Sons of Norways Roots

Logo - Sons of Norway

Chapter 1 - Emigration to America
To the American Pioneer
Leiv Ericsson or Columbus
Emigration 1500-1800
Cleng Peerson Father of Norwegian Emigration
American Fever spreads
Emigrations from Selbu commences

To the American Pioneer
"It seemed like nothing could hurt them They hurled themselves blindly into the Impossible and did the Unbelievable. If somebody lost in the Fight - and it often happened - another took his Place. It was a Race for and by the Young Ones; the Unknown, the Unthinkable was in the Air; One got hold of it, felt intoxicated, invested everything one had and laughed at the Risk. Everything was of course possible. The word "Impossible" did not exist any more. Mankind has not seen this kind of Belief and Self-confidence since the Beginning of the World".

In these lines Ole Rølvaag describes the spirit of the American Pioneer. "They hurled themselves blindly into the Impossible" made it possible to inhabit this enormous Continent in such a short time. But the American Pioneer was not the sort to give in, he contributed to the success of the New Nation on all fronts, spearheading new technology and expansion. Old culture Nations granted that the will and courage amongst the first inhabitants of the U.S.A. exceeded what they thought was possible. Maybe the most daring, the bravest, stepped into the unknown. The Norse American writer Ole Rølvaag is making a point of just that in his great lines above.

Leiv Ericsson or Columbus
An Essay on the immigration to America will not be complete if we fail to begin with the beginning: Who discovered North America? The Indians will of course deny the discovery of a land that has been inhabited for thousands of years. But this fact is often forgotten when Europeans discuss the discovery of North America. The famous Norwegian archaeologist Helge Ingstad uncovered in 1960 what later has been accepted as the spot where Leiv Ericsson stayed a winterseason around year 1010. The eight Nordic camp-sites are named "Leivsbuene" and was found on L’anse aux Meadows, Newfoundland (Vinland). "Hjemmets store leksikon" describes the discovery this way: "There is hardly no doubt about Helge Ingstads discovery of "Leivsbuene" in 1960". On one of the sailings from Vinland, Torfinn Karlsevne proceeded as far as Rhode Island before he turned and set course for Iceland. But Leiv Ericssons discoveries had little implications on the World History. Both Icelandic and Norwegian Vikings "forgot" Leiv Ericssons reports and concentrated on raiding Europe for centuries to come. The Nordic and maybe especially the Norwegian Vikings, was described as brutal and with no culture- a reputation Norsemen was doomed to suffer from ever after. Hence, we must move to 1493 to find a person who altered the World History radically. Christopher Columbus carried out studies of geographic works, and was finally convinced that the Earth was round. Consequently it should be possible to reach India also by sailing westwards. The conclusion was right, but the Spanish Seafarer did not fully understand the mathematics and miscalculated the distances involved. Columbus undertook four journeys to the West-Indian Islands, and believed all this time that he had reached the Far East. When Columbus returned after his first voyage, he started on his new sailing with 17 ships 1500 men the very same year. This was the first colonisation of America, a long time should however elapse before the permanent colonisation of North America commenced. "Hjemmets store leksikon" (Norwegian) characterises Columbus’ voyages as follows: "Nordic sailing's to Vinland around year 1000, as well as the first European expeditions to America, were of less importance compared to the efforts of Columbus."

Emigration 1500-1800
Emigration taking place during these three centuries, will be presented only roughly. Spaniards and Portuguese concentrated their interests to South- and Central-America. This is understandable due to the known existence of natural resources. Hence North America lay open for other nations, and a colonial power like Great Britain was not hard to invite. She colonised the East Coast of North America during the 16th and 17th century. The thirteen East States from New Hampshire in the North to Georgia in the South Became British colonies. Subsequently emigration commenced from other European countries, initially the Netherlands, Ireland and Sweden.

Relatively long time elapsed before the emigration-fever reached Norway. Curiously enough since Norway since long was known as a great seafaring nation. One of the reasons might be that Norway was subordinate to Denmark for over tree hundred years until the Constitutional Act at Eidsvoll May 17th 1814. During this period both the country and the people was unable to make any noticeable progress. Norway was treated by the Danish King as a retarded colony in the Arctic North.

Shipping suffered during the colonial rule. Since the Norwegian Vikings and their descendants proudly had sailed all over Europe for three hundred years, Norwegian seamanship from year 1300 only deteriorated. In the 16th century few Norwegians held ships which were ocean going. Not before the latter part of the 17th century Norwegian sailors were hired on Dutch and German vessels visiting Norwegian harbours for timber and fish. A new Norwegian merchant fleet started to form. Norwegian sailors bought old English ships and took up the competition on the freight market. Slowly, but steadily, more and more Norwegian flags could be seen on freighters to and from Norway.

No "emigration fever" was noticeable. Clever Norwegian sailors embarked on Dutch ships in the 17th century any took up settlements in Dutch colonies (New Netherlands and new Amsterdam). In 1740 Norwegian Mormons emigrated and settled in Bethlehem, Pennsylvania and in North Carolina. Norwegians were active in the American Navy both before and during the War of Independence. A few adventurous Norwegians are found among the first pioneers in America, but there was no mass emigration during the 18th century.

Cleng Peerson Father of Norwegian Emigration
When Norway freed herself from Denmark in 1814, the feeling of national integrity grew. Henrik Wergeland was the first poet of the new nation, and became the great symbol of Norwegian national freedom. The growing feeling of freedom also had other consequences. One was the increasing interest for emigration to America.

