After a quick dive into the history of Norwegian immigration to America before 1825, Mørkhagen begins his story with the crossing the ship «Restauration» made in the fall of 1825 with 52 Norwegian immigrants. The ship was seized by the authorities in New York and the Norwegians were fined.
Mørkhagen then takes us further into the history of immigration with the chapters; «From church split to Civil War (1840-1865)», «A country comes into use (1865-1880)» and finally «New tracks, new states (1880-1900)». The period covered in the book includes almost 600,000 Norwegians who immigrated to America.
The author writes well and includes a number of note references for those who want to know more about the various events that the book looks at.
Particularly exciting for us genealogists is the overview Mørkhagen has included at the back of the book of «Key players among Norwegian immigrants in America before 1900». The following people are mentioned: Cleng Peerson (ca. 1783-1865), Lars Larsen Geilane (1786-1845), Gjert Gregoriussen Hovland (1794-1870), Knud Andersen Slogvik (1798-1867), Bjørn Andersen Kvelve (1801-1850), Ole Olsen Hetletveit (1797-1849), Gudmund Haugaas (1800-1849), Johannes Nordbu (1768-ca. 1855), Hans Barlien (1772-1842), Hans Jacob Gasmann (1787-1857), Ole Nattestad (1807-1886), Ansten Nattestad (1809-1856), Ole Rynning (1809-1838), Ole Knudsen Trovatten (1807-before 1870), Stephan Olsen Kubakke (1818-1892), Søren Bache (1814-1890), Johanne Johannsen (?-1846), Even Hansen Hegh (1790-1850), Elling Eielsen Sundve (1804-1883), Claus Lauritz Clausen (1820-1892), James De Noon Reymert (1821-1896), Knud Langeland (1813-1888), Johan Reinert Reiersen (1810-1864), Elise Tvede Wærenskjold (1815-1895), Johannes Wilhelm Christian Dietrichson (1815-1883), Gerhard Styhr Christian Hiort Paoli (1815-1898), Iver Lawson / Iver Larson Bøe (1821-1872), John and Andrew B. Johnson / John og Anders Baard Rogne (1819-?) and (1823-1890), John Anderson / Knut Andersen Saude (1836-1910), John A. «Snowshoe» Thompson / Jon Torsteinson Rue (1827-1876), Adolph Carl Preus (1814-1878), Ulrik Wilhelm Koren (1826-1910), Peter Laurentius «Laur.» Larsen (1833-1915), Guri Endresen Rosseland (1813-1881), Ole Petter Hansen Balling (1823-1906), Hans Christian Heg (1829-1863), Ole C. Johnson (1838-1886), Porter Chamberlain Olson (1832-1864), Peder Sather / Peter Sæther (1810-1886), Marcus Thrane (1817-1890), Bernt Julius Muus (1832-1900), Kristofer Nagel Janson (1841-1917), Frederick Fleisher (1821-1878), Svein Nilsson (1826-1910), Paul Hjelm-Hansen (1810-1881), Brynild Amundsen (1844-1913), Hans Andersen Foss (1851-1929), Knute Nelson / Knud Helgeson Kvilekvål (1842-1923), Rasmus Bjørn Anderson (1846-1936), Andrew Furuseth / Anders Furuseth (1854-1938), Anders Beer Wilse (1865-1949), Simon Benson / Simon Bergersen (1851-1942), Peter Buschmann / Petter Thams Buschmann (1849-1903), Theodore Strøm (1866-1941), Edmund Thompson (1854-1926), Christian Saugstad (1837-1897) and Jafet Lindberg (1873-1962).
If you found a relative or someone you want to know more about, Mørkhagen has dedicated an entire section with information about each of these above-mentioned people.
Embedded in the text are several glossy pages of photographs and drawings that provide an insight into the time being described. The illustrations show, among other things, Norwegian-American Civil War veterans having a formal gathering 15 years after the Civil War, Norwegians having their «success» in the new country immortalized by the photographer and, not least, some of those who sought their fortune as gold miners.
This is a really enjoyable book for genealogists and others who are interested in what life was like for the many Norwegian immigrants. The book is a fine continuation of Sverre Mørkhagen's previously published «Farvel Norge» (Goodbye Norway), which looks at life in Norway, which the Norwegian emigrants left behind. Highly recommended! Run and buy!
