Many skilled Slovenian miners emigrated to this region. Around 100.000 Slovenians emigrated in this period.Īfter the first world war, France annexed the provinces Alsace and Lorraine, rich with iron ore and coal. Most of these countries opened their doors to foreign workers because of the many casualties suffered during the world war. In this 1st wave, around 300.000 Slovenians emigrated, mostly to the USA.Īfter the limitation of immigration to the USA, settlers focused to other countries: France, Netherland, Belgium, and Luxemburg. The peak of emigration was in 1914, when most settlers worked in rich German mines. At the end of the 19th century, many Slovenians emigrated to Germany the industrial revolution created many new jobs, especially coal mining. In 1924, the “golden gates” of America closed down, as immigration started to be limited. ![]() Others didn’t have this luck, and were working in harsh conditions they went back to their homes and told about a hard life in America, warning not to go there. They even set up national homes to accommodate the new comers. They established cultural clubs, published newspapers, organized culture events and advocated for immigrants’ rights. They created families, wealth and secured their offspring a good education, something that would have been close to impossible in Austria at the time. Many Slovenians led a better life in the new homeland. The first emigrants wrote letters back home with testimonies about the good life in America, which consequently attracted even more Slovenians. began to settle in large cities such as Cleveland, Ohio, and Chicago-Joilet, Illinois, where they found work in factories. In the late 1880’s and 1890’s a large portion of Slovenian immigrants to the U.S. Many went to the sunny California to follow the gold rush some got rich, many did not. The first Slovenian farmers followed after the American civil war, settling in the fertile lands of Minnesota. The first Slovenian to settle in America were missionaries who spread the catholic faith among the native Americans from the 1830s. The voice of a “promised land” on the other side of the ocean was louder and louder, and the stories of better lives in the USA was a lure for many people of this time. ![]() Farmers still had to pay high taxes and were fighting for survival. After the revolution of 1848, feudalism was abolished and the land belonged to the farmer however, the living conditions were hardly any better.
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