Slovaks were told about golden American streets, but the real America was a different story

You have access to this premium content thanks to the FALATH & PARTNERS law firm, which successfully aids Americans with Slovak ancestry in obtaining Slovak citizenship and reconnecting with their roots.

Books Slovak Settlers by Zuzana Palovic and Gabriela Beregházyová, The Emperor of America by Martin Pollack, Hey, Slovaks! by Michal Novota and Boris Németh served as a source material for the story.

The streets of American cities are lined with golden coins. The Emperor of America welcomes everyone and wants them to help him collect that gold.

SkryťTurn off ads
smeAdManager.cmd.push(function () {smeAdManager.mngr.display('gtg', 'article_body_1', 'article_body_1-responsive_1-26570');});




SkryťTurn off ads

Article continues after video advertisement



SkryťTurn off ads

Article continues after video advertisement

With embellished stories like this, it was hard for the impoverished and uneducated population of late 19th century Slovakia to resist the lure of recruiters. They had no idea where America was, maybe somewhere over the next mountain ridge.​

​Then, after a few week's worth of sailing, the Slovak emigrants finally landed in cities of the east coast, such as New York with the famed Statue of Liberty and Philadelphia. Dressed in their traditional clothes, they did not know any English, had next to no money, maybe kept only a picture of their closest kin as a prized keepsake so that they would not feel so lonely.

There were no streets full of gold waiting for them, not to mention an emperor of America; instead they were met with government officials.

SkryťTurn off ads
smeAdManager.cmd.push(function () {smeAdManager.mngr.display('gtg', 'article_body_2', 'article_body_2-responsive_1-26584');});

Still, when they eventually found work, often in the most dangerous conditions, the pay still felt like an astronomical sum to them.

Landing at Ellis Island. (Source: WIKIMEDIA CC)
Bleak outlook

The 19th century was one of turmoil with Napoleonic wars, civil uprisings and revolutions, more wars, famines, industrialisation, and mass migration; the world was changing rapidly.

Spurred by an uprising in the middle of the century, the Kingdom of Hungary which included Slovakia - known as Upper Hungaria at the time - abolished serfdom, allowing millions of people to roam freely, no longer bound by the towns or regions they had been born in.

A Slovak woman with her child at Ellis Island. (Source: WIKIMEDIA CC)

Two decades later on the other side of the Atlantic Ocean, the American Civil War came to the same conclusion by abolishing slavery; immediately afterwards the North experienced economic growth and industrialisation which meant that a growing number of factories, steelworks, and coal mines were constantly in need of cheap workers. At the time, the Irish comprised the largest immigrant group in the country. However, they began to unionise and refused to work for $1.50 a day, much to the anger of owners of the enterprises who didn't want to lower their profits. Thus, the latter had to look elsewhere.

For Slovaks in the Kingdom of Hungary, life was still difficult even after social reforms were introduced in the aftermath of the uprising. Both economically and technologically, the country lagged behind Western Europe. The number of people grew; this meant that the soil they inherited was constantly fragmenting in ownership and obtaining food was more and more challenging for ever growing families. If that wasn't bad enough, several bouts of famine and pandemics in the latter half of the 19th century made things even worse. Also, many became heavily indebted due to alcoholism.

Despite being allowed to travel further away from their place of birth in search of work, for example to more fertile regions of the kingdom, people still weren't able to earn enough money. Combined with Magyarisation - a forced assimilation of non-Hungarian populations by means of adopting the Hungarian national identity and language - the outlook of life was bleak for Slovaks.

Thee Slovak immigrant women. (Source: WIKIMEDIA CC)
Recruiters and overfilled ships

It was in this climate that recruiters, or agents of the owners of American coal mines, steelworks and other enterprises, and later even companies owning ocean ships, came tasked with finding people who were willing to work for $1.50 a day.

To uneducated Slovaks - they had no idea where America was located, could neither read nor write - the recruiters' pictures of huge cities, fancy clothes and many promises of riches and gold sounded like a dream come true; some spun tall tales about the Emperor of America in need of everyone who could help him collect gold coins from streets. ​

A helping hand in the heart of Europe offers a travel guide of Slovakia.

​Although the pay of $1.50 a day was meagre by American standards, for Slovaks who earned only a fraction of that the sum sounded astronomical. Meanwhile, the recruiters built up their own gold.

