INTRODUCTION by Bruce M. Garver

Published by the NEBRASKA STATE mSTORICAL SOCIETY nebraska Director: Fall/Winter 1993 Lawrence 1. Sommer HIsroRr Vol. 74, Nos.3&4 Guest Editor: Bruce M. Garver Editor : l ames E. Potter 102 Foreword Assistant Editor: Patricia C. Gaster By Lawrence 1. Sommer Illustrations Editor: David Murphy 103 Introduction Design a nd Layout: Debra Brownson By Bruce M. Garver Design Consultant: Steve Ryan Photogr aphy: R. Bruhn, Larry Ferguson 109 Czech-Americans: The Love of Liberty By Joseph G. Svoboda Maps: Dell Darli ng 120 Problems in the History of Czech Immigration to America in the Second Half of the Nineteenth Century By Josef Opatmy ON THE COVERS: The painting on the front cover is a detail from the Slovak Immigration to the United States in Light of proscenium curtain in the National Hall buill by 130 ZeBJ lodge Slavin 11 2 near Ord, Nebraska. II American, Czech, and Slovak History shows the Hradcany or Prague Castle in the capital By Gregory C. Ference of the Czech Republic. as seen from Ihe Mala Strana or Lesser Town below. The curtain is one ofmany in 136 German and Czech Immigration to Texas: The Bremen Czech theatres throughout Nebraska thaI depict to Galveston Route, 1880-1886 symbolic scenes important in Czech history and By Lawrence H. Konecny and. Clinton Machann culture. (P. Michael Whye. NSHS C998.1-428) Czech Political Refugees in the United States during the The recruiling poster Oil the back cover encouraged 142 Czech-Americans to serve in the armed forces of Nineteenth Century their ancestral homeland during World War I 10 help By Zdenek Solle free it from Austro-Hungarian rule. Designed by Vojla Preissig ofthe Wentworth Institute in Boston. 150 Czech-American Protestants: A Minority within a Minority the postel' carries an imprint ofthe Czechoslovak By Bruce M. Garver Recruiting Office in Omaha at the bottom (nol visible). (Courtesy University ofNebraska-Lincoln. 168 Dramatic Expressions: Czech Theatre Curtains in Nebraska Archives & Special Collections; NSHS C998.1-417) By David Murphy 183 Evidence of Assimilation in Pavel Albieri's Nevesta za padesat do//anl (Bride For Fifty Dollars) Nebraska Hislory (publication number ISSN-0028- 1859) is published quarterl y by the Nebraska State Historical Society, By Clinton Machann 1500 R St., Lincoln. Nebraska 68508. and distributed to members as part of their dues. Single issues, $6. 00. For rates 189 Relationships between Czechs and Slovaks in the on microfilmed copies of Nebraska History. write University Microfilms, 300 N. Zeeb Rd., An n Arbor, Michigan 48106. United States during the First World War Nebraska His/Dry quarterly publishes well researched articles. By Karel Pichlik edited documents. and other annotated primary materials relating to the history of Nebraska and the Great Pl ai ns. 195 Czech-Americans: An Ethnic Dilemma Submissions may focus on political, economic, social. and By Ivan Dubovickj ethnic themes, as well as on institutional and architectural history and biography. Man uscripts should reflect research in primary sources. Family histories or personal reminiscences. 209 Czech-Language Maintenance in Nebraska unless of exceptional historical value or statewide interest, are By Mila Saskowi-Pierce rarely published. More detailed recommendations will be sent upon req uest. Czech-American Immigration: Some Historiographical Communications should be addressed to the editor. The 218 Society does not assume responsibility for statements made by Observations its contributors. Second-class postage paid at Lincoln . Ne By Frederick C. Luebke braska. Postmaster: Send address changes to the Nebraska State Historical Society. Box 82554, Lincoln. Nebraska 68501; telephone 402147 1-3270. Copyright 1993 by the Nebraska 223 Acknowledgments State Historical Society. Magazines returned to the Society by the post office because 224 Index to Volume 74 of incorrect addresses will be forwarded on ly on receipt of $2.00 to cover remai ling costs. FOREWORD The rich history of Nebraska owes much to the many immigrants who have made the state their home. Among the most numerous were the Czechs, who in the nineteenth century left the heart of one continent to begin life anew in the heart of another. Lured by land and freedom, Czechs brought a distinct culture to the Great Plains, where they settled by the thousands. Pride in their Old World heritage was equalled only by devotion to their new country. Today this legacy enriches us all in the form of Czech festivals, foodways, museums, library and archival collections, and historic buildings. In celebration of the Czech contribution to Nebraska life, the Nebraska State Historical Society is proud to present a new exhibit at the Museum of Nebraska History entitled "The Heart of Two Continents: Czechs and