus, Geiger, Steill, Schüle, Eberhart, Schmidt, Weber, Mayer. See German Settlers in the Dutch Fork of SC and Early German Settlers of SC.

New Windsor Township was settled in 1737 by a group of 200 Swiss-Germans, led by Johann Tobler and the Reverend Bartholomew Zouberbuhler. The area was ill-suited for agriculture and never flourished. In 1768, it was incorporated into the Orangeburgh District. Surnames: Sturzenneger, Zubly, Nail, Meyer. See A History of New Windsor Twp, SC.

The last German-Swiss township to be created in 1765 was Londonborough, near Hard Labor Creek. Prospective French-Swiss and Palatine settlers were recruited to emigrate to Canada, then stranded in London after the original promoter absconded with their funds. With help from a German minister in London and a group of philanthropists, they eventually made their way to South Carolina instead. There land was granted to 56 individuals, at 100-400 acres each. This area was also seen as a back-country buffer against the Indians. Surnames: Dorn, Durst, Strom, Clem, Zimmermann, Flick, Zwilling.

Beyond the townships, Germans were also a significant presence in the city of Charleston. Beginning with the township scheme in the early 1730s, some immigrants opted to stay in Charleston rather than go further to the inland settlements. In 1735, 200 Palatines arrived in Charleston, some of whom were skilled craftsmen. They organized a small Lutheran parish, at which Henry Melchior Muhlenberg preached in 1748. Successive waves of Palatine immigration between 1749-1756 and 1763-1775 represented an influx of between 7500-8000 people. A neighborhood called “Dutch Town” became a thriving community of German artisans and merchants.

In 1766, the German Friendly Society was founded by Michael Kalteisen and Daniel Strobel, along with 16 other original members. This was a mutual-aid and social society, intended to pay sick and death benefits to members, and to lend funds at low interest rates. Interestingly, German ethnicity was not a requirement for membership. See The History of the German Friendly Society of Charleston, SC, 1766-1916.

South Carolina Germans were divided in their sympathies during the Revolutionary War, with some favoring the Patriot cause and others, like the settlers of Londonborough, mostly Loyalist. With strong links to the German Friendly Society, the German Fusiliers of Charleston fought for the Patriots. Founded in 1775, it enlisted 64 privates, led by Michael Kalteisen. It is said to be the first German military company in America. The Fusiliers served in the defense of Charleston and at the Battle of Savannah.

Georgia

There were numerous small German settlements in Georgia, but this biggest of these was Ebenezer, founded in 1734 by a group of emigrants from Salzburg, Austria. The October 1731 Edict of Expulsion required everyone in Austria to convert to Catholicism or be exiled. Landowners were given three months to sell their property and leave, but those without property had to depart within eight days. Of almost 20,000 Protestants expelled, most went to East Prussia. But a group of about 300 Salzburgers tried to find sanctuary in the west. Rev. Samuel Urlsperger of Augsburg petitioned King George II for help. Eventually the exiles were able to sail from Rotterdam to Savannah under the leadership of Rev. Johann Martin Bolzius. One of their first acts was to establish a Sunday school in 1734, and in 1737 they established the first orphanage in Georgia.

Governor Oglethorpe granted land to the Salzburgers, but it was more than eight miles from the Savannah River and very swampy. Supplies had to be hauled overland via an often-flooded path. Crops failed and 30 settlers died of dysentery and malaria within the first year. Bolzius petitioned the governor for a new location, and in 1736, the group settled on the bluffs above the river. In 1740, the Salzburgers built the first water-driven grist mill in Georgia, and added a second one in 1751. The new location saw greater success, with stamping mills for rice and barley, saw mills, and even a nascent silk industry. By 1775, the population of Ebenezer was about 1200 people. Other towns sprang up nearby, including Goshen (1750) to the south, and Bethany (1751) to the north.

The other German group of note to try a settlement in Georgia was the Moravians, with a settlement called Irene just outside of Savannah. In 1735, August Gottlieb Spangenberg led a group of 10 Brethren to Georgia, with the intention of establishing a mission to the Native Americans. A second, slightly larger group arrived in 1736. Spangenberg tried to enlist the Salzburgers to join the Moravians, but was unsuccessful. The settlement ultimately failed, in part because of pressure by the colonial government to help fight in the war against Spain. Internal problems also led some to go either to Pennsylvania, or back to Europe. In 1740, Spangenberg left Georgia, and went on to build up Bethlehem and Nazareth as the Moravian headquarters in Pennsylvania.

During the Revolutionary War, most of the Salzburgers favored independence – they had been persecuted by their own monarch, so were wary of authoritarian rule. Many enlisted in the Patriot cause, but there was no “German” regiment from Georgia. Johann Adam Treutlen, a wealthy merchant and landowner, was a leader of the independence movement in Georgia. He helped draft Georgia’s first constitution, and was elected the first governor in 1777. He was murdered by Tories in 1782.

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