Immigration

Economics and the Hope for Better Lives
Economics was a major influence in the decision to leave Poland for America. Poles suffered low wages and it was difficult for them to obtain land. Poland was largely an agrarian society, and our ancestors were generally farmers by trade. Polish farmers were mostly peasants, ruled by Polish nobility who owned the land and restricted their political and economic freedoms. The Polish tenant farmer had but a small tract upon which he could raise his own produce. He must give most of his time in the service of the landlord. Commercial farming did not exist, and frequent uprisings by the peasants were suppressed harshly, both by the nobility and the foreign powers occupying Poland.

At the same time, our ancestors were usually fathers of large families. It was inevitable that the greater number of their sons must become common laborers. Under the conditions existing in Prussian Poland, it was impossible to save enough to purchase land or to enable the children to rise to a better status. Small farmers were suffering - plots had become too small to support families, grain prices fluctuated unpredictably, too many mouths to feed and never enough bread. Young Polish men were going to Germany and Denmark in search of seasonal farm work, but were treated little better than slaves. Word spread that in America wages were eight times higher than in Poland.

Religious Freedom and Other Discriminations
Religious freedom was also a major reason for leaving Poland. In 1871, after defeating France in the Franco-Prussian War, Otto von Bismarck became Chancellor for a newly unified German Empire. He retaliated against Polish support for France with increasing anti-Polish and anti-Catholic laws. The May laws of 1873 enacted that the State would control the training and appointment of priests and limit the disciplinary powers of the Church. The State also took control of parochial schools, and Jesuit priests were banished. A royal decree abolished the use of Polish as the language of instruction in both primary and secondary schools. Polish as a subject of study was made optional, where previously it had been obligatory. These laws were supplemented by further Acts and regulations which virtually excluded the Polish language from the administration, law, and police courts. Bismarck introduced measures to limit freedoms of the press and political representation that Poles had previously enjoyed within the Empire.

These laws resulted in a large departure of Polish priests beginning in 1872, who influenced others to follow. Polish immigration began en masse from Prussia shortly thereafter. Bismarck's 1886 Colonization Law forced the deportation of an estimated 30,000–40,000 Poles out of German-controlled territory. The purpose of this law was to increase land ownership by Germans at the expense of Poles, by economic and political means, in the German Empire's eastern provinces of West Prussia and Posen. This was part of his larger efforts aimed at the eradication of the Polish nation. Many Poles left for the United States during this time. In the years 1886-1890, the average annual number of emigrants going overseas from West Prussia alone was over 11,000 per year. The great majority of these emigrants went to the United States.

Military Service Requirements
Another significant reason for emigration was the desire to escape mandatory military service. Many Poles had seen service in the Austro-Prussian and Franco-Prussian wars. Military laws at the time required Polish youth to serve in the German army for 4 years. Similar laws were enacted in the Russian and Austrian partitions. Too often, sons never returned from military conscription.

Previous Immigrants Leading the Way
The great majority of the early Polish immigrants were influenced by the accounts of friends and relatives from whom they learned of cheap lands and better living conditions than the Old World afforded. In many instances, the immigrants were assisted by those who preceded them. All of these early-comers seem to have been subjects of Prussia, from the provinces of West and East Prussia and Posen. As for our own ancestors, it is possible, though not proven, that John Zielinski may have had relatives (Lingnofski) who came to America early and influenced his decision to emigrate. I have not been able to find any similar earlier immigrants for the Jankowskis, Brodzinskis, or Lewandowskis.

The Big Dilemma

Now imagine being Constantin Jankowski in 1880 Poland, the head of a large peasant family. You have 7 living offspring after 3 died at young ages. You moved to the Charlub area more than 20 years ago to raise your family - there was no work for you in your hometown of Czarkowo. God willing, your three daughters will be married off soon. But what will become of your 4 sons? There is already barely enough land for the family to survive, much less to pass on to them. But, you've heard that somewhere, far away, there is a chance for a better life.... 

If one or two of your sons were to go there, perhaps everything would be better for the family. If they were successful, they may be able to contribute to the modest family budget. And if not, at least there would be less mouths to feed. Or, should you consider selling what little you have and move the entire family to America? Is that even a viable option? Millions of Poles faced such a dilemma. These were indeed difficult decisions, made all the more so by the fear of the unknown. Such a decision was a decision for life. A ticket to America wasn't cheap. Those who made the decision to go didn't expect to ever return to their homeland.