“Crossings 200” Commemorates 200 Years of Norwegian Migration to the USA

The ship Restauration set sail for the United States from Stavanger, Norway, on July 4, 1825, with 52 Norwegians aboard. “Crossings 200” commemorates 200 years of Norwegian migration to the United States.

Vesterheim, the National Norwegian-American Museum and Folk Art School, explores the diversity of American immigration through the lens of the Norwegian-American experience, showcasing the best in historic and contemporary Norwegian folk arts. This national treasure boasts a world-class collection of 33,000 artifacts and a Heritage Park comprising 12 landmark buildings, as well as a Folk Art School located in scenic Decorah, Iowa. To commemorate this bicentennial anniversary, Vesterheim presents a special exhibition focusing on Norwegian immigration, featuring essential objects, photographs, themes, and stories from 200 years of Norwegians in the U.S.

The coordinated undertaking for the 200th anniversary, however, has been identified as Crossings, Norway & North America, 1825 – 2025. The Crossings Bicentennial in North America is managed by a group of dedicated professionals representing numerous organizations, including the Norwegian American Historical Association (NAHA), Vesterheim Norwegian-American Museum, Norway House, The Norwegian American newspaper, with representation from Sons of Norway and the Sons of Norway Foundation.

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You may also like to read The Swedish Emigrants.
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In the 19th century, Norway saw one of the highest rates of emigration in Europe. For more than a hundred years, tens of thousands of Norwegians packed up their lives and sailed across the Atlantic in search of opportunity.

At the top of a valley, far out in rural Wisconsin, lies Norskedalen Nature and Heritage Center. It is an American version of a Norwegian country park, an open-air museum featuring restored buildings from Norwegian immigrants to the area. In 1848, some immigrants from Biri came to this area as the first Norwegian settlers in Coon Prairie. They wrote letters home and encouraged others to come.

Norskedalen in Vernon County is one of the strongest “Norwegian” areas in the U.S. At one point, the county had 70 percent residents of Norwegian descent – ​​a higher proportion than in any other county in the U.S.

Nels Johnson (Kaasa) converted to Methodism in Racine County, Wisconsin, in 1846, becoming one of the first, if not the first, Norwegian-born Methodists in the world. Fellow convert O. P. Peterson left the U.S. in 1853 to establish the first Methodist congregation in Norway. Freedom from a state church in Norway, with the choice to be of any religion or no religion at all, was one of the factors that drew some immigrants to the United States.

Their arrival in America marked the beginning of a mass movement that would see nearly 900,000 Norwegians follow in their wake over the next century. For a country with a population of 5.5 million today, this movement was nothing short of transformative. It should, however, be noted that 2025 is being referred to as a commemoration, not a celebration: immigration brought opportunities to new arrivals, but also harmed existing nations.

“Crossings 200” Commemorates 200 Years of Norwegian Migration to the USA, Tor Kjolberg reporting