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'''German Americans''' are the largest ethnic group in the United States, with over 45 million people, comprising over a fourth of the white population.<ref> That is, American of German descent outnumber both African Americans and [[Latinos]].</ref>  They are concentrated in the Midwest, and in eastern metropolitan areas. They comprise numerous different groups, all of whom arrived speaking German. Some came in search of religious or political freedom, others for economic opportunities greater than those in Germany, and others simply for the chance to start afresh in the New World. Today California and Pennsylvania have the largest populations of German descent, with over six million Germans residing in the two states alone. The Midwest has the largest proportion of German Americans, with the group dominant in many rural areas. It is one of the two or three largest groups in many major metropolitan areas, including New York, Chicago, Baltimore and St. Louis.  The rural Midwest from Indiana through the Dakotas has a large german population.

'''German Americans''' are the largest ethnic group in the United States, with over 45 million people, comprising over a fourth of the white population.<ref> That is, American of German descent outnumber both African Americans and [[Latinos]].</ref>  They are concentrated in the Midwest, and in eastern metropolitan areas. They comprise numerous different groups, all of whom arrived speaking German. Some came in search of religious or political freedom, others for economic opportunities greater than those in Germany, and others simply for the chance to start afresh in the New World. Today California and Pennsylvania have the largest populations of German descent, with over six million Germans residing in the two states alone. The Midwest has the largest proportion of German Americans, with the group dominant in many rural areas. It is one of the two or three largest groups in many major metropolitan areas, including New York, Chicago, Baltimore and St. Louis.  The rural Midwest from Indiana through the Dakotas has a large german population.

The 100,000 Germans who came in the colonial era became farmers, with centers of settlement in southeastern Pennsylvania (where they are called "Pennsylvania Dutch"), upstate New York, and central North Carolina.  They were mostly Lutheran and Reformed church members; the came in family-dominated groups for economic reasons. They were pushed out of Germany because the the partible inheritance customs of their homeland meant that each child inherited a slice of the farm, and so farms were getting smaller and smaller. They found plenty of good, cheap land in America.

The 100,000 Germans who came in the colonial era became farmers, with centers of settlement in southeastern Pennsylvania (where they are called "Pennsylvania Dutch"), upstate New York, and central North Carolina.  They were mostly Lutheran and Reformed church members; the came in family-dominated groups for economic reasons. They were pushed out of Germany because the the partible inheritance customs of their homeland meant that each child inherited a slice of the farm, and so farms were getting smaller and smaller. They found plenty of good, cheap land in America.