History

For a majority of its history, Norway has been a rural country that does not have a lot of natural resources and had greater poverty than other Nordic countries. In the 1800’s, conditions in Norway were very poor, a large part of the population still farmed for a living, and overpopulation was a problem because of the over-crowded farm areas. These conditions led Norwegians to seek a new life for themselves and their descendants. Many Lutherans and Quakers also had to face religious persecution by the Lutheran clergy and this led to Lutherans and Quakers choosing to leave Norway and escape it. Norwegian migration to America began on July 4, 1825 with the sailing of the tiny sloop Restauration, and has continued until the present day.

The transition into American society had its ups and downs. In the beginning they were occasionally referred to as “guests” in America and they had a sense of inferiority as they tried to assimilate into American culture. Many of them were people from rural areas with a strong sense of tradition and a strong family composition. These values were carried on into America as immigrants reflected the tradition and religion of their respected districts of their homeland, as well as a strong familial and communal bond. In many urban areas that Norwegians immigrated to, a Scandinavian melting pot developed among Norwegians, Swedes, and Danes. Norwegians even moved away from their traditional rural lifestyle and became lived more suburban lifestyles.

Norwegians don’t seem to have a lot of gaps in the existing literature because they have hung on tightly to their language, customs, and traditions and have passed on their immigration experience in detail. There do seemed to be a gap in the areas of the personal lives of Norwegian immigrants, especially in modern times, which could be attributed to a scarcity of sources. There also seemed to be a gap in immigrant life in the United States after the year 2000, which can also be attributed to a scarcity of sources.