Figure 1.--A HBC reader sent us this family photograph. We can not yet confrm it, but it looks to be a Slovak-American portrait at a family gathering. It looks like the late 1940s to us, but we are not positive. The clothing looks American to us, except for the long stockings the boys are wearing. American boys did wear long stockings in the 1930s, but it was much less common in the 1940s, especially after World War II. Click on the image for an fuller discussion of the photograph.

Significant Slovak immigration to the United States, like that of other central and Eastern European countries, began in 1870s. Slovakia at the time was a province of the Austro-Hungarian Empire. The Empire was a dual monarchy with the Austrians sharing power with the Hungarians. Other nationalities had few rights. Slovakia was administered by Hungary. Slovaks like other subjects of the Austrian-Hungarian Empire had to get permission to emmigrate. but except for youths of military age there were no significant restrictions placed on emigration. There are no precise details on Slovak immigration because U.S. immigration officials recorded the Austro-Hungarian Empire as the country of origin and not the specific ethnicity. Pne source suggests that 0.5 million Slovaks entered the United States in the late-19th and early 20h centuries. We can not yet cionfirm this estimate. Men were the most likely to emmigrate, again the general pattern. About two thirds of the immigrants were men. And they mostly came from rural areas of Slovakia. A very large number were illiterate, primarily because Hungarian authorities did not encourafe school attendance which they belieced, probany correctly, would cause a greater degree of ethnic identity. Language notations though are helpful in estimsting Slvak immigrants. Many of the Slovaks living in Austria-Hungary, unlike the Poles, did not yet have a string national identity. One immigrant speaking after World War I explained, "Us Slovaks didn't know that we were Slovaks until we came to America and they told us." [Daniels, p. 218.] The Slovaks primary interest was in finding jobs. They mostly looked for industrial jobs in the East rather than trying to establish farms in the West. Thus many of the Slovaks settled in Pennsylvania where their were jobs for unskilled laborors available in the expanding steel and coal industries. We are unsure why Pennsylvania was so important. Pennsyklvania was not the only state with expanding industries. The general pattern is that where the first immigrants from any country settled that was where the following immigrants headed for because rhey could contact family and friends. About half of the Slovaks immigrants set down roots in Pennsylvania. The other half of the Slovak immigrants chose other industrial states, mostly Ohio, Illinois, New York and New Jersey. When World War I broke out (1914) immigration to the United States dropped sharply even though the United States was a neutral until 1917. After the War, the United States passed restrictive emmigration laws. As a result, most Slovak-Americans immigrated before World War I.

Austro-Hungarian Empire

Most Slovak immigrants entered the United States before World War I while what became Cechoslovakia after World War I and is now Slovakia was part of the Austro-Hungarian Empire. Increasing numbers of Slovaks began leaving their homeland dominated by Hungary in the mid-19th century. Limited economic opportunities, a shortage of land, seems to have been the major factor. Political and cultural repression by the Hungarians may have been a secondary factor. Required military service was a major concern on the part of many Slovaks. The Empire was a dual monarchy with the Austrians sharing power with the Hungarians. Other nationalities had few rights. Slovakia was administered by Hungary. Slovaks like other subjects of the Austrian-Hungarian Empire had to get permission to emmigrate. but except for youths of military age there were no significant restrictions placed on emigration.

