293:, Ludwick immediately went to the military headquarters for the American Patriots and convinced the commander-in-chief to place those eight men in his hands. Then, Ludwick took it upon himself to serve as their host and guide. He showed them all about Philadelphia and the surrounding vicinity. Ludwick was able to show these eight men how well the citizens of German heritage were prospering there. He pointed out how comfortably the German families of the area were housed and what fine churches they had. He spoke of the freedom and independence that they had to pursue their own avocations in Philadelphia without intrusion. Even those who were in humbler pursuits of life were living happily in America. When Ludwick dismissed those eight men, he charged them with the sole purpose of returning to their regiments to inform their fellow soldiers of all that they had seen. Ludwick encouraged them to describe the happiness awaiting those who would desert their service to fight for Great Britain and settle in Pennsylvania. The seed thus planted bore rich fruit. It is said that Ludwick's influence on those eight men resulted in many, many Germans who decided to become citizens of Philadelphia, many of whom afterwards became prosperous citizens of the time.
332:
much-needed nourishment to the soldiers of
Washington after that particularly long battle. That is just one instance, but Ludwick was able to keep the war machine of General Washington running because of that very simple, but appreciated staple - Bread! Washington usually addressed Ludwick in the company as “My honest friend.” In 1785, Ludwick was given a certificate of good conduct by General Washington which was written in his own handwriting. Washington realized the importance of Ludwick's invaluable service to the Army.
300:, New York, without detection and was able to cause some of the German soldiers there to join him in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. The fact remains that Ludwick's influence on the success of the American Revolution cannot be overstated. He was very instrumental in advancing the cause without a lot of bloodshed. Without question, Christopher Ludwick was a great hero of the American Revolution.
22:
63:
121:
571:
281:
to purchase firearms by private subscription or require the individual to buy his own guns, this caused some dissent among the
American Patriots especially those who were unable to pay. Ludwick was able to silence their opposition by saying, “Let the poor, gingerbread baker be put down for £200!” The
331:
which ended on 19 October 1781. After the surrender of
Cornwallis, General Washington ordered that Ludwick be responsible for feeding his hungry men. Ludwick baked 6,000 pounds of bread in one day with the help of his loving and supportive wife, Catherine England Ludwick. They were able to provide
340:
Ludwick spent a good deal of his later life in service to others. If he discovered that there were those in need of a worthwhile charity to which he could lend his assistance, he did as much as he possibly could to contribute either with his time or money in aiding their circumstance. In 1793, the
259:
where he continued his work as a baker. Additionally, he learned a new trade of making very specialized cakes and confections for the wealthy people of London. Equipped with this new knowledge, he returned to
Philadelphia the following year, and expanded his business as a
323:'s large dinner parties and frequently their conversations were in relation to the bread supplies for the Army. One of Ludwick's notable achievements was his prompt execution of General Washington's orders. Washington had defeated British Army Officer
375:, and two church charities for poor children received money from the Christopher Ludwick estate. The remainder of the estate in the amount of ÂŁ3,000 was given to create a free school. In 1872, that school was named in his honour as the
268:
located in
Laetitia Court where he amassed a fortune. He married Catherine England in 1755. He owned 4 or 5 homes in the Philadelphia area and a farm in Germantown, Pennsylvania. Ludwick and his wife had one child who died in infancy.
254:
In 1753, he sailed for
Philadelphia with ÂŁ25 and some clothing. His time in Philadelphia was spent as a baker which proved to be very lucrative for him. With the ÂŁ60 he had earned by this venture, Ludwick returned to
289:) who were fighting on the side of Great Britain to the desert and become residents of Philadelphia instead. Upon learning of the capture of eight Hessian soldiers who were taken as prisoners during the
356:, of poor children of all denominations, in the city and liberties of Philadelphia, without exception to the country, extraction, or religious principles of their parents or friends.” Based in
602:
361:
553:
627:
612:
367:
His charitable donations were primarily awarded to several different organizations in the city of
Philadelphia. Organizations such as the immigrant aid society
224:
617:
35:
296:
Ludwick's success in this enterprise encouraged him to similar endeavours in that same vein. For example, he visited a
Hessian camp on
243:
Army. When peace was finally declared, Ludwick decided to leave continental Europe. Ludwick arrived in
England in 1742 and joined the
476:
175:
157:
139:
131:
102:
49:
395:
Rush, Benjamin. An
Account of the Life and Character of Christopher Ludwick. Philadelphia, PA: The Philadelphia Society, 1801.
