This is a concise survey of the role that America's largest ethnic group, the German-Americans, has played in American history from the 17th century to the present. The term "German-American" in this volume refers to immigrants and their offspring from Germany, Austria, Switzerland and other German-speaking areas of Europe. Hence, the term "German" is used in a linguistic, cultural and ethnic sense to cover the sum of German-speaking immigrants and their descendants. This study is divided into six parts. Part I, "Immigration and Settlement" traces German-American history from the earliest beginnings into the present time, while Parts II and III demonstrate the role German-Americans have played in "Preserving the Union" and "Building the Nation." Part IV gives an overview of the German-American experience. Part V discusses German-American Heritage Month, and Part VI is a select bibliography. Also includes map that shows percentages of German-Americans in each of the United States, a census table and a fullname index.