Speech #940046670

When they sailed into New York Harbor on October 9. 1825. they were greeted by one of their compatriots. Cleng Peerson. the trail blazer of the Norwegians in America. This initial group of 46 persons was the vanguard of what was to become a wave of Norwegian immigration to the United States. Between 1825 and 1925. more than 1 million Norwegians came to America. During the 1880s alone. nearly 200.000 Norsemen emigrated to this country. In fact. except for Ireland. Norway gave to America a larger proportion of its population than any other nation during the Atlantic migration of the 19th and early 20th centuries. These Norwegian immigrants exemplified the hardworking and tenacious spirit typical of pioneers. They conquered many obstacles encountered in the New World. One of these obstacles was the vast unsettled plains of the Midwest. With perseverence the NorwegianAmericans helped bring this rich but tough soil under cultivation. However. the role of the Norwegian immigrants was not one of simply trail blazing or establishing new settlements. In fact. it has been said that there Is hardly an aspect of American life to which Norwegian immigrants and their offspring have failed to contribute. The Norwegians did play an important role in the development of the farming areas of this great Nation. With their strong agricultural tradition they produced bountiful crops where once only prairie grass grew. Even today. 80 to 90 percent of the NorwegianAmericans live in rural areas. continuing to play a large part in Americas agricultural production. But they have also made major contributions in the fields of business and industry. The Norwegian immigrants who settled in the urban areas of America added many skilled craftsmen to the artisan professions of woodworking and carpentry. Norsemen were also intrumental in the development of the lumbering industry in the United States. In more recent times.