Carl Schurz traveled to America in his early twenties with ideas of liberalism and democracy which he could not find in his homeland of Germany. His intention upon arriving in America was to earn a living as a lecturer, but his political and journalistic endeavors wound up giving him a prominent place in American history. Schurz used his first years in America as a learning experience and spent the time getting acquainted with the culture and language. His study of history provided Schurz with information and topics for his early lectures; his love for history continued throughout his life, as is evident by his three published books (other than collections of his speeches), which are all biographies of political figures--including himself. His editorials, speeches, and political essays were published in many newspapers across the continent as well as in the ones he edited.

Schurz was born 2 March 1829 in...