How Centuries Of Swiss Emigrants Left Their Mark On The US

(MENAFN- Swissinfo) Daring to start afresh on the other side of the Atlantic – emigration is part of the history of many families in Switzerland and the US.

This content was published on August 24, 2024 - 10:30

As a visual editor, Vera works with multimedia content formats. She produces photos and videos for original articles, helps colleagues with their research, and edits and prepares images and videos for SWI swissinfo's various online channels. She holds a bachelor's degree in Multimedia Production and completed an apprenticeship as a mediamatician.

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Vera Leysinger (photo curation), Benjamin von Wyl (text)

• Deutsch de Die Spuren, die Schweizer Einwanderer:innen in den USA hinterlassen haben Original Read more: Die Spuren, die Schweizer Einwanderer:innen in den USA hinterlassen habe
• Français fr Comment les Suisses ont émigré aux États-Unis et quelles traces ils ont laissé Read more: Comment les Suisses ont émigré aux États-Unis et quelles traces ils ont laisse
• Italiano it Le tracce dell'immigrazione svizzera negli USA Read more: Le tracce dell'immigrazione svizzera negli US
• Español es Las huellas que dejó la inmigración suiza en Estados Unidos Read more: Las huellas que dejó la inmigración suiza en Estados Unido
• Português pt Como suíços e suíças emigraram aos EUA Read more: Como suíços e suíças emigraram aos EU
• 中文 zh 瑞士人是如何移民到美国的 Read more: 瑞士人是如何移民到美国
• Русский ru Исторические следы швейцарских иммигрантов в США Read more: Исторические следы швейцарских иммигрантов в СШ

Years ago, the freshly-arrived Swiss didn't just find a new life – often they found a new name. The Tschudi family became the Tshudy family, Gnägi morphed into Kornegay, and the Künzlis became the Kinsaws or Kinseys.

According to estimates, around 460,000 Swiss emigrated to the US between 1700 and 2000.

The very first Swiss-Americans

The first Swiss known to have travelled to what would later become the United States did not survive long in the New World. In 1564, Diebold von Erlach was an officer on a French colonial expedition to what is now Florida.

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