Cleng Peerson was born in Tysvær in 1792. As many of the others who carried an interest for America, Cleng was deeply religious. He was member or a Quaker congregation and was sent to New York State in 1821 to look into the possibilities to establish a Norwegian settler community. Three years later he returned to Stavanger and agitated strongly for a sailing from Norway. Within the Quaker movement in Stavanger many of the members were convinced by Cleng Peerson, and July 4th, 1825 fifty-two Norwegian emigrants embarked the sloop "Restaurationen" and left Stavanger harbour. They arrived New York October 15th, the number had then increased to fifty-three. A baby had been born during the sailing across the Atlantic. "New York Daily advertiser" characterised the shipload as an "unusual sight". The newspaper was engaged in the somewhat old-fashioned clothes the immigrants wore- fashions de not only belong to this generation.

Cleng Peerson led his Quaker friends to Kendal Township near Lake Ontario where they were given their land. Cleng Peerson was an adventurous gentleman and continued his journey throughout North America. On his journey through the Mid-West he discovered the fertile Fox River Valley in Illinois. Subsequently he returned to his friends near Lake Ontario and convinced them to move on to Illinois. Odd Lovoll described Cleng Peerson as a "Peer Gynt on the prairie" a description we think suite this agitator very well. His power to convince was abundant. Peerson continued his journeys and died in Texas in 1865.

	Cleng Person (1782/83-1865) father of Norwegian Emigration
	The small sloop "Restaurationen" - 39 tons, 54 feet long and 16 feet wide brought the first Norwegian settlers to America.

Cleng Peerson is rightly named "father of Norwegian emigration". Not only did he organise the first joint emigration. He also took care to organise the Mid-West Settlement - what later should become the main arena for Norwegian immigration fifty years later. The first emigrants wrote home and reported from "a beautiful and fertile country". This was a fine indicator for the steadily growing emigration interest in Norway.

American Fever spreads
Eleven year should elapse before Norwegian emigration became a regular phenomenon. There is however no doubt as to the importance of the "Restaurationen"-sailing. Letters and returning emigrant carriage news about excellent living conditions. In 1836 two brigs left Stavanger, and the following year "American fever" was an accepted fact.

The flow of emigrants varied noticeable from region to region in Norway. During the next nine years (1836-1845) emigration spread to nine out of nineteen counties. The emigration was, however as late as 1846 concentrated to West and East Norway. No ship had so far sailed from Trøndelag or North Norway. This might only be a coincidence, but one should remember that communications at this time was very poor. It took time to spread the news of the "promised land" throughout Norway. During these first years, the greater number of emigrants came from the South-west, this strengthened the explanation that the first emigrants influenced their friends and relatives to leave Norway.

Emigrations from Selbu commences
Information about the "promised land" reached Selbu. Letters from friends or relatives who had left other regions, or maybe even some travellelers, carried the good news to rural districts throughout the country. Certainly also to Selbu. When and how nobody knows for certain today, but many years elapsed before the first emigrant packed his rucksack.

The writers of both "Selbybogen" (1921) and "Selbu i fortid og naatid" volume V (1990) agree that Jon Jonsen Lien, his wife Anne Fredriksdatter Røssethaugen together with Thomas Larsen Krogstad were the first to leave Selbu destined for America. Anne had just given birth to Sofie who was only six months when the journey started. Jon was the youngest of nine, born and raised on Ustigarden Lien (farm) which today is owned by Johnny Lien.

There must have been a tough decision for the three who knew that the probabilities of seeing Selbu again was very small. They had nobody they knew in America, and nobody who could furnish useful information during the journey. They took a chance on the unknown and could only have fit in each other left alone in the great world.

They started their journey prime April. There were no sailings from Trøndelag yet, the nearest departure was Kristiania (Capital - renamed Oslo) close to 600 kilometres south of Trondheim. They started in morning darkness from Mosletta through the forest to Østrungen lake further over the mountains to Haltdalen valley. Relatives gave lift by horse and sled. From now on they were left to themselves. "Selbubogen" reports that" they rode horse-sled from station to station all the way to Christina". Sailing to America were still not on a regular basic, hence they had to wait several weeks in Kristiania. Finally thre was a sailing, they embarked and reached Quebec, Canada in the middle of the summer.

John J. Lien and his wife

However, Jon J. Lien and his company wanted to move on Westwards. They continued the journey by boat up the St Lawrence River to Lake Ontario - Lake Erie - Hudson - Michigan probably all the way to Chicago, Illinois. The journey was mainly by boat, towed over land by oxen where necessary. Land near Chicago was already taken by settlers and the journey had to continue further west approximately kilometres to Decorah, Iowa. They reached Decorah in the end of August, nearly five months after they had left Selbu. Today, close to 50 000 Norse-American gather in Decorah every summer for the great Nordic Festival. One of most important areas for Norwegian immigrants in USA and the destination of the very first emigrants from Selbu.

Need for winter quarters was urgent. In "Selbybogen" you can find a drawing of their first home in Decorah. It is primitive, but the cottage made survival during a cold winter possible. Our representatives in Decorah felt very comfortable in their new homeland, and made no effort to hide their enthusiasm when they wrote letters to their relatives in Selbu. Already next year (1858) Jon’s older brother Thomas arrived and settled in Dodge County, Minnesota slightly to the North. This led in turn to the families here. Thomas shared his allotment with Jon. Together they shared approx. 200 acres, but had separate farms. The two brothers worked hard and developed good farms. They agitated well for the settler-life, and more family members followed. Even their farther, Jon T. Lien, emigrated in 1871 at the age of 87 years. The old man must have been strong since he took care of much younger passengers who became ill during the sailing. He died in USA six years later, 93 years old.