342:
360:, the Christopher Ludwick Foundation remains active in its mission to the present day. He is buried in the cemetery of
547:
372:
282:
proposition was then adopted unanimously. In the summer of 1776, Ludwick enlisted as a volunteer at the age of 55.
208:
196:
84:
73:
607:
542:
80:
41:
285:
Ludwick was of immeasurable service to the cause of the American Revolution by persuading his fellow German (
357:
622:
228:
345:. Ludwick worked tirelessly at baking bread, gratuitously, to feed those who were sick or destitute.
277:
Ludwick was a staunch advocate of the American Revolution. When it had been proposed by Major General
597:
592:
313:
290:
415:, vol. 1, edited by Marianne S. Wokeck. German Historical Institute. Last modified October 31, 2013.
348:
Upon his death in 1801 at the age of 81, Ludwick bequeathed $ 13,000 ($ 6,000,000 today) to fund a
518:
538:
324:
286:
546:
503:
472:
468:
376:
328:
320:
408:
576:
349:
204:
424:
The Pennsylvania Magazine of History and Biography Vol. 16, No. 3 (Oct. 1892), pp. 343-348
195:(17 October 1720, in Germany – 17 June 1801, in United States), was a German immigrant to
512:
278:
497:
586:
533:
413:
Immigrant Entrepreneurship: German-American Business Biographies, 1720 to the Present
297:
265:
227:. He endured the hardships of a gruelling seventeen-week-long battle known as the
261:
566:
244:
437:
465:
Guide to U.S. Foundations, Their Trustees, Officers, and Donors, Vol. III
425:
309:
240:
236:
220:
308:
Ludwick had originally learned the baking trade in his native city of
256:
232:
200:
251:
until 1745 and then served as a seaman in the merchant marine.
114:
56:
15:
532:
This article incorporates text from a publication now in the
239:
captured Prague in 1741, Ludwick was conscripted into the
517:. Somerville, New Jersey: The Unionist-Gazette. p.
502:. Vol. I. Boston: Houghton & Mifflin. pp.
316:
to the position of baker general to the American Army.
247:. He seems to have served as a baker aboard the H.M.S.
83:. Please help to ensure that disputed statements are
219:Early in life, Christopher Ludwick enlisted in the
603:People of Pennsylvania in the American Revolution
319:Christopher Ludwick was often invited to dine at
8:
554:Appletons' Cyclopædia of American Biography
50:Learn how and when to remove these messages
341:city of Philadelphia was hit hard by the
176:Learn how and when to remove this message
158:Learn how and when to remove this message
103:Learn how and when to remove this message
79:Relevant discussion may be found on the
499:The German Element in the United States
388:
369:Deutsche Gesellschaft von Pennsylvanien
444:. Christopher Ludwick Foundation. 2014
426:https://www.jstor.org/stable/20083492
7:
628:18th-century British philanthropists
613:Emigrants from the Holy Roman Empire
403:
401:
618:Immigrants to the Thirteen Colonies
312:. In 1777, he was appointed by the
130:tone or style may not reflect the
14:
352:“for the schooling and education
31:This article has multiple issues.
569:
140:guide to writing better articles
119:
61:
20:
511:Mellick, Andrew D. Jr. (1889).
215:Life in Europe and Philadelphia
39:or discuss these issues on the
1:
362:St. Michael's Lutheran Church
548:"Ludwick, Christopher"
644:
373:University of Pennsylvania
225:Austro-Russian-Turkish War
209:American Revolutionary War
197:Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
496:Faust, Albert B. (1909).
463:Jacobs, David G. (2003).
557:. New York: D. Appleton.
514:The Story of an Old Farm
223:Army and served in the
438:"About the Foundation"
273:American Revolutionary
442:Ludwickfoundation.org
409:"Christopher Ludwig."
343:yellow fever epidemic
314:Continental Congress
291:Battle of Germantown
72:factual accuracy is
189:Christopher Ludwick
325:Charles Cornwallis
287:Hessian countrymen
249:Duke of Cumberland
245:British Royal Navy
199:, and worked as a
469:Foundation Center
377:Ludwick Institute
329:Siege of Yorktown
321:George Washington
186:
185:
178:
168:
167:
160:
134:used on Knowledge
132:encyclopedic tone
113:
112:
105:
54:
635:
579:
577:Biography portal
574:
573:
572:
558:
550:
522:
507:
483:
482:
471:. p. 1018.
