[1] However, immigration began to change in character and size in the late 1840s and early 1850s, due to the 1848 revolutionary movements in Europe.

In 1890, the 2.78 million first-generation German Americans represented the second-largest foreign-born group in the United States.

[3] Many Germans chose Milwaukee due to its geographic position on Lake Michigan's west coast.

Skilled workers dominated many crafts, while entrepreneurs created the brewing industry: the most famous brands included Pabst, Schlitz, Miller, and Blatz.

Former German Chancellor Helmut Kohl visited Milwaukee with U.S. President Bill Clinton in 1996 as part of a friendship tour between Germany and the U.S.