Really, the first Slovaks who emigrated did not come to stay in America; all they wanted was to earn a lot of money and return to improve their lot for themselves and their children alike. They sold everything they had, borrowed and collected money from close and extended family, friends, acquaintances, to pay the recruiters for ship tickets. And the recruiters were not above scams, extortion, or frauds. They also recruited local leaders such as innkeepers, teachers, and priests to encourage people to go to the promised land, creating an elaborate international scheme and network to get as much money as possible from the common folk.

After getting the money together, then they either had to face the long bureaucratic process to obtain a permit to leave the country or get it illegally. Or turn to smugglers to get them to Oświęcim, a town and an important rail junction in southern Poland, or a similar place, that would then allow them to travel further to ports of Bremen and Hamburg in Germany, or Antwerp in Belgium.

Despite the advances in technology making the transatlantic voyage faster and safer, crossing the ocean was still no easy feat, especially for those short on money. In response to the growing number of migrants from all over Europe, shipping lines tried to squeeze as many people as possible on board, even to places on ships that were not designed to accommodate them.

For example, the SS Suevia, a passenger steamship built for the Hamburg America Line, had accommodation for 100 first-class, 70 second-class and 600 third-class passengers. However, it was not uncommon for up to 1,000 people to be in the third class. Full of bunk-beds, odours from unwashed clothes, food, excrement and vomit, to say it was not a pleasant voyage would be a total understatement.

The SS Suevia. (Source: WIKIMEDIA CC)
Went to work as fast as they could

When the first Slovaks persisted against all odds and arrived in New York, for example, they were unprepared for what awaited them. It was not what was promised to them. Moreover, they spoke no English and knew nothing of the culture. There are stories of Slovaks in their traditional clothes being mistaken for Native Americans. In the end, they found jobs at steelworks, mines, and factories.

Still, when the first Slovaks who had established themselves later returned to their place of birth, they became a walking advertisement for what could be achieved. Instead of the folkwear they left in, they now wore fancy clothes. They shared their experience, which made the travel easier for those who followed in their footsteps. The word of mouth spread and the number of people deciding to emigrate grew. Now it would be easier to travel if there were people on the other side of the ocean to help them.

These first emigrants eventually travelled to America and back several times. By today's standards, they could be called commuters with only a little bit of exaggeration.

A young Slovak woman at Ellis Island in 1905. (Source: WIKIMEDIA CC)

At the beginning, it was men who went, then even women followed. The regions hardest hit by emigration were Orava, Zemplín, Šariš and Uh, with many villages falling silent. Not even tightening the laws restricting emigration and recruiters' activities really helped prevent people leaving the Kingdom of Hungary. Many left anyway, with the largest number of Slovaks doing so between 1874 and 1907.

They settled mostly in cities along the east coast, or in the east of the country, such as New York, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Pittsburgh, Cleveland, and Chicago. They lived in boarding houses, which usually accommodated several families; one Slovak lady would cook for them and wash their clothes. Once again, compared to American standards it was rudimentary but still an upgrade over the usual one-room house for an entire family back home.

Coming from a rural background, Slovaks were neither skilled, nor literate, meaning they did not have much in terms of choosing a job they liked. They had to take the most dangerous jobs available, mainly in coal mines and steelworks that powered industrialisation. However, gradually, they earned a reputation for being hard-working.

Up to 650,000 Slovaks are estimated to have emigrated to America before the First World War. According to the 1920 census, almost 620,000 were living in the new country.

Spectacular Slovakia travel guides
National Stud Farm in Topoľčianky (Source: Amanda Rivkin)


A helping hand in the heart of Europe thanks to the Slovakia travel guide with more than 1,000 photos and hundred of tourist spots.
Detailed travel guide to the Tatras introduces you to the whole region around the Tatra mountains, including attractions on the Polish side.
Lost in Bratislava? Impossible with our City Guide!
See some selected travel articles, podcasts, traveller's needs as well as other guides dedicated to Nitra, Trenčín Region, Trnava Region and Žilina Region.





Slovaks living abroad


On the Slovak-Ukrainian border, an American feels pessimism but also sees potential



Hidden gems in the east: Smuggling museum, 'Croatian' lake, and guitar heaven



How to start Slovak family history research