It was from this Constitution that the Norwegian people have developed their love of democratic institutions and their faith in the dignity of all men and the credibility of international peace. It is appropriate that the Senate should recognize Norwegian Independence Day because Norway has in no small way affected the development of our own country. Her greatest contribution. of course. has come from the thousands upon thousands of immigrants who came to our shores in the past century to carve a life and create a civilization out of the Anerican frontier. The Norwegian influence has been especially great in the upper midwest area of the Dakotas. Minnesota. and Montana. In this land of temperate climate. rugged terrain. and sparkling lakes. the Norwegian immigrant found an environment almost identical to his native land and it was only natural that he chose to settle here. The saga of that historic era in American history has been told lucidly by Ole Rolvaag. the father of the current Governor of Minnesota. in his book "Giants of the Earth" and also by Hamlin Garland in his "A Son of the Middle Border." Both books tell how the dauntless and indefatigable Norwegians challenged the raw frontier. met it in the crucible of the Prairie wilderness and tamed it to their will so that its land now feeds half the world and its iron. coal. and timber provide the energy for countless forms of industry. Today Norwegians have taken their rightful place among the melting pot of America and contribute to the welfare of our Government from the halls of Congress to the local city council and from Main Street to Madison Avenue.
Keywords matched
immigrant immigrants