Nebraska." Accompanying the exhibit is this special double issue ofNebraska History, "The Czech-American Experience." The issue offers new perspectives on immigration, and on Czech life in Nebraska and the United States. Many of the illustrations are drawn from the exhibit, and several illuminate themes in more than one article. They can be enjoyed by referring to the figure numbers in the text, or they can be viewed throughout the issue as a kind of catalogue for the exhibit. Special thanks are due Bruce M. Garver, professor of history at the Univer sity of Nebraska at Omaha and guest editor of "The Czech-American Experi ence," whose expertise was crucial in assembling this issue. The Society is also grateful to the authors, whose thorough scholarship and thoughtfUl insights have helped illuminate "The Czech-American Experience." LawrenceJ.Sonuner Director Nebraska State Historical Society 102 INTRODUCTION by Bruce M. Garver In conjunction with its mounting of a farms or in small towns and by a and Saskova-Pierce) conclude by ex special new exhibit, "The Heart of Two slightly larger number of freethinkers amining twentieth century develop Continents: Czechs and Nebraska," the than Catholics. In the first instance, ments. The last (by Luebke) is Nebraska State Historical Society Nebraska did not differ much from historiographical and suggests subjects authorized the publication of this ex Texas, Iowa, Minnesota, and the Dako for future scholarly research and traordinarily large issue of Nebraska tas; in the second, Nebraska resembled publication. History in order to survey important Illinois, Iowa, and New York. Since Various disciplinary approaches are topics in Czech-American history and 1920 the inexorable advance of accul presented. Eight of the twelve articles indicate how they may be interpreted turation and urbanization has rendered are primarily works of history. somewhat differently by several aca these and other late nineteenth-century Machann's is a study in literary criti demic disciplines. Twelve articles distinctions much less important. But cism and cultural ethnicity. Murphy testify to the richness and diversity of visitors to Nebraska are still struck by makes a contribution to the new and the Czech-American experience past its ethnic diversity and the strong sense growing scholarly field of detailed and present and to the difficulties one of ethnicity to be found in many small studies of material culture. Dubovicky encoun,ters in trying to distinguish what towns founded by continental European employs ethnological and anthropol is typical from what is not in that expe immigrants and still inhabited by their ogical methods; and Saskova-Pierce rience. These articles and the new descendants. Representative of those uses those of historical and compara exhibit at the Museum of Nebraska communities with a lively sense of tive linguistics. History aim to facilitate popular under their Czech heritage are Abie, Brainard, Joseph Svoboda, creator of the standing of the Czech-American expe Bruno, Clarkson, Dwight, Lodgepole, Czech Heritage Collection of the UNL rience and, incidentally, to dispel the Milligan, Prague, Verdigre and Archives and until July 1993 the archi notion that Nebraska Czech culture Wilber.4 vist of UNL, writes about the "love of consists entirely of kolaches (koltice), Seven of the twelve articles appear liberty" that persuaded so many Czech beer, and polka music. I ing in this issue of Nebraska History immigrapts to come to the United Czechs came to the United States for are revisions of papers presented at the States and that conditioned their estab economic, political, and personal rea September 1992 Symposium on Czech lishment of benevolent and fraternal sons and voluntarily embraced the Immigration sponsored by the Univer institutions and their participation in values and institutions of their adopted sity of Nebraska-Lincoln (UNL) and American politics. Svoboda examines country without losing interest in the organized by Joseph Svoboda and the historical roots of this "love of welfare of their relatives and friends in Bruce Garver. One is a revision of an liberty" and cites many Nebraska the Czech lands of Bohemia and Mora article first published in 1976, and four Czech examples in discussing its con-· via. 2 The Czech-American experience were prepared especially for this issue. 5 sequences for the development of in Nebraska closely resembles and has The twelve articles are arranged chron Czech-American society. He con always been conditioned by the larger ologically and within that framework cludes by assessing the ongoing accul Czech-American experience in the move from the general to the particular. turation of Czech-Americans and what United States. For a century,

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