A large portion of colonial America's population on the eve of the
revolution was composed of immigrants and children of recent
immigrants. Because of the variety of ethnic groups involved, studies of
how Americans reacted to the revolution should not be limited to
generalizations. The involvement of different ethnic groups has been
examined, but these studies seem largely to have concentrated on the
wealthier and more politically motivated members of those groups.
Examining the reactions of poorer members of ethnic groups has been
difficult, since few of these people left significant documentation of their
experiences. German redemptioners, an important sub-group of colonial
American immigrants, seem to have been well represented among the
lower orders of colonial American society. A memoir of Johann Carl
Büttner's experiences in America prior to and during the revolution
provides a revealing and detailed portrait of his reactions to the
revolution. This portrait may well be an archetype for German
redemptioners of the “lower sort.”