Posted: | April 17, 2013 09:34 AM |
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From: | Representative William C. Kortz, II |
To: | All House members |
Subject: | “German-American Day" Resolution |
In the near future, I plan to introduce a resolution designating June 28, 2013, as “German-American Day" in Pennsylvania. It has been recorded that the first permanent German settlement in what would eventually become the United States of America was Germantown, Pennsylvania. The settlement was founded near Philadelphia on October 6, 1683. Since that time, persons of German ancestry have made significant contributions to the cultural, economic and political life in Pennsylvania and the United States. It is widely known that German-Americans were staunch supporters of democracy, freedom of the press and were instrumental in writing the Declaration of Independence. During the Civil War, German-Americans campaigned for the abolition of slavery and many more formed regiments in order to defend the Union. Prominent Pennsylvanians of German heritage include Henry J. Heinz, William Rittenhouse, Grace Kelly, Clark Gable, Milton Hershey, William Utz, John Wanamaker, Michael Hillegas, first Treasurer of the United States and Frederick Muhlenberg, first Speaker of the U.S. House of Representatives. If you would like to join me in celebrating the contributions of German-Americans in Pennsylvania, I invite you to co-sponsor this resolution. |
Introduced as HR392