Vznik a vývin slovenského krajanského hnutia v USA do roku 1907

This contribution deals with the formation and development of the Slovak Compatriotic Movement in the USA from the outbreak of mass immigration to the USA in the 1880s to 1907. The first compatriotic support associations were forming in the USA in the 1880s, they were based on regional or religious principles, which led to disintegration. However, in the cultural effort they had identical objective: an ambition to financially contribute to the development of Slovak culture, language, literature, schools, and the press. The first step to unite all immigrants on the national basis, regardless of religion, political, or social affiliation and at the same time in the spirit of the American democratic principles to influence Slovak national life in America and also in the homeland, was taken by P. V. Rovnianek in February of 1890 by establishing Matica slovenská in America, the ideas of which did not get across in the USA. Essentially, it is possible to state that all formed organisations were only transitory institutions, which eventuated into the creation of the Slovak League in America, which became a representative of the Slovak nation not only in the USA but it also played an important role in creation of the statehood in the homeland.