The factors which lead to the rise of feudalism was the fact that people couldn't protect themselves and needed land where they could be safe considering the fact that a single peasant didn't have enough capabilities to defend himself. This lead to the fact that these peasants had to give food and goods to their lord with his army.
A majority had been farmers in Germany, and most came seeking economic opportunities. A few dissident intellectuals fleeing the 1848 revolutions sought political freedom, but few, save perhaps the Wends, came for religious freedom. The German settlements in Texas reflected their diversity.