Page History: Martin Koszta
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Page Revision: Monday, 06 October 2014 22:04
Martin Kostza was a Hungarian-born political dissident who had worked in a movement to separate Hungary from the Austro-Hungary empire. As the movement fell apart, he fled to America and began the process to become an American citizen (and renounce citizenship to any other country). He became a trader and, while in Turkey in 1853, was captured by Austrians and held on one of their ships.
He was eventually released and the incident showed a dedication, on the part of the American government, to its citizens, even if a person hasn't quite finished the process of becoming a citizen.
Speech Relevance
Reagan tells the story in his first CPAC speech, '
A City Upon a Hill' to illustrate the government's highest ideals on display.
Source Links
Koszta Affair (Wikisource)A History of the United States, published 1902 (Google Books)