Von: ddreyer@pacbell.net (dreyer)
  Datum: 25.09.98, 22:41:01
Betreff: Ports of Departure

Because of the many queries I have had since the original post on the
port of Le Havre, a expansion of the subject may be in order.

Migration to America in the mid 19th century occurred largely from
Southwestern Germany and the adjacent areas of Switzerland and
France(Alsace-Lorraine).  The Rhine with the Main and Necker formed a
potential highway to the Atlantic ports.  In earler periods the Dutch
made use of their natural advantage at the mouth of the Rhein.  When the
redemption system was abrogated they were unable to compete with those
ports which had steady commerical relations with the New World.  Holland
and the U.S. had little to exchange with each other.  Dutch commerce was
centered on traffic with the Far East and South America.  In the early
1830s Holland was in turmoil.  Ordinary business was at a standstill.
In this decade Belgium gained its independance.  Up until that time the
Scheldt was closed to shipping.
Le Havre(I'll try to get the spelling right this time) became a
prominant port of embarkation for immigrants at this time.  Le Havre was
not a natural port.  Francis the First started construction in 1519.
Following the Napolonic wars the the French textile industry in the
hills of Alsace began, based on raw American Cotton.  Although the Rhein
would have been a natural route for shipping cotton to Alsace, the
tariffs levied by the authorities along the route were prohibitive.   As
a result, cotton bales were imported through Le Havre and transfered to
Seine river barges.  To handle this traffic, new transatlantic ships
were built and the docks of Le Havre enlarged.  Steamboats and barges
multiplied on the Seine and freight wagons multiplied on the roads of
eastern France. These freight wagons returning from Basel and Strassburg
carried emigrate passengers.  However, most emigrants started towards
the west in their own wagons.  Thus, long caravans set out from the
German-French border camping each evening by the wayside.  Most spent 10
days or so in Paris.  The horses were sold at Paris horse fairs held
twice a week.  The migrants camped on the banks of the Seine during this
time.  Most then traveled down the Seine on the barges that steamboats
towed back to Le Havre.  Some caravans bypassed Paris and went direct to
Le Havre.  In such cases, the wagons were sometimes taken apart and
packed in the hold of the ship.  They were then reassembled upon
reaching American and used for traveling west from the port of
disembarkation.
This heavy traffic caused Le Havre to take on a German appearance.
There were a host of German innkeepers, shipping agents and the like.
There were often several thousand migrants awaiting departure depending
on the winds and degree of conjestion.  Since cotton was the major
article of commerice only the occasional ship made NY its destination.
Thus, thousands of Germans were landed in New Orleans.  Upon landing
most made for St Louis or Cincinnati.  This cotton trade of Le Havre
resulted in giving many Mississippi valley communities their Toutonic
tinge.
By mid-century Bremen began to rise as an important port in the
immigrant trade in a manner which paralled that of Le Harve.     Because
the old channel to Bremen had silted up a new port down river at
Bremerhaven was constructed and completed in 1830.  The Bremeners then
took over the American tobacco trade.  The Bremeners asked for no
credit---they paid cash---and the simplicity of the transaction appealed
to the American planters.  The tobacco was shipped out of Baltimore.
Upon arrival in Bremen it was manufactured into cigars and in a few
years Bremen supplied Germany, Austria and Switzerland with tobacco.
This accounted for half of the American tobacco production.  Again,
emigrants provided the return cargo.  At this time the independence of
Belgium and subsequent hostilites and blockades forced commerce from the
Rhine to North Sea ports.  Bremen vessels had a reputation for safty and
fair dealing.    It was not until 1843 that the Weser as a natural
highway to the interior was utilized to any extent.  In 1832 the 22 toll
stations on this comparatively short river were reduced to 9.  Regular
traffic before 1843-1844 was bocked by Hannover's refusal to permit
passage through her territory.  The full potential of the port of
Bremen was reached in 1849 when the British navigation acts were
repealed and Bremen ships could participate in the English trade.
As time passed the immigrant traffic became more important than the
tobacco traffic for Bremen.
Since Virginia and Maryland tobacco was shipped from the port of
Baltimore, only immigrants with commerical interests stayed,
most(largely from northern Germany)  passed over the mountains to the
upper Mississippi valley.  Even until the first World War Baltimore was
a major port for NDL ships from Bremen.
The above is summarized from "The Atlantic Migration 1607-1860" Hansen
1961, Chap 8.  Readers should consult the original work for more details
and the roll of other ports, e.g. Hamburg, etc.
Dave Dreyer