Swiss emigration to America predates the formation of the United States, notably in connection with the persecution of
Anabaptism during the
Swiss Reformation and the formation of the
Amish community.
In the 19th century, there was substantial immigration of Swiss farmers, who preferred rural settlements in the
Midwest.
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 reported the permanent residency of Swiss nationals in the United States as 80,218 in 2015.[2] 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.[3]
During the late 18th and early 19th centuries, a flow of Swiss farmers formed colonies, particularly in
Russia and the United States.[citation needed]
Before the year 1820 some estimated 25,000 to 30,000 Swiss entered
British North America. Most of them settled in regions of today's
Pennsylvania as well as
North and
South Carolina. In the next years until 1860 about as many Swiss arrived, making their homes mainly in the Midwestern states such as
Ohio,
Indiana,
Illinois and
Wisconsin. Approximately 50,000 came between 1860 and 1880, some 82,000 between 1881 and 1890, and estimated 90,000 more during the next three decades.[citation needed]
Along with the Swiss Immigrants came their traditions. By the late 1800s sufficient numbers of Swiss had arrived that
Swiss Vereins (Clubs) were established to provide camaraderie and sharing of customs and traditions of the Heimat (Homeland). The William Tell Verein of Oakland and the Helvetia Verein of Sacramento, founded in the 1890s, were examples of clubs formed during this period. Much later, the West Coast Swiss Wrestling Association was established to preserve the Swiss tradition of
Schwingen (Swiss wrestling) on the Pacific coast of the United States.[citation needed]
Swiss immigration diminished after 1930 because of
the depression and
World War II, 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.[7]
The
2000 Census included seven communities in the state of
Wisconsin with sizable populations having Swiss ancestry. These communities are mostly concentrated in the southern border counties, namely
Green,
Lafayette, and
Dane Counties.[citation needed]
Population
Swiss Americans by numbers
According to the 2000 United States Census,[8] the 15 cities with the largest populations of Swiss Americans are as follows:
Highland Historical Society, a historical society centered in
Highland, Illinois, site of one of the oldest Swiss settlements in the United States. It was founded in 1831 by Swiss pioneers from
Sursee, Switzerland.[15]
Orangeburgh German-Swiss Genealogical Society, a genealogical society focused on the early Swiss and German settlers of
Orangeburg, South Carolina.[16]
Santa Clara Utah Historical Society, a historical Society dedicated to the preservation of an
early Swiss Settlement in
Utah.[17]
Swiss Heritage Village & Museum – begun in 1985, it is currently the largest outdoor museum in
northern Indiana. It is located in
Berne, Indiana.[19]
Swiss Mennonite Cultural and Historical Association – consists of descendants of the
Mennonites who immigrated to the U.S. from
Ukraine in the 1870s.[20]
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.[21]
^Vogelsanger, David. "Foreword: A Forgotten Chapter of Our Military History." Swiss American Historical Society Review 51, no. 2 (2015): 5–8. The whole issue is dedicated to the Swiss in the Civil War.
^Data Access and Dissemination Systems (DADS).
"American FactFinder – Results". Factfinder2.census.gov. Archived from
the original on February 12, 2020. Retrieved March 17, 2015.
Pochmann, Henry A. German Culture in America: Philosophical and Literary Influences 1600–1900 (1957). 890pp; comprehensive review of German influence on Americans esp 19th century.
online
Pochmann, Henry A. and Arthur R. Schult. Bibliography of German Culture in America to 1940 (2nd ed 1982); massive listing, but no annotations.
Schelbert, Leo. "Swiss Americans." Gale Encyclopedia of Multicultural America, edited by Thomas Riggs, (3rd ed., vol. 4, Gale, 2014), pp. 319–329.
Online
Schelbert, Leo, ed. American Letters: Eighteenth and Nineteenth Century Accounts of Swiss Immigrants (Camden, ME: Picton Press, 1995).
Tritt, D. G., ed. Swiss Festivals in North America: A Resource Guide (Masthof Press, 1999).
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.