The first organized emigration to America began with the sloop Restoration, which set sail on 4 July 1825 from Stavanger. Now, Norway is marking its 200th anniversary. The first Norwegian emigrant ship sailed for the USA 200 years ago.
Restauration was a sloop built in 1801, in Hardanger, Norway. It became a symbol of Norwegian American immigration. Historical sources may contain variations on the sloop’s name, including Restauration, Restoration, Restaurasjonen, and Restorasjon.
The vessel carried a crew of seven and 45 passengers, 19 children. The crossing was arduous and lasted for three months. A baby was born during the voyage, so the ship, on arrival in New York on October 9th, 1825, counted 53 people on board. The voyage is described in Ole Rynning’s Amerika-boka (The America Book, 1838).
“At a time when America seems to be at a crossroads, knowledge about this part of our common history appears particularly relevant,” says Eline Skaar Kleven, Director of Cultural Communication at the National Library.
Many of this group probably belonged to a similar local movement, the Haugeans, a Lutheran sect named after Hans Nielsen Hauge. Captain of the “Restauration” and leader of the group was the Quaker Lars Larsen Geilane. The other emigrants sympathized with the Quakers and joined them in America. The primary motivation for their endeavor is assumed to be America’s freedom of religion.
On Wednesday, May 7, the exhibition “Rett vest. Drømmen om et bedre liv i Amerika” (Going West: Dreaming of a Better Life in America) opens. It deals with one of the largest migrations in Norwegian history. In the century after the Restoration, almost 900,000 Norwegians followed the dream of a better life in America, with hope for land, freedom, and opportunities.
The United States Post Office issued two stamps to commemorate the 1825 arrival. The 2-cent stamp has for its central design a ship representing Restauration. The illustration on the two-cent stamp is an artist’s rendition of what Restauration probably looked like based on a drawing of its sister ship.
The First Norwegian Emigrant Ship Sailed for the USA 200 Years Ago, Tor Kjolberg reporting.
Feature image (top): Restauration, painting by Eivind Nielsen.