Mediation, Assimilation, and German Foundations in North America: Francis Daniel Pastorius as Cultural Broker

One of the first Germans to settle in the Pennsylvania colony, Francis Daniel Pastorius left behind many manuscripts detailing a rich life. Studying his manuscripts reveals much about the first German settlers and the world they inhabited, a group that has been only slightly studied. One important aspect of Pastorius’s German American life was his role as a cultural broker between the English Quakers and the first German settlers. Because of his education and inclinations, Pastorius emerged as a mediator between the two cultures. He negotiated the first land purchases, encouraged William Penn’s support of German settlement, and sought naturalization—truly connecting the two cultures. This article explores how he educated one culture about the other and helped make a place for the Germans, and those to come, in their new colonial home.