Czech immigration to Texas began as early as the 1820s, but most immigrants made the journey as individuals. Large-scale and family immigration began with the immigration of Rev. Josef Arnost Bergmann, described as the “father” of Czech immigration to Texas by some sources, and his family in 1850. Once settled in Texas, Bergmann wrote letters to families in Europe, encouraging them to come to Texas.
Czech immigration was driven by the availability of land in Texas and by events in Europe. In the 1840s, the [Austrian Empire](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Austrian_Empire), which included Czech lands, was still run by a feudal system, despite the wave of democratic ideals permeating western Europe. This led to the Revolutions of 1848, which did little to improve the economic status of peasants who still found it difficult to gain wealth. The revolutions, together with factors such as religious persecution and mandatory military service, fueled a wave of emigration from Austria beginning in 1852. Immigrants to America were unfamiliar with the concept of American democracy due to their lack of experience with democratic ideals. The concepts of states’ rights and slavery were equally foreign to the immigrants.
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Historically, Czech [Moravian](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Moravians) settlements were founded in Central Texas. “Czechs first settled in Texas in the 1840s, traveling from [Bohemia](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bohemia), [Moravia](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Moravia), and [Austrian Silesia](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Austrian_Silesia). Czech settlers usually identified themselves as [Austrian](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Austrians), [German](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Germans), [Bohemian](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bohemia), [Slovak](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Slovaks) or [Moravian](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Moravians).”
Czech immigration to Texas began as early as the 1820s, but most immigrants made the journey as individuals. Large-scale and family immigration began with the immigration of Rev. Josef Arnost Bergmann, described as the “father” of Czech immigration to Texas by some sources, and his family in 1850. Once settled in Texas, Bergmann wrote letters to families in Europe, encouraging them to come to Texas.
Czech immigration was driven by the availability of land in Texas and by events in Europe. In the 1840s, the [Austrian Empire](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Austrian_Empire), which included Czech lands, was still run by a feudal system, despite the wave of democratic ideals permeating western Europe. This led to the Revolutions of 1848, which did little to improve the economic status of peasants who still found it difficult to gain wealth. The revolutions, together with factors such as religious persecution and mandatory military service, fueled a wave of emigration from Austria beginning in 1852. Immigrants to America were unfamiliar with the concept of American democracy due to their lack of experience with democratic ideals. The concepts of states’ rights and slavery were equally foreign to the immigrants.