Eugene Pivány: Hungarian-American Historical Connections from pre-Columbian times to the end of the American Civil War

Speaking of Hungarian-American historical connections the first thought that comes to mind is Louis Kossuth and his trituimphal journey in America. His American reception is, indeed, the most conspicuous event in the relations of the two countries and one, the effects of which are felt even to this day. Its literature in the English language surpasses that of the rest of Hungarian-American historical connections in point of quantity, too. Nevertheless, it would be a mistake to suppose that before Kossuth's time there had been no connections between the two countries worth speaking of, which is all the more remarkable as the Hungarians are not a maritime people and, thus, could have no independent pant in discoveries and colonisation beyond the seas.
Yet the connections of Hungarians with America reach back not only to the colonial period of the present United States, but even to pre-Columbian times. Hungarian missionaries, Hungarian pioneers and Hungarian scientists have, at the risk of their lives, taken part in conquering the American wilderness for civilisation; and in the two most critical periods of the history of the United States, in the Revolution and in the Civil War, i. e, in the birth of the Union and in the prevention of its dissolution, Hungarians have, by virtue of their military prowess and devotion to the cause of liberty, played a part far exceeding in importance their numbers.

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