The first groups of German immigrants came to America when Germany was in a state of poverty, desolation and demoralization, and therefore did not bring with them a lively interest for intellectual progress.

There have been sporadic efforts by German teachers and preachers, who came from Germany to introduce German instruction permanently into American public schools. These efforts often failed, particularly during and after the American Civil War, 1860-1864, which engulfed the whole interest of the entire population in the United States.

Finally in August 1880, a group of 170 German-American teachers founded the first German-American Teachers Association. The latter undertook the task of improving the whole American public school system parallel to German educational program, which was expressed subsequently, in a teachers' 2newspaper, the Deutsche Sohul Zeitung (German School Journal). Of course there have been many obstacles and enemies to the preservation of the German instruction, as shown by the recorded reports of German-American Teachers' Convention, which have been held annually.

With all the ups and downs, experienced by the sponsors of the German instruction, the latter do not today present a very encouraging picture. Even today, most children of German parantage do not receive any German instruction. In fact, the mass of the population show no interest to speak of concerning the subject of educational problems, and particularly that of the German language, the preservation of which is confined to small groups of patriotic Germans. If the emigration keeps up from Germany, we shall dare to hope, that sometime in the future, the German-American elements will organize more solidly towards a happy future and permanent home for the German language in this country.