Saint Louis history was written by German immigrants
German citizens immigrated to Saint Louis starting in the 1830s. Although this history is somewhat familiar to those of us from the city, many people are not taught the impacts of this immigration. From wine and beer to changing American politics, German citizens were major influences behind many of the things that make Saint Louis what it is today. One of the points of influence that German immigrants had on Saint Louis history was during the Civil War. Saint Louis and Missouri were a complicated place, with many people unsure which side of history they were on. The Missouri Compromise made it the final state that allowed slavery, but many citizens were unclear about their stance and position when it came to the war once it began. This was not the case for German citizens in Missouri.
Many German immigrants were abolitionists, which meant that they were fiercely loyal to the Union and anti-slavery politics during the Civil War. Thousands of German immigrants volunteered to fight in the Civil War, and many defended Saint Louis resources from Confederate armies. This includes the Camp Jackson affair, which took place outside the city of Saint Louis. German American soldiers marched to Camp Jackson and prevented confederate sympathizers from seizing weaponry from the Saint Louis arsenal. Although this was not recognized as an official battle, and had several civilian casualties, this event was a major shift in politics and influence within Missouri. The German American population within Saint Louis defended the city and rebelled against the confederate sympathizing Governor, which altered the way that the rest of the war occurred within Missouri.
A very influential person in this history is Franz Sigel, a German immigrant who moved to Saint Louis in 1857. As a prominent member of German immigrant society, he brought much of the community into influence in American politics, especially in Missouri. The strong antislavery sentiment mentioned before was a driving force for political influence. Sigel took it upon himself to join the Union effort and used his previous military experience to assist in leading the charge against confederate influences. Although he was not a particularly skillful leader, his influence on the German population was great, and this allowed for massive change and impact throughout the war. German immigrants even created a song to honor him, with a chorus that said, “I am going to fight mit Sigel”.
Without the influence of German Americans, there is a possibility that the Civil War may have gone differently, and that Saint Louis would have remained a place of slavery. Instead, Missouri elected to end slavery on January 11th, 1865, almost a full year before slavery ended nationally with the 13th Amendment. Without the contributions of German Americans, it is possible that this major historical event may not have happened. Few may fully know the impact that German immigrants have had on Saint Louis, but German immigrants like Sigel should be remembered as influential Saint Louisans who shaped the history of the city. German immigrants made a substantial impact on that history, which is something of incredible value.
