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Mennonite immigration

At the beginning of the 19th century a minority of Mennonites in Pennsylvania, who were unhappy at the prospect of remaining under American rule in the aftermath of the revolutionary war, relocated to Upper Canada. There the Mennonites, a community that had its roots in the Anabaptist wing of the Reformation, could practise their religion and speak their language freely. As a result of the significant political and social changes in Russia during the 1860s, Mennonites had lost many of their special privileges. Nearly 7,000 of them immigrated to Canada and settled, for the most part, east of the Red River in southern Manitoba.

Related Biographies

BETZNER, SAMUEL D.
EBY, BENJAMIN
ERB, ABRAHAM
EWERT, HEINRICH H.
FUNK, JOHANN
GAUKEL, FRIEDRICH (Frederick)
GOESSMAN, JOHN (baptized Johann Gohsmann)
HESPELER, WILLIAM (Wilhelm)
LAURIE, PATRICK GAMMIE
LAURIER, Sir WILFRID (baptized Henry-Charles-Wilfrid)
NAFZIGER, CHRISTIAN
REGIER, PETER
SCHNEIDER, JOSEPH
SHANTZ, JACOB YOST
SIFTON, Sir CLIFFORD
TOEWS, ANNA (Toews)
WEBER, ANNA (Nancy)
WENGER, JOHANNES (John Winger)
WIEBE, GERHARD
WINKLER, VALENTINE

Other Resources

10 things to know about Mennonites in Canada | Canadian Mennonite Magazine
A brief history of Mennonites in Canada | Mennonite Church Canada
Mennonite - Wikipedia
Mennonite Church Canada - Wikipedia
Russian Mennonite - Wikipedia

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Nous reconnaissons l'aide financière du Musée canadien de l'histoire à travers les œuvres du programme de référence en ligne financés par le gouvernement du Canada.

We acknowledge the support of the Government of Canada.


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