
You Want to Know Who America Is, Pay Attention to Who She Was - Karishma1234
https://medium.com/s/story/we-are-on-repeat-america-9700f5672b05
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masonic
"As early as the 18th century, Benjamin Franklin railed against allowing
Germans into the country, calling them ignorant, lazy, and a danger to the
Anglo way of being."

The author gives no source for this other than referring to a public radio
piece that also gives no references.

Here is an actual quote:

"I say I am not against the Admission of Germans in general, for they have
their Virtues, their industry and frugality is exemplary; They are excellent
husbandmen and contribute greatly to the improvement of a Country.(0)"

(0) "Letter to Peter Collinson", Benjamin Franklin, 5/9/1753

~~~
eesmith
From that letter. "Ignorant":

> Those [Germans] who come hither are generally of the most ignorant Stupid
> Sort of their own Nation, and as Ignorance is often attended with Credulity
> when Knavery would mislead it, and with Suspicion when Honesty would set it
> right; and as few of the English understand the German Language, and so
> cannot address them either from the Press or Pulpit, ’tis almost impossible
> to remove any prejudices they once entertain.

"danger to the Anglo way of being"

> In short unless the stream of [German] importation could be turned from this
> to other Colonies, as you very judiciously propose, they will soon so out
> number us, that all the advantages we have will not [in My Opinion] be able
> to preserve our language, and even our Government will become precarious.

I don't see "lazy."

The line before what you quote gives a mechanism by which to allow Germans
into the US - forced assimilation into the English culture:

> Yet I am not for refusing entirely to admit them into our Colonies: all that
> seems to be necessary is, to distribute them more equally, mix them with the
> English, establish English Schools where they are now too thick settled, and
> take some care to prevent the practice lately fallen into by some of the
> Ship Owners, of sweeping the German Goals to make up the number of their
> Passengers.

