Overview
Norwegian migrants came to the United States in several waves. The largest of these waves occurred just after the U.S. Civil War, starting in 1866, and ending in the first two decades of the 1900's.[1] The Civil War and other smaller disputes in the United States led to declines in immigration, but in the years following, the flow of migrants, especially from Norway, began to increase rapidly. Due to several changing economic and political conditions in Norway which impacted farming communities, most of the migrants in these waves were from rural areas. From the years 1866 to 1873, ninety percent of Norwegian immigrants in America were originally living in the rural, countryside.[2] Overall, in the later decades of the 19th century, from roughly 1866 to 1893, more than 300,000 people from Norway migrated to the United States.[3] Like other migrant groups, Norwegians faced challenges during their travels and settling in the United States. However, Norwegian migrants also found many opportunities and were able to uphold several aspects of their cultural identity alive in their American settlements.
Perceptions by American Society
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Occupations in America
Homestead Act of 1862
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The types of jobs immigrants obtain in their host country helps indicate the opportunities that are available to them. For the most part, because most of the male Norwegians that were migrating at this time were from rural areas, many worked on farms or in lumber mills in the upper Midwest. Land availability, advertised by the Homestead Act of 1862, attracted many migrants from throughout Europe, including Norway. Other Norwegian migrants looked for opportunities in familiar trades. Many of these career paths, such as carpenters and masons, earned higher wages than other jobs that different migrant populations were obtaining.[4] These opportunities for these higher paying, more familiar occupations shows that Norwegian migrants had the freedom to choose where they worked and what type of labor they would be doing, a luxury that many migrant populations, both past and present, have not experienced.
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Norwegian Language in America
Many migrant groups are pressured to adopt English as their primary language when settling in the United States. Norwegian migrants, however, found successes in maintaining their native language, which connected the growing group of Norwegians in America. Norwegian newspapers and novels appeared across the U.S. in the later half of the 19th century, which were read in several migrant communities.[5] Some Norwegian migrants who wrote novels in the United States found fame and their works were published in both English and Norwegian. Since the Norwegian immigrants tended to settle in groups, the tendency for them to maintain their native language was relatively common.
However, there were about 22 different dialects spoken throughout Norway, which created some difficulties for maintaining languages that smaller groups of immigrants chose to speak in America. Amidst these differences, there remained little pressure to forget their native languages. Additionally, literacy rates were high among Norwegian immigrants, which, along with the Norwegian publications that were circulating, helped maintain a strong tie to Norwegian dialects, and Norwegian-influenced English.[6]
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Maintaining a Cultural Identity
Cultural customs of immigrant groups are occasionally viewed negatively by U.S. society. However, “discrimination against Norwegian immigrants has been minimal,” allowing several cultural traditions and celebrations to be passed down through generations of Norwegian Americans, building a strong cultural heritage.[1] Norwegian American communities have continued to pass down language, religion, and other historical traditions. These shared values have created a “kinship and intimacy among many of the descendants of Norwegian immigrants.”[2] Closely knit communities have remained in several of the upper Midwestern states that many of the first-generation immigrants settled. The Norwegian-American Historical Association, founded in 1925, has further solidified this culture, and supports the study of this unique, surprisingly solitary migrant community that has flourished in the United States.
Literature & Picture Citations:
Literature
[1] "Norwegians." American Immigrant Cultures: Builders of a Nation, edited by David Levinson and Melvin Ember, Macmillan Reference USA, 1997. U.S. History in Context, http://link.galegroup.com/apps/doc/BT2337000109/UHIC?u=butleru&sid=UHIC&xid=3e1c9f62. Accessed 19 Apr. 2019.
[2] Semmingsen, Ingrid. “Norway To America : A History of the Migration,” University of Minnesota Press, 1980. ProQuest Ebook Central, https://ebookcentral.proquest.com/lib/butler/detail.action?docID=310155.
[3] Semmingsen, Ingrid G. “Norwegian Emigration to America During the Nineteenth Century” (Volume XI: Page 66) . NAHA // Norwegian-American Studies, www.naha.stolaf.edu/pubs/nas/volume11/vol11_5.htm.
[4] Semmingson, “Norway to America,” p. 122-124
[5] “Immigration: Scandinavian America.” Scandinavian - Scandinavian America - Immigration...- Classroom Presentation | Teacher Resources - Library of Congress, Library of Congress, www.loc.gov/teachers/classroommaterials/presentationsandactivities/presentations/immigration/scandinavian7.html.
[6] “Norwegians,” Levinson
[7] Ibid
[8] Semmingsen, “Norway to America,” 160
Pictures
Header background: Antonio Jacobsen - The Norwegian bark Friedig at sea under reduced sail. From Bonhams. Used under public domain.
Perceived by American Society (Left): America, picturesque and descriptive (1900) (14801618803). From flickr. No known copyright restrictions.
Perceived by American Society (Right): Germans-emigrate-1874. From Harper’s Weekly, (New York). Used under public domain.
Homestead Act of 1862: From National Archives and Records Administration. Used under public domain.
Occupations in America: Meadow river lumber mill. From the Library of Congress. Used under public domain.
Maintain their Language: 150212-A-YG824-037. From Minnesota National Guard. Used under public domain.
Cultural Identity (Top): Unknown English soldiers with unknown Norwegian family. From flickr. Used under CC BY-SA 2.0.
Cultural Identity (Bottom): The Norwegian Royal Family during the Second World War A29018. From the Imperial War Museums. Used under public domain.
[1] "Norwegians." American Immigrant Cultures: Builders of a Nation, edited by David Levinson and Melvin Ember, Macmillan Reference USA, 1997. U.S. History in Context, http://link.galegroup.com/apps/doc/BT2337000109/UHIC?u=butleru&sid=UHIC&xid=3e1c9f62. Accessed 19 Apr. 2019.
[2] Semmingsen, Ingrid. “Norway To America : A History of the Migration,” University of Minnesota Press, 1980. ProQuest Ebook Central, https://ebookcentral.proquest.com/lib/butler/detail.action?docID=310155.
[3] Semmingsen, Ingrid G. “Norwegian Emigration to America During the Nineteenth Century” (Volume XI: Page 66) . NAHA // Norwegian-American Studies, www.naha.stolaf.edu/pubs/nas/volume11/vol11_5.htm.
[4] Semmingson, “Norway to America,” p. 122-124
[5] “Immigration: Scandinavian America.” Scandinavian - Scandinavian America - Immigration...- Classroom Presentation | Teacher Resources - Library of Congress, Library of Congress, www.loc.gov/teachers/classroommaterials/presentationsandactivities/presentations/immigration/scandinavian7.html.
[6] “Norwegians,” Levinson
[7] Ibid
[8] Semmingsen, “Norway to America,” 160
Pictures
Header background: Antonio Jacobsen - The Norwegian bark Friedig at sea under reduced sail. From Bonhams. Used under public domain.
Perceived by American Society (Left): America, picturesque and descriptive (1900) (14801618803). From flickr. No known copyright restrictions.
Perceived by American Society (Right): Germans-emigrate-1874. From Harper’s Weekly, (New York). Used under public domain.
Homestead Act of 1862: From National Archives and Records Administration. Used under public domain.
Occupations in America: Meadow river lumber mill. From the Library of Congress. Used under public domain.
Maintain their Language: 150212-A-YG824-037. From Minnesota National Guard. Used under public domain.
Cultural Identity (Top): Unknown English soldiers with unknown Norwegian family. From flickr. Used under CC BY-SA 2.0.
Cultural Identity (Bottom): The Norwegian Royal Family during the Second World War A29018. From the Imperial War Museums. Used under public domain.