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Hallo
My name is Jacob Winkler. I am a 22-year-old boy from the very small town of Cloppenburg, Germany. My family is very poor, and we got evicted from our house not too long ago. I have heard of the promise of free land and jobs in America, so I was sent to this new land to create a new life for our family name while the rest of my family tries to patch up our lives back in Germany. -
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Jacob Winkler
The sad story of a German boy's adventure to America -
Arrival on Ellis Island
After a two week voyage, I have finally arrived in the land they call New York. Stepping off the boat gave me a very good feeling of accomplishment, and I knew once I started my life here, there was no going back. As I made my way through the long inspection lines, I was pulled aside and told to stay put. I wondered why I had been detained until a translator walked up to me and explained the details in fluent German. I had accidentally told one of the inspectors that I was a criminal and that I -
The New Job
As it turns out, making it through Ellis Island was the easy part. Now I was in the middle of America’s biggest cities with no money, food, or shelter! I had to find a job. I searched and interviewed for days, until I found a job I was good at; bartending. I had an extensive knowledge of alcohol (half my family were drunks, and I picked up a thing or two). Now that I have a steady income, settling in America shouldn’t be too hard. -
Shelter
Being a bartender finally paid off; I met a girl waitressing a table nearby my bar and swept her off her feet. We combined our meager funds to rent an apartment together and life was going good. However, our apartment room is less than luxury, but I am relieved to not be roaming the streets at night instead of sleeping. -
The Slow Crawl
The past few months have been a slow crawl. I have been in a continuous cycle of working at the bar and paying the bills. It has become almost tedious. To make things worse, my girlfriend has been snapping at me and the apartment seems to have gotten worse. To top it all off, I was mugged in a dark alleyway tonight walking home from work. The muggers left nothing on me, clothes and all, not to mention four month’s pay. I was going to give that to my landlord to pay my part of the rent, but know -
Out of the Frying Pan...
After finding out my girlfriend was cheating on me with some Indian king, I decided it was the last straw. I needed to restart my American experience in the new frontier of the West. In the West, I’ve heard, there is free land and more jobs then you can imagine. So, I hopped a train on the transcontinental railroad with a couple of other immigrants and we have been working the rails for a few weeks now. We are heading to our destination in the West. -
New Life, New Land
My new home in Oklahoma Territory is turning out to be a good and easy one. After filling out my application for land the other day, I have learned the American government is not all bad. After all, they passed the Homestead Act, which is the only reason I am here and the only reason I have land. -
First Step to Starting Over
I claimed my land today. It is a beautiful sight, with the perfect distribution of grassy patches and plentiful trees. Using these resources, I plan to first build a house, and then start a farm for my many years ahead in this place. If my family could see me now, they’d be proud of me. -
Little Cabin in the West
My log cabin is finally complete! It took three months of logging, sawing, building, sleeping in a tent, and overall hard work, but it was worth it. I have so much wood I have even outfitted the inside with furniture. -
...Into the Fire
Gone. Everything is gone. It was foolish to leave the coals of my furnace burning during the night. Now the only product of my hard work is reduced to ashes. Every attempt by me and my neighbors to put it out failed, and all I could do was watch it burn. -
Das Ende
It took me a while to get back on my feet after the fateful fire that destroyed my home, but my commitment to my land in America has grown even stronger. Rebuilding my home was not an easy task, but it was not impossible with a little help from my neighbors and family. Yes, my family has come to join me in America! They have had their speculations about this land, but I tell them I have seen and experienced the promise in this country, and it will fuel my dedication ‘til the day that I die.
