German-American Scavenger Hunt Worksheet
Print your answers below each question.
Last updated September 20, 2017.

1. Translate the following from German to English: Zeit, um zu beginnen. Use Free Translation Online to complete this item. Be sure to scroll down the translation menu and select "German to English."

2. Two important words regarding the movement of people from one country to another are emigrate and immigrate. Using Merriam-Webster Online, determine which of these words means "to come into a country of which one is not a native, for the purpose of permanent residence."

3. The first Germans came to the New World along with Captain John Smith, founder of Jamestown, Virginia. In what year did they arrive?

4. President Ronald Reagan proclaimed October 6th to be German-American Day in 1983 to commemorate the 300th anniversary of what historical event?

5. During the Revolutionary War, about 30,000 German soldiers, called Hessians because many came from the Germanic state of Hesse-Cassel, were paid by King George to fight on the side of the British. However, many did not return to Germany after the war. Approximately how many Hessians chose to remain in America?

6. Many Germans, including some who eventually settled in Minnesota, came to the US after being on the losing side of a revolution in Germany that occurred in 1848. What was this revolution called?

7. All those who immigrated to the US after this revolution, as well as those who came later, had to pass through a famous island on their way into the US. What is the name of this island? To answer this question, you may have to do a little searching. Use the same web site as you did for the last item. If you can't find the answer there, try the American Family Immigration History Center.

8. Levi Strauss was among the Germans who immigrated to the US after the revolution of 1848. For what is he famous?

9. The Sioux uprising of 1862 resulted in an attack on what predominantly German-American town in Minnesota?

10. In 1868, Joseph Pulitzer became a reporter for a German-language newspaper in St. Louis. Later, the prestigious Pulitzer prizes were established in his honor. These prizes are given for excellence in what field?

11. The year 1882 marked a peak in German-American immigration. How many Germans immigrated to the US in that year?

12. Though hamburgers are thought of as being very "American," they were actually first introduced to the US by German-Americans living in St. Louis. And what would a hamburger be without Ketchup? What German-American created ketchup in 1892 ?

13. Though many German-Americans were in the US armed forces during World War I, the US entry into this war resulted in a wave of anti-German sentiment. The teaching of the German language was even banned in some states. In what year did the US enter World War I?

14. Herbert Hoover ( formerly Huber) is a famous German American. What US political office did he hold?

15. As the German economy worsened in the 1930s, Adolf Hitler and his National Socialists (Nazis) came into power, eventually bringing the nation into World War II. Many Germans fled to America. Among them was the famous physicist, Albert Einstein , who came to the US the same year Hitler became Chancellor of Germany In what year did this occur?

16. Many German-Americans played important roles in the US war effort during WorldWar II, including Dwight D. (Ike) Eisenhower. "Ike" later became the president of the United States. In what year was he elected president?

17. After World War II, Germany was divided into two nations, East Germany and West Germany, which resulted in additional immigration to the US. (More than 128,000 immigrated in the peak year of 1950) The Berlin Wall was the most infamous symbol of this separation of the German nation.  In what year was it built?

18. Today, German-Americans are the largest ethnic group in the US. According to the 2010 Community Survey, how many Americans are of German ancestry?

19. Though Minnesota is among the top six states in percentage of German-Americans among its population, some other states have even a higher percentage. Which  state has the largest percentage of Americans of German descent?

20. Wow! The last question. Using Free Translation Online, translate the following from German to English: Das Ende. Glückwünsche!

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