Pennsylvania Dutch
The Pennsylvania Dutch (Pennsylvania Dutch: Pennsylvanisch Deitsche), also commonly referred to as Pennsylvania Germans, are an ethnic group in Pennsylvania and other American states. They largely descend from the Palatinate region of Germany, and settled in Pennsylvania during the 17th, 18th, and 19th centuries. While most were from the Palatinate region of Germany, a lesser number were from other German-speaking areas of Germany and Europe, including Baden-Württemberg, Hesse, Saxony, and Rhineland in Germany, the Netherlands, Switzerland, and the Alsace-Lorraine region of France.
The Flag of Pennsylvania in 1863 | |
| Regions with significant populations | |
|---|---|
| Pennsylvania Ohio, Indiana, Maryland, Virginia, North Carolina, West Virginia, California, Ontario | |
| Languages | |
| Pennsylvania Dutch Pennsylvania Dutch English | |
| Religion | |
| Lutheran, Reformed, German Reformed, Catholic, Moravian, Church of the Brethren, Mennonite, Amish, Schwenkfelder, River Brethren, Yorker Brethren, Judaism, Pow-wow, Jehovah's Witnesses | |
| Related ethnic groups | |
| Palatines, German Americans, Fancy Dutch, Swiss Americans |
The Pennsylvania Dutch spoke Palatine German and other South German dialects, intermixing of Palatine, English, and other German dialects, which formed the Pennsylvania Dutch language as it is spoken today.
Historically, "Dutch" referred to all Germanic dialect speakers, and is the origin of Pennsylvania Dutch, its English translation. The Pennsylvania Dutch name has caused confusion in recent times, as the word Dutch has evolved to associate mainly with people from the Netherlands.
Geographically, Pennsylvania Dutch are largely based in the Pennsylvania Dutch Country and Ohio Amish Country. The most famous Pennsylvania Dutch groups are the Fancy Dutch and the Amish.
Notable Americans of Pennsylvania Dutch descent include Henry J. Heinz, founder of the Heinz food conglomerate, U.S. President Dwight D. Eisenhower, and the family of American businessman Elon Musk.