A floating icon and monument to remind us of the situation and daily life in Norway 200 years ago. The story of an incredible journey in 1825 from Stavanger to arrival through Hell Gate in New York. A 98-day voyage through several storms in the Atlantic Ocean.
Very few events in Norwegian history have met greater fascination from Norwegians and expatriate Norwegians than the story of Restauration and the crossing to America. The course of departure, the arduous journey across the Atlantic, and the drama the emigrants experienced upon arrival in New York are depicted in numerous novels, textbooks, and plays (see Links, under “Literature”).
This event gives us insight into an important episode of Norwegian history; the ship is a monument to the fact that Norway has not always been one of the richest countries in the world. The fact is that 40% of the Norwegian population found life so unbearable that they sold everything they owned and set sail towards a new horizon. In the period that began in 1825 and for about 100 years after, more than 800,000 Norwegians immigrated to the USA. In terms of population, only Ireland had more emigrants to America than Norway.
The sloop is considered the Norwegian “Mayflower,” and the crossing in 1825 marks the beginning of the Norwegian mass emigration to America in the 1800s and 1900s. The passengers and crew are often called “Sloopers”; they constituted the first Norwegian colony in America. The Slooper Society of America exists today and has good contact with the Friendship Association.
(Top: painting by Eivind Nielsen, departure from Stavanger.)