Kultur 1

My own ancestry is quite varied, ranging from Cherokee Indian to Hungarian, but most of my blood is German, as you can tell from my last name, Rustenholtz. I was in fact quite interested to learn from "How German is American?" that, to this day, many Germans remain fascinated with Native American society. For that we owe thanks, at least in part, to David Zeisberger who spent time as a missionary studying Native American language and culture.

I heard a special on NPR over the summer about Michigan's role in the Civil War. We were among the first states to send troops at Lincoln's request. We actually supplied more troops to fight the south than any other state. Also one of the first to supply volunteers was a group of German immigrants, the Freethinkers. "Freethinkers promoted an attitude of liberalism and rationality unencumbered by religious dogma, and many supported progressive ideas such as public education reform, improved working conditions, voting rights for women, and the abolition of slavery." I'm proud to be a German Michigander.

Also, props to German beer and sausage.