460:
454:
453:
451:
449:
434:
428:
422:
416:
405:
396:
393:
350:charitable trust
205:Continental Army
203:general for the
191:, known also as
181:
174:
163:
156:
152:
149:
143:
142:for suggestions.
138:See Knowledge's
123:
122:
115:
108:
101:
97:
94:
88:
85:reliably sourced
65:
64:
57:
46:
24:
23:
16:
643:
642:
638:
637:
636:
634:
633:
632:
608:American bakers
583:
582:
575:
570:
568:
565:
545:, eds. (1900).
537:
510:
495:
492:
487:
486:
479:
462:
461:
457:
447:
445:
436:
435:
431:
423:
419:
407:Creason, Carl.
406:
399:
394:
390:
385:
338:
306:
275:
229:Siege of Prague
217:
182:
171:
170:
169:
164:
153:
147:
144:
137:
128:This article's
124:
120:
109:
98:
92:
89:
78:
70:This article's
66:
62:
25:
21:
12:
11:
5:
641:
639:
631:
630:
625:
620:
615:
610:
605:
600:
595:
585:
584:
581:
580:
564:
563:External links
561:
560:
559:
524:
523:
508:
491:
488:
485:
484:
477:
455:
429:
417:
397:
387:
386:
384:
381:
337:
334:
305:
302:
279:Thomas Mifflin
274:
271:
216:
213:
184:
183:
166:
165:
127:
125:
118:
111:
110:
69:
67:
60:
55:
29:
28:
26:
19:
13:
10:
9:
6:
4:
3:
2:
640:
629:
626:
624:
623:Confectioners
621:
619:
616:
614:
611:
609:
606:
604:
601:
599:
596:
594:
591:
590:
588:
578:
567:
562:
556:
555:
549:
544:
540:
539:Wilson, J. G.
535:
534:public domain
531:
530:
529:
528:
520:
516:
515:
509:
505:
501:
500:
494:
493:
489:
480:
478:9781931923408
474:
470:
466:
459:
456:
443:
439:
433:
430:
427:
421:
418:
414:
410:
404:
402:
398:
392:
389:
382:
380:
378:
374:
370:
365:
363:
359:
355:
351:
346:
344:
335:
333:
330:
326:
322:
317:
315:
311:
304:Baker General
303:
301:
299:
298:Staten Island
294:
292:
288:
283:
280:
272:
270:
267:
263:
258:
252:
250:
246:
242:
238:
234:
230:
226:
222:
214:
212:
210:
206:
202:
198:
194:
190:
180:
177:
162:
159:
151:
141:
135:
133:
126:
117:
116:
107:
104:
96:
86:
82:
76:
75:
68:
59:
58:
53:
51:
44:
43:
38:
37:
32:
27:
18:
17:
552:
526:
525:
513:
498:
467:. New York:
464:
458:
446:. Retrieved
441:
432:
420:
412:
391:
368:
366:
353:
347:
339:
336:Philanthropy
318:
307:
295:
284:
276:
266:confectioner
253:
248:
218:
192:
188:
187:
172:
154:
148:January 2022
145:
129:
99:
93:January 2022
90:
71:
47:
40:
34:
33:Please help
30:
598:1801 deaths
593:1720 births
527:Attribution
262:gingerbread
231:. When the
207:during the
587:Categories
506:, 302–304.
490:References
264:baker and
36:improve it
543:Fiske, J.
358:Bryn Mawr
237:Bavarians
81:talk page
42:talk page
241:Prussian
221:Austrian
74:disputed
536::
327:at the
310:Giessen
475:
448:9 July
371:, the
354:gratis
257:London
233:French
193:Ludwig
383:Notes
201:baker
473:ISBN
450:2014
235:and
519:369
411:In
589::
551:.
541:;
504:71
440:.
400:^
379:.
364:.
211:.
45:.
521:.
481:.
452:.
179:)
173:(
161:)
155:(
150:)
146:(
136:.
106:)
100:(
95:)
91:(
87:.
77:.
52:)
48:(
Text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License. Additional terms may apply.