At the beginning of the 19th century, German immigrants were about 5% of Cincinnati's population. By the time of the Civil War, Germans were one-third of the population, and by the end of the century, about 60% of Cincinnati's citizens were of German heritage. So not only did German immigrants influence society in Cincinnati, the changed it completely.

The balance of politcal power was shifting, as politicians catered to the German vote. Bilingual education and "continental" Sundays (allowing beer gardens to be open on Sundays) were hotly debated topics leading up to the Civil War.

Also on the rise were German language newspapers, so that well-educated and politically-active recent German immigrants could follow the events of their homeland, as well as the local news, theater, literature, the arts and society. Until World War I, most telephone operators in Cincinnati were bilingual, often speaking in German more often than English. Court cases were even conducted in German, in order to cut down on confusion amongst both parties and in some cases, the judges.