Emigration Permission

Slovaks like other subjects of the Austrian-Hungarian Empire had to get permission to emigrate. but except for youths of military age there were no significant restrictions placed on emigration. Officials did sometimes attempt to disuade people from emmigration by accounts of hard conditions in America and by threats that they would not be allowed back even for family visits. We do not know of any pattern of coersion or pinitive force. Basically all individuals desiring to emigrate had to do was to show they had the money to pay for the travel expenses of all family members emigrating and a valid travel or emigration passport. Ofgficials normally processed the emigration application very quickly only 2-3 days. An application was addressed to the District Authority (Hejtmanstvi?). It was written mostly in the German language (I'm not sure if documents were in Hungarian) by an official writer as many people were either not literate or did not speak German. Very little of the application was actually written by the applicant. Regulations required the emigrant to attach the Birth and Christening documents of all the family members and the parent’s Marriage Certificate had to be enclosed with the application. Birth Certificates (1850s-60s) were written or printed in the German language. I do not know if the The printed version was subsequently printed in the Slovak language. This may have reflected the evolving policies of the Astro-Hungarian Empire to accomodate the desires of the various national groups in the Empire. (Copies were printed in Czech for Czech emigrants.) Emigrants also needed a "Local Authority Certificate". This certificate had to be attached to the application for the travel or emigration passport. It confirmed the "home right" of the applicant in the village, his/her reputation and that there were no outstanding debts or other. This prevented criminals are debtors from emigrating. In exceptional cases another document was needed--District Court Permission. An example was in the case of minors who father had died. Once the necessary documents were submitted, the District Authority issued the Travel or Emigration Passport. The Pssport was printed in the German language. A fee stamp of 15 krejcars was required. The person's names were written in Slovak for accuracy, Slovak family names can be difficult. Passports were issued for families with the names of each family member written on the back. Issuance of the Emigration Passport meant that the people involved lost their Austro-Hungarian citizenship and the home right in their village. If they returned home they were treated as a foreigner. These Passports were issued for a period of 6 months to 3 years. This constituted a grace period during which they could return home without loss of citzenship. Czech and Moravian emigrants needed a Letter of Safe Conduct. I assume Slovaks did also. This was in additionn to their Emigration/Travel Passport. This letter was needed at the border and at ports when boarding a ship. The primary purose of this Letter was to prevent youths from evading required military service. Often youths by various subterfuges were able to get around this requirement. [Šimí?ek]

Chronology

Significant Slovak immigration to the United States, like that of other central and Eastern European countries, began in 1870s. Slovakia at the time was a province of the Austro-Hungarian Empire. When World War I broke out (1914) immigration to the United States dropped sharply even though the United States was a neutral until 1917. After the War, the United States passed restrictive emmigration laws. As a result, most Slovak-Americans immigrated before World War I.

Numbers

There are no precise details on Slovak immigration because U.S. immigration officials recorded the Austro-Hungarian Empire as the country of origin and not the specific ethnicity. One surce suggests about 0.5 million Slovaks entered the United States in the late-19th and early 20th centuries. I am not sure about the accuracuy of this estimate. One source of data is the language data recorded in the U.S. Census. We do note that the 1910 reported 56,000 foreign-born Slovak speakers and 111,000 second generation Slovak speakers. This was a not unimportant number of people for the United States, it was a very significant number of people from such a small province. Men were the most likely to emmigrate, again the general pattern.

The Immigrants

About two thirds of the immigrants were men. And they mostly came from rural areas of Slovakia. They were for the most part poorly educated. A very large number were illiterate. This reflects in part their rural origins. It also was the result of Hungarian policies. The Hungarian authorities did not encourage school attendance which they belieced, probably correctly, would cause a greater degree of ethnic identity. Language notations though are helpful in estimsting Slvak immigrants. Many of the Slovaks living in Austria-Hungary, unlike the Poles, did not yet have a string national identity. One immigrant speaking after World War I explained, "Us Slovaks didn't know that we were Slovaks until we came to America and they told us." [Daniels, p. 218.] Slovak parents once in America often did not place a great importance on education. Their primary concern was finding jobs. Thus Slovak children as compulsory attendanc laws were passed, often left school as soon as possible. Most Slovak-American men even in the second and third generations were industrial laborers.

Motivation

The Slovaks primary interest was in finding jobs.

Settlement

They mostly looked for industrial jobs in the East rather than trying to establish farms in the West. Thus many of the Slovaks settled in Pennsylvania where their were jobs for unskilled laborors available in the expanding steel and coal industries. We are unsure why Pennsylvania was so important. Pennsyklvania was not the only state with expanding industries. The general pattern is that where the first immigrants from any country settled that was where the following immigrants headed for because rhey could contact family and friends. About half of the Slovaks immigrants set down roots in Pennsylvania. The other half of the Slovak immigrants chose other industrial states, mostly Ohio, Illinois, New York and New Jersey.

Sources

MUDr. Josef Šimí?ek. The Hope Has Its Name--Texas: The Emigration to America from the Villages Bordovice and Lichnov from 1856 to 1914 (CHS of Texas).

Daniels, Roger. Coming to America: A History of Immigration and Ethnicity in American Life (Perennial, 1990), 515p.

U.S. Census.

Created: 3:56 AM 5/6/2006
Last updated: 3:56 AM 5/6/2006