Emigration To North America Bicentenary

[Anatol]

The Dream of America
Between 1836 and 1915, over 750,000 Norwegians emigrated to America, giving Norway the highest emigration rate among the Nordic countries relative to its population. The first recorded journey was made by the pinnace Restauration from Stavanger to New York in 1825, led by Cleng Peerson. This voyage marked the beginning of Norwegian emigration to North America, and the arrival on 9 October is celebrated as Leiv Eiriksson Day in the United States. To commemorate this year's anniversary, both the Christian Radich and a replica of Restauration will sail to New York.
The Voyage : On July 4, 1825, the Restauration left the harbor of Stavanger, Norway, with 45 passengers and seven crew. After a long and difficult journey, the group arrived in New York on Oct. 9. Sometimes dubbed the “Norwegian Mayflower,” the Restauration has become a symbol of the first organized migration from Norway to North America.
Since the Restauration was a type of vessel called a sloop, the immigrants onboard became known as “Sloopers.” Led by Lars Geilane, the Sloopers were Haugeans, Quakers, and their sympathizers, who left Norway in search of religious freedom and economic opportunity. Sailing as far south as the Madeira Islands to harness the eastern trade winds, the group arrived in New York more than three months and 6,000 miles later. All survived the journey. While at sea, Martha Geilane, the wife of the group’s leader, gave birth to a baby girl, Margaret Allen. The 39-ton, 54-foot Restauration was severely overcrowded according to American law. Upon its arrival in New York, local authorities impounded the vessel immediately.
Cleng Peerson, remembered as the “Norwegian Pathfinder to America,” served as the group’s advance agent. After the Restauration was impounded, Peerson secured aid from Quakers and other sympathizers in New York. Eventually the group was pardoned by U.S. President John Quincy Adams. Peerson led the Sloopers to their first settlement in Kendall (now Murray) township in Orleans County, N.Y. Some remained in the area despite the hardships the group faced there. Peerson later led a group to Fox River Valley, Ill., remembered as the second Norwegian colony in America.
The reasons for emigration in Norway were numerous and complex, including poverty, oppression, class division, overpopulation, and economic regulations. A spirit of adventure and rumours of cheap farmland in America also played a role. The modernisation of agriculture both influenced and was influenced by emigration. Many were drawn to America by the promise of civil rights, freedom of religion, freedom of speech, and political participation.
Most Norwegians settled in the central states of the Midwest: Minnesota, Wisconsin, Illinois, North Dakota, South Dakota and Iowa. However, states such as New York, Washington, and California also saw increasing Norwegian settlement. Emigrants maintained contact with family back home through so-called “America letters” or “Norway letters”. These letters brought knowledge of a foreign land to even the most remote corners of Norway.
The Voyage of the Restauration was only the beginning of three great waves of mass migration from Norway to North America over the next century. Since 1825, about 900,000 Norwegians have migrated to North America, leaving lasting effects on both sides of the Atlantic. While most stayed, many returned to Norway, bringing their new ideas and earnings with them to improve their lives back home.
The story of Norwegian immigration is only one chapter in the larger story of migration and colonization in North America. And that history continues to unfold today. In addition to sharing this transatlantic story, an important goal of Crossings is to frame it within the larger narrative of human migration, past and present. By doing so, we can more fully appreciate the complexities of migration for individuals, nations, and Indigenous peoples. It can also help us understand the tension all immigrants feel between keeping the old and adapting to the new.
Norwegians say: We will repeat this journey again in 2025. On July 4, 2025, the emigrant ship Restoration sets sail for New York, 200 years after the first Norwegian emigration in modern times. This reminds us of an important part of Norwegian history and our struggle for better living conditions. See map of the sailing.
Norway : 1947,30ore, SG 388; 2025, 20g,20g Ms.
Source: https://crossings.norwegianamerican.com/2025-history/;
https://www.wopa-plus.com/en/stamps/pro ... gid=102535.