Which group established the first kindergartens in the United States?

The first kindergartens to be established in the United States were done so by German Americans. In the fall of 1856, Margarethe [Meyer] Schurz (Mrs. Carl Schurz) is credited with opening what is often referred to as America's first kindergarten for the benefit of her daughter, Agatha, and children of relatives and friends.

Prior to 1856 in 1852 while aiding her sister in conducting a Froebelite kindergarten in London, Margarethe met and married (July 1852) Carl Schurz. Then in August of that year, she accompanied her husband to the U.S., settling in Philadelphia, Pa. Forced to return to Europe because of her health in 1855, she was joined by her husband in 1856 and after a tour of England and Switzerland, they returned to America, settling at their new home in Watertown, Wisconsin. There the Froebelite kindergarten started by Mrs. Schurz went into operation.

Remembered primarily for her influence on the kindergarten movement, Mrs. Schurz is credited with converting Elizabeth Peabody to the Froebel philosophy at a meeting in Boston in 1859. For many years a semi-invalid, Mrs. Schurz returned to Germany after the death of her daughter in 1867. There she remained until her death. She was often encouraged to enjoy life by frequent letters and visits from her husband, who had become one of the most important German-American politicians of his day.