Shannon Stirnweis (American, B. 1931) "German Settlers" Signed lower right. Original Oil painting on Illustration Board. Provenance: Collection of James A. Helzer (1946-2008), Founder of Unicover Corporation. This painting is the original which appeared on the Fleetwood First Day Cover for the U.S. 20c Concord stamp issued April 29, 1983. After a long and tedious voyage from the shores of Germany, the Concord ... a rugged sailing vessel that carried the first German immigrants to America ... arrived in late 1683, in the vicinity of Pennsylvania. As soon as these German immigrants arrived by way of Philadelphia, almost all spread quickly into the country just outside the periphery of early English and Quaker settlement and control. The first real German settlement was at Germantown, founded by Francis Daniel Pastorius, the leader of this first group of German Settlers. Pastorius had purchased the land for the settlement from William Penn ... from whence Pennsylvania was named. According to Pastorius, "We named the place Germantown, which means the Brother City of the Germans." Pastorius' group included mainly people that had experienced religious oppression in their homeland ... German Quakers and a scattering of Mennonites, all in search of freedom and opportunity. All of these people brought their own special talents with them to their new home -- thus, making their living from their many trades and crafts. During the next forty years, several thousand more German and Dutch immigrants swarmed into Pennsylvania. A few found work either in or around Germantown, but most moved into the surrounding country and became successful farmers. Image Size: 17.75 x 15 in. Overall Size: 21.5 x 18.75 in. Unframed. (B07972)